Illinois Mixed Bag: Two anglers killed in LaSalle accident – Outdoor News
Marseilles Ill. — The Illinois Conservation Police is investigating a boating accident at the LaSalle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area that resulted in the deaths of two Indiana men who had been fishing with their 7-year-old granddaughter.
Just after noon on Aug. 18, police received a 911 call about a distressed boater at the 2,000-acre lake near Marseilles. Upon arrival, they saw a capsized vessel and found the girl on the shore with park visitors who came to her assistance. The visitors helped her contact her mother and grandmother.
The girl had been on the 17-foot Crestliner with her grandfather, 53, from Merrillville, Indiana, and her great-grandfather, 80, of Gary, Indiana. She was wearing a life jacket; the two men were not, police said. Police and first responders from numerous agencies helped search for the men. They were recovered about 7:45 p.m., and the LaSalle County coroner pronounced them dead at the scene. An investigation into what caused the vessel to capsize is ongoing.
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Number of counties in Illinois’ Restricted Archery Zone holds at five
Illinois Part of Fall Walleye Challenge
Springfield — Anglers have another opportunity this fall to walleye, sauger or saugeye as part of a virtual fishing competition between more than a dozen states. The fall Midwest Walleye Challenge will run Sept. 28 through Oct. 31.
Illinois participated for the first time in the spring version of the tournament, which includes states, provinces, and researchers at Anglers Atlas, a popular fishing app. Anglers get to compete and the information gathered through the competition will assist Illinois in providing anglers with important data and add to biologists’ knowledge of various lakes and rivers.
The Midwest Walleye Challenge uses MyCatch to record the length of each fish caught. Anglers take a picture of the fish on a measuring device using the app, and once the fish is reviewed by the catch team and meets the rules, it appears on a live leaderboard where anglers can see who is in the lead.
All ages are invited to participate. Review the rules and event information at www.anglersatlas.com
Some Access Limited at Stephen A. Forbes
Kinmundy, Ill. — The Oak Ridge Campground at Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area in Marion County was closed to the public on Sept. 3 while a bridge replacement project is underway on the only access road to the campground. The work is part of a larger-scale road improvement project currently taking place throughout the park to enhance the overall visitor experience and ensuring long-term accessibility.
During this period, select sites in the equestrian campground, typically reserved for guests with horses, will be made available for non-equestrian campers on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that the equestrian campground does not include a shower house, so visitors should plan accordingly.
For updates on the progress of the bridge replacement and campground reopening, please visit the park’s reservation website or contact the park directly at 618-547-3381.
Illinois Hunt camp Set for Sept. 28 at Deacon’s
Wauconda, Ill. — Map reading, waterfowl identification, gun dog training, trapping, archery blood tracking, and more will be part of the 2024 Illinois Hunt Camp, set for Sept. 28 at Deacon’s Restaurant and Bar at the Golf Farm in Wauconda.
Pheasants Forever, the Illinois Conservation Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, and other conservation groups will be on hand, and prizes and mentored hunts are aimed adults. Children’s tickets to Hunt Camp are available for free. Attendees can browse available mentored hunts and choose which ones they want to try and win. Past offerings have included archery deer hunts, guided pheasant hunts, squirrel hunts, group turkey hunts, and fishing trips. Early Bird All Inclusive tickets are only $10 each. For more information, email [email protected].
Multi-state Effort Tracks CWD in Deer Herds
Ithaca, N.Y. — Researchers at Cornell University are studying whether machine learning can help states predict the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer.
A recent study done in partnership with Michigan State University showed that machine learning could calculate where CWD will spread at the county level. That information will help agencies address a problem much larger than their individual jurisdictions, said Mitch Marcus, the wildlife health supervisor at the Michigan DNR.
Because CWD has spread across 35 states and four provinces, tracking it is difficult. That’s where machine learning can help, said Krysten Schuler, wildlife disease ecologist and director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, and a co-author of the paper.
“The system is capable of running thousands of calculations that would take us normally a very long time,” she said.
Wild Turkey Researcher Appointed by NWTF
Athens, Ga. — Prominent wild turkey researcher Mike Chamberlain, Ph.D., professor of wildlife ecology and management at the University of Georgia, has been formally appointed to chair the National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor position at UGA. The UGA Board of Regents officially selected Chamberlain for the NWTF position at its Aug. 14 meeting in Atlanta.
For over 30 years, Chamberlain has been a stalwart researcher of wild turkey ecology. Being both a mainstay researcher in academia and a passionate turkey hunter, Chamberlain conveys a unique perspective, understanding what the leading science says while also being aware of the position and desires of many turkey hunters. What’s more, Chamberlain has effectively communicated the often-nuanced aspects of wild turkey ecology research to the broader turkey hunting public and has engaged the turkey hunting community on the importance of research and conservation practices.
Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2024/09/03/illinois-mixed-bag-two-anglers-killed-in-lasalle-accident/
