Where did the area Whippoorwills go?

Sports

Facebook

March 14, 2013

Where did the area Whippoorwills go?

BY SAM VAN CAMP Commercial-News The Commercial-News Thu Mar 14, 2013, 11:40 PM CDT

DANVILLE — I had a reader put me on a very interesting article this past week. The article was on the decline of whippoorwills throughout this country and especially throughout the Midwest.

I hadn’t given this much thought until I stopped to think when I last heard the call of a whippoorwill. It had been quite some time the more I thought about it. How about you?

Sitting in a boat at night 20 years ago or so was commonplace for me and the sound of those birds at dusk will ever linger in my mind. If you have ever heard one, you will probably never forget it but young people now may never have heard their call.

The population of whippoorwills has greatly declined in part probably to how we live. The author cited a major decline in the moth population possibly due to pesticides as one factor. The other factor cited was the invasion of invasive plant species that are crowding the forests. The whippoorwill requires open forests in which to live and these invasive plants are clogging our wooded areas.

The nighthawk, another moth eating species of bird is also in rapid decline. The author suggested that if a person owned a piece of land, say a back 40, that they do some controlled burning or cutting to open that wooded area up in places to help reestablish the populations of these birds.

Resident permits

I had someone send me an e-mail early in the week about the first day a person could apply for resident permits. I ran this last Friday and, with all the e-mails and phone calls I got on the dams and their removal this week, I may have forgotten to answer this one. Here is what you need to know.

Resident Illinois deer hunters can apply online from now through April 30 for the first lottery drawings for 2013 Illinois firearm and muzzleloader-only deer season permits through DNR Direct.

Just click on the Online Services tab on the IDNR website home page at www.dnr.illinois.gov. Application forms in PDF format will be available online in April.

The first lottery drawings for firearm and muzzleloader-only deer permits are for Illinois residents only. The deadline to apply for the first lottery drawings for 2013 firearm deer permits and muzzleloader-only deer permits is April 30.

Resident hunters can apply in both the firearm and muzzleloader-only lotteries. The 2013 Illinois firearm deer seasons are Nov. 22-24 (first season) and Dec. 5-8 (second season). The 2013 muzzleloader-only permits may be used Dec. 13-15 (and in the second firearm season, Dec. 5-8).

Sam Van Camp writes about the outdoors on Fridays and Sundays. Call him at 662-6559. Fax: 446-6648. E-mail: pamnsam@nwcable.net

Text Only

Sports

Leverenz cruises to final
Danville junior gets top time in 800 meter run in Class 3A preliminaries

May 25, 2013 1 Photo
Keenan wins NJCAA title
Former Salt Fork golfer wins Division II title for Parkland

May 25, 2013
Friday's local scores and glances
Boxscores and glances from Friday's local action.

May 25, 2013
Woods advances to final
Westville shot putter finally makes it past state preliminaries.

May 24, 2013 2 Photos
Vikings lose by inches
Ground ball in sixth inning takes out Danville from Class 4A regionals.

May 24, 2013
Local athletes out in the cold
Windy day takes down all local competitors in track regional

May 24, 2013 1 Photo
LOCAL ROUNDUP: Ellis out of IHSA state meet
Seeger baseball advances to sectional semifinal.

May 24, 2013
Cold weather slows down turkey total
Statewide total drops from last season because of low temps.

May 24, 2013
Thursday's local scores and glances
Boxscores and glances from Thursday's local action.

May 24, 2013
Trojans take sectional
Covington softball wins first postseason title in school history

May 23, 2013 2 Photos
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Facebook

Where did the area Whippoorwills go?

Site Map

Contact Us