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Drawings set for public waterfowl blinds Waterfowl hunting blind sites at several public hunting areas will be allocated by random drawings July 27-28. Duck and goose hunters must register in person for blind site drawings and must be present at the drawing held immediately after the registration period to claim their blind sites. Mail registrations are not accepted. Blind allocations are good for one year. To participate in a drawing, applicants must present a 2001 or 2002 hunting or combination sportsmen's license and an Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp at the time they register, unless exempted by law. Applicants must be at least 16 by the date of the drawing. Participants should save their 2001 stamps in case they have difficulty purchasing new stamps. At some sites, hunters may be able to purchase 2002 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamps. Registrants must be prepared to show an Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card. Although a FOID card that has expired within a year of the drawing is acceptable for the registration, hunters are required to have a current FOID card before they can hunt a site in the fall. Applicants under the age of 21 do not need a FOID card if they are accompanied by an adult who has one. Non-residents must have a 2001 or 2002 non-resident hunting license for Illinois and an Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp. Dates and registration times for remaining 2002 waterfowl blind drawings are as follows: Saturday, July 27, 2002 • Blanding's Landing Wildlife Area (Savanna Army Depot), Jo Daviess County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Blanding's Landing public use area, 7 miles west of Hanover, off Illinois Route 84 on West Blanding Road. • Chain O' Lakes State Park and Redwing Slough/Deer Lake Natural Area, Lake County: Registration for both sites 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Oak Point day use area, Illinois Route 173. Hunters will be allowed to register for only one of the two sites. • Des Plaines Conservation Area, Will County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., site office, 2 miles northwest of Wilmington Exit 241 on Interstate 55. • Kankakee River State Park and Momence Wetlands, Kankakee and Will counties: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for both sites, Kankakee River State Park office, 5 miles northwest of Bourbonnais on Illinois Route 102. Hunters will be allowed to register for only one of the two sites. • Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area, Grundy County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., site office just off Illinois Route 53, Braceville. • Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, DeKalb County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., park office. • Sinnissippi Lake, Whiteside County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m Harry Oppold Marina, Stouffer Road, Sterling. • William Powers Fish and Wildlife Area, Cook County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., boat launch, 12800 Ave. 0, Chicago. Sunday, July 28,2002 • Anderson Lake Conservation Area, Fulton County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., area check station, 20 miles south of Havana on Illinois Route 100. • Clear Lake at Sand Ridge State Forest, Mason County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Forest City on County Road 2800E. • Lake DePue State Fish and Wildlife Area, Bureau County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Oak Grove park, 3/4 mile west of DePue on Illinois Route 29. • Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area, Marshall County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., area check station, 5 miles south of Lacon on Illinois Route 26. • Meredosia Bay in Morgan and Cass counties: Registration noon-2 p.m. at the USFWS shed, 2227 Beech Road, Merdosia. • Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Fulton County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., area check station, Illinois Route 24, Banner. • Sanganois Conservation Area, Cass and Mason counties: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., maintenance building, 2 miles north of Chandlerville on Illinois Route 78, then 8 miles west. • Sparland Unit of Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area, Marshall County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m Brick Yard boat launch, 1.5 miles south of Sparland on Illinois Route 29. • Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Tazewell County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m South Park office area, 2 miles north of Manito on County Road 16 (Manito Road) and 8 miles west and south on Spring Lake Road. • Starved Rock State Park, LaSalle County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m Point Shelter day use area on Illinois Route 71, about 4 miles east of Illinois Route 178 or 5.5 miles west of Illinois Route 23 in South Ottawa. • Woodford State Fish and Wildlife Area, Woodford County: Registration 10 a.m.-2 p.m., area check station, 9 miles south of Lacon on Illinois Route 26. Mississippi River unclaimed and unregistered blinds Mississippi River Pools 16, 17 and 18 (second year of two-year allocation): • Pool 16 - unregistered blinds, and blinds not passing inspection, may be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis by calling the district wildlife biologist between 8 a.m. and noon at (815) 244-3655, two weeks before the opening day of duck season. Pool 17 and 18 - use the same procedure except phone (309) 344-2617. • Mississippi River Pools 21, 22, and 24 (Pike and Adams counties): DNR will conduct a waterfowl blind red tag drawing seven days before the opening of the regular waterfowl season at the Pittsfield District Field Office. The purpose of the 20 OutdoorIllinois drawing will be to reallocate waterfowl blinds in pools 21, 22 and 24 that fail inspection three weeks prior to waterfowl season. Current unallocated blinds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Pittsfield office at (217) 285-2221 for additional information. Volunteers count in biodiversity blitz The Calumet Biodiversity Blitz will be held from 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 at William W. Powers State Recreation Area, 12949 Avenue 0 (123rd Street and Avenue 0), Chicago. The event is a 24-hour inventory to find as many species of flora and fauna as possible. Participants will be able to observe scientists engaged in a biological inventory; join special tours of Eggers Woods, Wolf Lake and Powderhorn Lake; attend short presentations by experts on birds, mammals, fishes and fungi; participate in volunteer stewardship activities and learn how to become involved in the Calumet Stewardship Initiative. For more information, contact bioblitz@fieldmuseum.org or call (312) 665-7450. Public invited to tour Midewin prairie Public tours are underway at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and guided by staff interpreters and trained volunteers, the tours will appeal to a broad range of interests. New this year is a detailed, interactive tour calendar on Midewin's website at http://www.fs.fed.us/mntp/. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (815) 423-6370. There is a $2 fee per person for all tours. Kickapoo Landing now open The new concession building at Kickapoo State Recreation Area is completed and open for business. Kickapoo Landing, Inc. features a full-service restaurant and also offers canoe rentals with shuttle service for full- or half-day trips on the Vermilion River, canoe and boat rental at the park, bait, camping supplies, ice and firewood. The concession is open weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Oct. 31. Weekday hours until Labor Day will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Recognize security zones on Lake Michigan Due to the security resulting from the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, security zones have been set up on Lake Michigan in Illinois waters by the U.S. Coast Guard. If you boat on Lake Michigan, you need to be aware of these restrictions as potential fines are substantial. Information about the restrictions can be found on the U.S. Coast Guard website at: http://www.uscg.mil/d9/wwm/mso/chicago/security%20zone%20flyer.htm. Perfect safety records achieved Neal Merrifield, director of DNR's Office of Mines and Minerals, recently presented safety awards to mining operations in recognition of having worked one full year without any lost-time accidents. Receiving awards were Freeman United Coal's Industry Mine, Arclar Company's Big Ridge Mine Portal No. 1, and Arclar Company/Black Beauty Coal's Wildcat Hills Mine.
Curriculum targets archery There was a time when archery was a standard for many schools' physical education programs, for both boys and girls. The Department of Natural Resources is helping to revive this tradition with a new program reconnecting students to archery opportunities. The program is set to begin this fall, with several schools already signed on and additional schools and instructors being sought.
DNR's scholastic archery program includes training and equipment for new archery instructors at participating Illinois schools. A curriculum lesson is being developed. Archery as an educational and physical discipline is nothing new. DNR Shooting Sports Development Coordinator Dave Cassens noted many schools where archery programs once existed still have their old equipment stashed away under bleachers or tucked in dusty lockers. "The question is: Why did archery programs go away?" Cassens asked. He suspects archery programs vanished unintentionally over the years, as opposed to being eliminated. Qualified instructors simply moved away or retired, leaving nobody to continue school archery programs. Amid the renewed interest in scholastic archery, Cassens hopes to see archery incorporated into State Board of Education-approved curriculum and even hopes to promote archery as an Illinois High School Association competitive sport. "Twenty years ago, no one got a letter in golf," Cassens said of scholastic sports trends. "Now schools have golf teams, so why not have an archery team?" To learn more about promoting an archery program at your school, contact Dave Cassens at DNR's Springfield office, (217) 785-7742. July 2002 21
Subscribers can win adventure package It's a win-win situation for Outdoorlllinois subscribers who enter new or renewal subscriptions at the Illinois State Fair. When you visit Conservation World, stop by the Director's Tent and subscribe. You'll automatically be entered into a drawing for the OutdoorIllinois Adventure Package. Last year, Don Zumwalt of Springfield won more than $3,000 of merchandise for renewing his subscription at the fair. The August issue will list items in this year's giveaway, including a Tracker Boats Grizzly 1448 boat and trailer, donated by The Boat Dock, Springfield. Mosquitoes increase risk of West Nile Virus If you enjoy the outdoors, be alert to the possibility of West Nile Virus(WNV). While not a common occurrence, individuals can become infected with the virus after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms of illness, but some may become ill, usually three to 15 days after being bitten. Symptoms can be mild, such as a fever and headache. In some individuals, particularly the elderly. West Nile virus can cause serious disease that includes muscle weakness, brain inflammation, stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, coma or death. No human case has been reported in Illinois to date. WNV is transmitted from infected birds via mosquitoes to humans. It is not spread by person-to-person contact or directly from birds or mammals to people. However, hunters are urged to take proper precautions and to wear rubber gloves when field dressing game. Proper cooking kills WNV, so health officials believe there is no danger associated with eating wild game that might be infected. To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, the following precautions are recommended: • Whenever outdoors between dusk and dawn, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Loose-fitting, light-colored clothing is best. • Use mosquito repellent containing 25-percent to 35-percent DEBT when it is necessary to be outdoors. Apply it sparingly to exposed skin or clothing, as indicated on the repellent label. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children. • Check residential screens, including porches and patios, for tears and other openings. • Eliminate stagnant water in bird baths, ponds, flower pots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed. Commemorative pin sales provide assistance The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois Conservation Foundation's "Illinois Parks for Red Cross" fund-raising drive generated a total of $80,000 to assist individuals devastated by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Funds went to the American Red Cross Liberty Disaster Relief Fund, specifically to assist children impacted by the attacks. The fund-raising effort included a commemorative lapel pin featuring the World Trade Center and the American Flag wrapped in a black ribbon.
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Record spring turkey harvest set Illinois hunters established a spring wild turkey hunting harvest record during the recently concluded season, bagging a preliminary total of 14,314 birds. The preliminary statewide total compares with the spring turkey harvest of 12,915 in 2001. Hunters in south zone counties and special hunt areas harvested 5,293 turkeys, an increase of 10.2 percent compared with the 2001 south zone harvest of 4,803, while the harvest in the north zone was 9,021, an increase of 11.2 percent compared with the 2001 harvest of 8,112. During the five spring turkey hunting seasons between April 8-May 16, first-season hunters bagged the most birds with a harvest of 4,428, followed by the second season with 3,045, fourth season with 2,382, third season with 2,224 and fifth season with 2,036. Harvest during the youth spring turkey seasons totaled 199. The top five counties for spring turkey harvest this year were JoDaviess (771), Pike (587), Adams (543), Calhoun (446) and Pope (422). A total of 96 counties were open to turkey hunting this spring, including eight new ones: Champaign, Iroquois, Kendall, Livingston, McHenry, McLean, Moultrie and Will. The DNR issued more than 43,700 paid permits and more than 18,000 landowner permits for the 2002 spring turkey season. 2002 preliminary spring turkey harvest totals by county and special hunt area
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