Illinois Mixed Bag: Wingshooting clinics, pheasant hunts set – Outdoor News
Springfield — Youth between the ages of 10 and 17 can apply now for the youth wingshooting clinic and pheasant hunt opportunities scheduled at Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County on March 1 and the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Randolph County on March 15.
Young hunters will participate in a wingshooting clinic in the morning, taught by National Sporting Clays Association and DNR certified instructors. Participants will practice safe shotgun handling and operation while advancing their wingshooting skills.
A pheasant hunt will take place in the afternoon. Participants must have successfully completed an approved hunter safety course and have a valid hunting license.
Permits for these wingshooting clinics and youth pheasant hunts are available through the DNR’s Controlled Pheasant Hunting online reservation system.
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Lesser Prairie Chicken habitat Plan Amended
Washington — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the availability of draft amendments to habitat conservation plans for the lesser prairie chicken in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. These amendments propose adjustments to incidental take permits and conservation plans to align with updates to the species’ estimated occupied range made in 2022.
The revisions aim to expand HCP boundaries and reflect changes in the range’s northern and eastern extents while maintaining the original conservation goals and incidental take estimates.
The proposed amendments include updates to maps, text, and associated documents. While the original scope of covered activities and the permits’ duration remain unchanged, the amendments seek to provide broader conservation coverage across the updated range.
USFWS is accepting public comments on the proposed amendments and associated draft environmental assessments through Feb. 13.
Missouri Duck Hunters Get Look at Seasons
Jefferson City, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation is asking waterfowl hunters in Illinois’ neighboring state to decide on dates and zone boundaries for future duck hunting seasons. Conservation officials set up a series of workshops throughout the winter to present data about weather, migration and habitat use.
Conservation officials say they’ll establish Missouri’s 2026-2030 waterfowl regulations using those hunters’ input.
At the workshops, participants can discuss current regulations and decide if they want to change hunting seasons and zones.
The 2025 workshops will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration is not required. Some of the dates and locations near the Illinois state line:
• Jan. 28 in St. Charles: Wapelhorst Park Gould Upper Level, 1875 Muegge Road, 636-441-4554.
• Jan. 29 in Elsberry: American Legion, 111 Legion Drive, 636-441-4554;.
• Jan. 30 in Kirksville: MDC Northeast Regional Office, 3500 S. Baltimore St., 660-785-2420.
• Feb. 6 in Jackson: Jackson Civic Center on 381 E. Deerwood Drive, 573-290-5730.
Kentucky Business Will Utilize Invasive Carp
Paducah, Ken. — During a visit to west Kentucky on Jan. 13, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made an official stop to mark the opening of a new company aiming to help solve the ongoing problem of invasive Asian carp in Midwest waterways. The Mighty Rivers Regional Center will use Asian carp for products including food, clothing, and dog treats, exporting those goods to 12 countries.
“Angie’s innovation, and true innovation, look at all of these different products, using every single bit of a fish that was seen, rightfully so, as an invasive species, but finding a market for every single part of it, creating jobs and opportunity along the way,” Beshear said, referring to Angie Yu of Mighty Rivers Regional Center.
Yu is also the president of Two Rivers Fisheries, a business in Wickliffe that has been processing Asian carp for years. Yu has said the center will cover 14 counties in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Missouri.
ICF Scholarship Applications Now Accepted
Springfield — Applications are now being accepted by the Illinois Conservation Foundation for the 2025 Conservation Achievement Scholarship program. The ICF annually awards scholarships to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection or enhancement of Illinois’ natural resources.
Four scholarships of $2,000 each are available for the current school year. One of the scholarships is earmarked for a qualified applicant who is a dependent of a current employee of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Applicants must be an Illinois resident and a senior in an Illinois high school. Applications must be received by the ICF by March 1.
Contact the Illinois Conservation Foundation at 217-785-2003 or email [email protected] for more information.
Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2025/01/21/illinois-mixed-bag-wingshooting-clinics-pheasant-hunts-set/
