Stray Casts

Buck of the Week: Unplugged, Oak Forest

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:30:09 -0600

This summer Michael Neu had some big bucks show up to steal squirrel food in Oak Forest. And one of them earns BOTW: Unplugged honors.

Illinois' upland game hunting: Opening day scenes

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:42:04 -0600

CLARENCE, Ill.--The most important image from opening day for upland game seasons in Illinois may have been the one I snapped in Iroquois County on my way home this evening.

Rabbit rant, small game & big perch: Chicago WWW

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:26:06 -0600

One of my pet peeves in hunting is the downward spiral in rabbit hunting.

Sarley back on air: Sundays

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:57:53 -0600

Steve Sarley returns with his Outdoor Experience radion show beginning Sunday for a ``soft opening.'' The ``grand opening'' will be on Nov. 15.

Stateline perch: A cooler of 'em

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:11:53 -0600

It was one of those days, where the cooler filled with perch--limits of them.

About time: SB1846

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:40:22 -0600

Senate Bill 1846 passed on Friday during the veto session of the Illinois General Assembly. Gov. Quinn is expected to sign the bill, which makes small increases in licenses and other fees. Many of the fee hikes should have happened years ago and/or been much higher this time.

Illinois turkeys: Fall firearm fall-off goes on

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:09:17 -0600

Hunter effort and success during the nine-day fall firearm season for wild turkeys in Illinois keeps sliding. The 2009 season, which ended Sunday, had a preliminary harvest of only 756 turkeys, less than half of harvest only nine years ago.

Midwest Fishing Report: Stateline perch

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:51:30 -0600

The first call came Sunday afternoon after the Bears game while I was hiking with the family--a guy just raving about the yellow perch caught out of East Chicago (Ind.) Marina. Two days later, Minocqua (Wisc.) guide Kurt Justice slipped this in: ``Will keep tabs on water temps for first ice anglers.'' Late fall patterns lead the Midwest Fishing Report this week.

Buck of the Week: Rainy day 10-pointer

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:03:43 -0600

Wally Neumann bagged his third book buck in the rain, and this 10-pointer taken Oct. 15 earns Buck of the Week honors.

Fish of the Week: Fish of a Lifetime

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:04:42 -0600

Sometimes, one fish is enough, especially when it is not only a worthy Fish of the Week, but what a reader once called a FOAL, or Fish of a Lifetime. Jim Karp caught one of those.

Illinois Hunting Report: Big day for small game

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:57:10 -0600

Opening day for the upland game seasons and near-record slow crop harvest leads this week's Illinois Hunting Report.

Illinois deer bowhunters on near-record pace

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:49:55 -0600

As befits the arrival of the rut, for the first time this year, bucks have surpassed does by harvest ratio in the weekly harvest report for Illinois bowhunters. Through Sunday, bowhunters harvested 27,676 deer. The only year higher for the same period was 2006 with 27,949.

Sighting in shotguns for deer: Illinois State Police ranges

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:18:13 -0600

Six Illinois State Police ranges will be open on Nov. 14 for deer hunters to sight in their shotguns. Only Joliet in the Chicago area will offer the service.

Buck of the Week: Unplugged No. 1

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:57:44 -0600

Bill Peak earns the first Buck of the Week: Unplugged honors with this beauty at Hegewisch Marsh.

Tracks in the frost: Time change

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:08:21 -0600

Time change messes with me.