2010 Illinois Pheasant Hunting Forecast
Illinois - Winter and Wetness Equal No Change
Credit: (PF)
Source: pheasantsforever.org
Published: Sep. 13, 2010
Forecast: The winter in Illinois was the 19th coldest on record with snows 10" above normal. Follow that up with a wet the second wettest May and June in history, and pheasant production appears to have been down this year, especially in northern Illinois according to Michael Wefer, ag and grassland program manager with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Illinois changed to a new spring audio count protocol that should lead to better population density and habitat data in the future. This year's data suggests numbers were up in central Illinois, but down throughout the rest of the state's pheasant range. One bright note for hunters is the corn harvest appears to be ahead of schedule this year. If this trend continues, hunters could still have a better season than last year, when 22,244 hunters entered 64,262 roosters into their game bags. As always, Wefer says, hunters that have access to quality habitat should still enjoy a successful season.
Season Dates:November 6 through January 8, 2011 (North)
November 6 through January 15, 2011 (South)
Daily Bag Limit:
2
Possession Limit:
6
Field Notes:
Illinois Pheasants Forever's
Build a Wildlife Areacampaign helped add more than 100 acres open to public hunting and outdoor recreation in the state this year, the initial results of this unique fundraising effort.
Helpful Links:
- Find an Illinois Pheasants Forever chapter
- Illinois Pheasants Forever
- Illinois DNR Hunting regulations
Reader Comments
0 Comments on 2010 Illinois Pheasant Hunting Forecast
