Illinois Mixed Bag: Youth goose hunt registration open – Outdoor News
Springfield — Youth between the ages of 10 and 17 who would like to participate in the annual Central Illinois Youth Goose Hunt sponsored by DNR can register now for the event, which is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2024.
Registration closes Dec. 31. To participate, youth hunters must go online to register and follow the instructions.
The hunt will be hosted at private waterfowl hunting clubs near Canton in Fulton County, and hunters selected to participate will be pre-assigned to hunting locations. A lottery drawing involving all youth hunters who register will be conducted, and those who are selected will be notified by email. First-time applicants will be given priority over previous participants.
The hunt is open to youth ages 10 to 17 at the time of the event.
All applicants must possess a valid Illinois hunting or sportsman’s license, have a Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration number, and have a 20 gauge or larger shotgun. Youth hunt participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who must possess a valid firearm owner’s identification (FOID) card.
Questions about registration and the hunt itself can be directed to 217-785-8060.
Pheasant Fund Projects Receive Grants
Springfield — DNR announced the latest recipients of grants for projects through the State Pheasant Fund Special Wildlife Funds grant program.
The State Pheasant Fund provides grants to not-for-profit organizations for wild pheasant conservation projects. Funding for the grant program comes from the sale of habitat stamps to sportsmen and sportswomen.
MORE COVERAGE FROM ILLINOIS OUTDOOR NEWS:
Hunters can access their own FOID card information in Illinois
Late-winter deer season in Illinois seen as chance to boost ‘time spent’ in the woods
Projects approved for grants after review by the State Pheasant Fund Committee are:
• Pheasants Forever – $33,000 for the Carroll County Chapter to purchase a no-till drill planter to replace a 30-year-old drill planter to assist landowners with habitat-friendly stewardship practices. Grantee match is $11,000.
• Pheasants Forever – $12,389.24 for the Highland Chapter to purchase a flatbed trailer to haul equipment – such as herbicide sprayers, planting equipment, and prescribed burn tools – to assist landowners with planting and executing habitat-friendly stewardship practices. Grantee match is $8,259.50.
Recreational Trail Project Funds Awarded
Springfield — More than $3.7 million has been awarded for recreational trail development projects in 19 Illinois communities to help them meet the growing demand for improved trails and outdoor recreation facilities, Governor JB Pritzker and DNR announced.
“These projects will help provide safe places for children and families, hikers, bike riders, and horseback riders to enjoy the outdoors,” said Natalie Phelps Finnie, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which administers the federal Recreational Trails Program. “DNR is pleased to partner with local governments to construct, improve, and maintain trails that benefit communities throughout Illinois.”
The 19 projects were recommended for funding by the Illinois Greenways and Trails Council, which is overseen by DNR. For a list of funded projects, visit the DNR website.
Wisconsin Reports New County With CWD
Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin DNR has reported the first positive result for CWD in a wild deer in Jackson County, located in the west central part of the state. Earlier this fall, the DNR reported the first detection in neighboring Trempealeau County, as well as in Polk County in the northwestern part of the state.
Wisconsin has now reported CWD in 64 of its 72 counties, after confirming its first case in 2002. Illinois, which also reported its first case in 2002, has confirmed CWD in only 19 of its 102 counties.
The Wisconsin deer was a 2-year-old hunter-harvested buck. It was harvested in the town of Garfield, which is 10-miles from the borders of Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties. The detection in Jackson County triggers a renewal of a baiting and feeding ban, which has been in place in Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties due to earlier CWD detections.
Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2023/12/12/illinois-mixed-bag-youth-goose-hunt-registration-open/
