BY SAM VAN CAMP
Commercial-News
DANVILLE —
The Upland Game outlook for this year seems to mimic that of last season with pheasant numbers expected to be about the same to slightly higher.
Quail numbers are hard to predict because of the damage the drought may or may not have done to the immature birds. The population of rabbits appears to be the same as last season.
The one good thing is that much of the corn crop will be harvested well ahead of the season making hunting easier.
IDNR reminders
Review this season’s Illinois waterfowl regulations with the Illinois Digest of Waterfowl Hunting Regulations now available online on the IDNR website at this link: www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/DigestWaterfowlHuntingRegulations.pdf
Those Illinois firearm and muzzleloader deer permits remaining available following the close of random daily drawings will be available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors from Oct. 16-Dec. 9 (or until quotas are exhausted). Find a vendor near you at this link: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx
Hunters are reminded that Free Site Hunting Permits (windshield cards) to hunt upland, forest game and waterfowl at IDNR sites are available online from the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov.
Click on ‘Hunting/Trapping’ and then ‘Public Hunting Areas’ to print these permits. Hunters are encouraged to view the link to hunter fact sheets also available at the site. For information or assistance, hunters should contact the site where they intend to hunt.
Hunters are encouraged to donate whole deer to the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program – part of the IDNR ‘Target Hunger Now!’ initiative. Participating meat processors turn the donated deer into ground venison for delivery to food banks and charities in Illinois. For more information on ‘Target Hunger Now!’ and the Illinois
Sportsmen Against Hunger program, check the IDNR website at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/MeatProcessorList.pdf, email tracy.shafer@Illinois.gov, or write to Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271.
Hummingbird update
The hummingbirds have abandoned our feeders. The last ones I saw were over the weekend. I talked to two other people who said they hadn’t seen any since the weekend either. Leave your feeders out for a little longer to catch any still migrating through the area.
Sam Van Camp writes about the outdoors on Fridays and Sundays. Call him at 662-6559. Fax: 446-6648. E-mail: pamnsam@nwcable.net
