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Land acquisition enhances Goose Lake Prairie The State of Illinois recently acquired 345 acres of land adjacent to Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area and Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area in Grundy County to protect high-quality prairie and provide habitat for grassland and wetland wildlife. Purchased through Gov. George H. Ryan's Open Land Trust initiative, it will provide additional protection for a rare prairie that is home to grassland and wetland birds and two threatened or endangered insect species. The acquisition includes two parcels totaling 340 acres purchased with $1,473,000 in funding from the Open Land Trust Program, the four-year, $200 million initiative to acquire real property for conservation, natural resource protection and recreational purposes. Another five-acre parcel acquired for $21,725 through state Park and Conservation funds is for a parking lot that will be available for use by anglers fishing at Heidecke Lake. Commonwealth Edison Company owned the parcels and leased them to the state. "The two main parcels are among the largest tracts of unprotected prairie in the state," the Governor said. "The acquisition will allow restoration and enlargement of the grassland habitat at Goose Lake Prairie to benefit wildlife, while enhancing recreational uses including bird watching, hiking and deer hunting." To date, the Open Land Trust initiative has resulted in the state's acquisition of more than 23,750 acres for needed open space, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, forest restoration and protection from development. In addition, more than 3,400 acres of open space are being acquired by local governments through the Open Land Trust grant program. The 2,838-acre Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area features a variety of prairie and wetland habitats and represents the largest remnant of prairie left in Illinois. It is home to deer, fox, beavers, badgers, barred owls, red-tailed hawks, red-winged blackbirds and great blue herons. Two species of threatened or endangered insects, the red-veined prairie leafhopper and the eryngium stem borer, also are found at the site. The 1,475-acre Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is located just north of Goose Lake Prairie near Morris. Snowmobile trail grants awarded Eight local governments and 10 private organizations have been awarded grants totaling $371,670 to develop and maintain public snowmobile trails in Illinois. The grants provide funding to expand existing trails and build new ones, replace and rehab bridges and acquire equipment to maintain trails. The grant program is administered by DNR. Following are local governments awarded 2002 snowmobile trail grants: Freeport Park District (Stephenson County), $50,000 to retro-fit two former railroad bridges with wooden decks and railings to improve snowmobile access to the Jane Addams Trail, which is part of the Grand Illinois Trail. Lena Community Park District (Stephenson County), $62,900 to purchase a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain approximately 100 miles of area trails. Loran Township (Stephenson County), $7,500 to lease a tractor to pull trail-grooming equipment to maintain approximately 125 miles of trails. McHenry County Conservation District, $68,000 to replace a deteriorated bridge over Nippersink Creek in Glacier Park near Ringwood and to purchase two snowmobiles to patrol the park's trails. Village of Pearl City (Stephenson County), $8,200 to purchase a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain approximately 120 miles of trails. Rockford Park District (Winnebago County), $9,200 to purchase a snowmobile trailer and a six-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle for the Rockford Park District Police Snowmobile Response Team. The team responds to snow-related emergencies in Winnebago and three adjacent counties. Village of Roscoe (Winnebago County), $19,400 to construct a portion of the Riverside Park path, a snowmobile and bicycle trail. The path will connect Riverside Park and trails to the west with the village, allowing snowmobilers and other trail users to travel safely underneath Illinois Route 251, a four-lane divided highway. Village of Roscoe, $30,500 to develop the Kin-Stone Trail, a snowmobile and bicycle trail that will connect the Stone Bridge Trail (which is part of the Grand Illinois Trail) and the Hononegah Trail. This trail also will allow snowmobilers and other users to safely travel under Elevator Road, a busy multi-lane road in Roscoe. Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, $48,250 to construct a rest area along a snowmobile trail in the Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve.
The rest area will include a primitive restroom building and a shelter house with a fireplace. Following are the snowmobile clubs receiving funding: German Valley Sno-Riders (Stephenson, Winnebago and Ogle counties), $2,400 to purchase four culverts and place them in a creek bed to accommodate a public snowmobile trail crossing. German Valley Sno-Riders, $5,000 to lease a tractor to pull a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain approximately 85 miles of trails. I&M Trail Blazers (Will and Grundy counties), $3,500 to lease a tractor to pull a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain 30 miles along the I&M Canal trail. Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs, $10,000 to fund the annual liability insurance that is required on all public snowmobile trails maintained by private snowmobile clubs in Illinois. Kishwaukee Super Sledders (DeKalb and Kane counties), $2,200 to lease a tractor to pull a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain 15 miles of trails. McHenry County Snowmobile Association, $6,000 to lease a tractor to pull a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain more than 250 miles of trails. Northeastern Illinois Association of Snowmobile Clubs, Inc. (Lake County), $1,200 to purchase and install wooden stakes to mark public snowmobile trails in Lake County. Northwest Illinois Snowmobile Alliance (Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carrol I and Whiteside counties), $4,920 to lease a tractor to maintain the Jane Addams Trail. Northwest Illinois Snowmobile Alliance, $13,500 to purchase snowmobile trail signs, trail stakes, lumber and materials to construct new and improve existing snowmobile bridges and fence crossings. The Alliance also will rent three tractors to assist in constructing the bridges and trails. The Alliance maintains more than 800 miles of public snowmobile trails in the four-county area.
Snowhunters of Northern Illinois (McHenry County), $650 to purchase lumber and other materials to construct a snowmobile bridge across a creek. The club maintains 25 miles of public snowmobile trails. Tri-County Snowmobile Alliance (Lee, Ogle and Winnebago counties), $13,500 to purchase snowmobile trail signs and wooden stakes to mark the public trails that are maintained by the 13 local affiliates of the Alliance. Whiteside County Snowbirds, $3,450 to purchase snowmobile trail signs, plus lumber and materials to mark trails and to repair snowmobile bridges and fence crossings. Whiteside County Snowbirds, $1,400 to purchase a snowmobile trail groomer to maintain 95 miles of trails. Applications for the next round of grants may be obtained by contacting the DNR Division of Grant Administration, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701-1787, or by-calling (217) 782-7481. Applications are accepted from March 1 to May 1. Final link on Tunnel Hill State Trail opens The final section of the 47-mile Tunnel Hill State Trail was dedicated recently. The trail runs between Harrisburg and Karnak on the former Norfolk-Southern Railroad right-of-way in southern Illinois. Tunnel Hill State Trail offers some of the state's most spectacular scenery, traveling through Shawnee National Forest and over the Cache River. The limestone-surfaced, hiking-biking trail has numerous bridges, most built upon original railroad trestles, including Breeden Trestle, which is 430 feet long and 90 feet high. As its name implies, the trail includes
a 543-foot tunnel near Tunnel Hill. The rail-trail includes a 3-mile extension into Harrisburg on the north end and a 2.8-mile rail-trail extension to the new Henry Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center, near Whitehall, on the south end. Originally called the Vincennes & Cairo Railroad, it was constructed in 1872 by Civil War General Ambrose Burnside and his associates. The railroad was owned and operated at various times by the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific; New York Central; Penn Central; Conrail; and Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis, also known as the Big Four, which became the Southern Line and then Norfolk-Southern. Norfolk-Southern donated the line to DNR in 1991, and construction on the trail began in 1997. Tree stand safety tips from an expert Most hunters probably know someone who has been injured in a tree stand accident, says Jackie Bushman, the founder and CEO of Buckmasters, the world's largest white-tail deer hunters association. "In our hunting club a few years ago, one of the guys didn't check his stand from the previous year before using it," Bushman said. "When he climbed onto it on opening day of deer season, the limb he used to step into his stand had rotted. It broke, and he fell to the ground, breaking his hip. He laid there for four hours before crawling to the road for help.
"Most tree stand accidents are the result of careless errors," Bushman said. "Tree stand hunting is safe and rewarding if we pay attention to a few basics. People don't like to bother with things like safety measures, but paying attention to safety, like wearing a safety belt, is smart. "Any time your feet aren't on the ground and you're not wearing a safety belt, you're in what I call 'death territory,'" he said. "If you hunt from anything that's hooked to a tree, you need a safety belt. If your stand breaks or you fall asleep or lose your balance, the safety belt can save your life." Being safe in a tree stand boils down to a little time and advance work. If you plan to hunt from a tree stand this year, here are some things Bushman recommends: If you stand to shoot while bow hunting, use a safety belt that keeps you snug to the tree when you stand. If you have to lean a little bit, you want to feel the safety belt grab. Always check your tree stand before the first day of the season. If you use a homemade tree stand, don't forget that trees grow and thus the nails might be deeper in the tree than they were. Check to make sure that wooden parts are not rotten. If you plan to make your own stand this year, consider using treated lumber, which will last a lot longer. If you plan to use any of the limbs on a tree as steps to get into your tree stand, or for balance after you get in, make sure that they're alive and sturdy. When putting a tree stand in place or putting in screw-in tree steps, wear a safety belt. There are many safety belts and harnesses on the market. Buy one that gives you a feeling of comfort as well as security. Bushman likes one with a push-button adjustment on the ropes
so he can tighten it to get closer to the tree or loosen it so he can lean out from the tree. It gives him a little more versatility when he's putting up a tree stand or when he's hunting. Be sure the belt is big enough to go around a tree. If you're hunting from big trees, you might have to get an extension rope. Pull your gun or bow up after you're in the stand. Before going up into the stand, make sure the gun is unloaded and the action is open. Then tie a rope or line to the gun so the barrel points toward the ground. Before going down, reverse the procedure. Bushman says taking safety precautions in a tree stand is sometimes bothersome, but your friends and family will appreciate your safety efforts because they'd like to see you again.
Governor's Cup goes to Illinois walleye anglers Dominic Culjan, Utica, and Jim Culjan, Princeton, caught 12 pounds, 2 ounces of walleye during the two day Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament in late October to take home the first prize of $4,000 and a $1,000 certificate from Ranger Boats. The tournament was held in the Ottawa and Starved Rock pools of the Illinois River. High, muddy water made this tournament a real challenge for anglers. In addition, galeforce winds practically eliminated any pre-fishing. Despite these less than desirable conditions, 45 teams of anglers coming from four states caught nice stringers of fish during the two-day event. More than $11,500 in cash and prizes was presented to anglers. Next year's event is scheduled for Oct. 26-27. Additional information is available by calling Bob Kidd at (309) 527-6328 or emailing: walleye@elpaso.net. Pin sales benefit Sportsmen Against Hunger Order your Illinois Big Buck pin now. This hat or lapel pin will be a nice addition to your collection. All proceeds from the pin sales go to the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program. The pin is available for $5, including shipping and handling, by calling the OutdoorIllinois Gift Corner at 1-800-720-3249 in Illinois or outside Illinois at (217) 782-7454.
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