Illinois Department of Natural Resources JB Pritzker, Governor One Natural Resources Way ∙ Springfield, Illinois 62702-1271 Colleen Callahan, Director www.dnr.illinois.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rachel Torbert October 1, 2019 OFFICE: 217-785-3953 CELL: 217-685-1163 [email protected] IDNR Newsbits – October 2019 Youth Deer Permits: Resident and non-resident Illinois Youth Firearm Deer permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. The 2019 Youth Deer Hunt is Columbus Day weekend, Saturday, Oct. 12 through Monday, Oct. 14. Firearm Deer Permits: Over-the-counter sales of remaining 2019 Illinois Firearm Deer Permits will begin on Oct. 15. Permits will be sold until quotas are exhausted or until the close of the season, whichever occurs first. Individual hunters can purchase one or more permits beginning Oct. 15, subject to availability. For a list of the number of permits available following the final lottery drawing, check the IDNR website: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Pages/DeerSeasonsDeadlinesAvailablePermits.aspx Resident Archery Deer Permits: Resident combination and antlerless-only archery deer permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. Find a vendor link here: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx Non-Resident Archery Deer Permits: Illinois Non-Resident Archery Deer combination permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. The Illinois Archery Deer Season is open through Jan. 19, 2020 (except closed during firearm deer season in counties open to firearm deer hunting). CWD Sampling: Deer hunters statewide in Illinois are encouraged to allow samples to be taken for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing from adult deer they harvest. For a list of locations that are serving as CWD sampling stations, taking samples from entire deer or deer heads through the end of the archery season in January 2020, click on this link: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/programs/CWD/Documents/CWDSamplingLocations.pdf Waterfowl Regulations Open Houses: The IDNR invites hunters to attend public open houses to provide input on waterfowl hunting regulations for the 2021 through 2025 hunting seasons. Hunters will have the opportunity to review information used to make waterfowl season recommendations, talk with IDNR biologists and provide their preferences for waterfowl zone lines and season dates. Dates and locations for upcoming open houses include: • Tuesday, Oct. 1 – Illinois Natural History Building, University of Illinois Campus, 1816 S. Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820 • Tuesday, Oct. 8 – John A. Logan College, Hancock Center Room F119, 700 Logan College Drive, Carterville, IL 62918 • Wednesday, Oct. 9 – The Hall, 7132 Marine Rd (HWY 143), Edwardsville, IL 62025 • Thursday, Oct. 10 – Illinois Department of Natural Resources Headquarters, 1 Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702 Open houses will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at each location; attendees may arrive at any time during the open house. No formal presentations will be given. Public Hunting Areas Report: The latest edition of the IDNR Illinois Public Hunting Areas Report – with details on public lands hunting effort and harvest – is available online on the IDNR website at this link: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/IllinoisPublicHuntingAreasReport18.19.pdf Learn to Hunt: The Illinois Hunter Recruitment Program provides free education and training workshops and additional information to teach adult participants how to hunt deer, turkey, squirrels, pheasants, ducks, geese and other game. For more information: https://publish.illinois.edu/hunttrapillinois/ Candlelight Walk at New Salem: Come and experience Lincoln’s New Salem after dark. Candle lanterns will illuminate the 1830s village while fireplaces entice visitors into many of the log buildings during the annual Candlelight Walk at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct. 4-6, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Candlelight Walk offers the only opportunity to see the village at night. Sponsored by Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site and the New Salem Lincoln League, the event is free and open to the public. Lincoln’s New Salem, administered by the IDNR, is located two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles northwest of Springfield on Illinois Route 97. Fishing and Night Hikes at Pere Marquette: Bring the family to Pere Marquette State Park Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 2 for the park’s free Fishing and Night Hike programs. Families can meet either or both dates at 5:30 p.m. at the Pere Marquette Visitor Center for a brief program on fish, then children can fish the pond adjacent to the Visitor Center. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on both evenings, families can enjoy a program on owls and other creatures of the night, then take a night hike to listen for owls, followed by a hot dog and marshmallow roast around a campfire. Scenic Drive Events at Dickson Mounds: Dickson Mounds Museum is hosting a variety of activities Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 12-13 as part of the Spoon River Scenic Drive. The Mackinaw Valley Longrifles will present a reenactment of life on the Illinois frontier at the Rendezvous Encampment on the Dickson Mounds Museum grounds. Admission to the Museum, as well as all Scenic Drive Weekend event activities, is free. Donations are appreciated. Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. For more information, call 309-547-3721 or check online on the Illinois State Museum website at www.illinoisstatemuseum.org. Music at the Museum: Head to the Illinois State Museum in Springfield Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m. for the monthly “Music at the Museum” concert featuring Canadian folk musician Noah Derksen. For more information on the October show and the concert series, visit: http://www.museumconcerts.com/ Fort de Chartres Encampment: The annual Fort de Chartres French and Indian War Encampment will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13, at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site in Randolph County. The event features 1750s historically dressed reenactors portraying Native Americans, soldiers, militia, and camp followers. The event, held at Fort de Chartres State Historic Site, 1350 IL Route 155, Prairie du Rocher, IL 62277, will run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday and is free of charge. Sandburg Songbag Concert in Galesburg: Make plans to attend the Carl Sandburg Songbag Concert Series performance by blues/jazz musicians Sally Weisenburg and Don Berbaum at the Carl Sandburg State Historic Site Sunday, Oct. 13. Show time is 4:00 p.m. in the Sandburg site’s barn at 313 E. Third St. in Galesburg. Carl Sandburg was a collector and performer of America’s folk songs. The concert series is named in honor of Sandburg’s book “The American Songbag,” published in 1927. Fort Massac Encampment: The annual Fort Massac Encampment is Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20 from 9:00 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. in Metropolis, Ill. One of Illinois’ largest fall festivals, the Encampment celebrates the history of Fort Massac from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. Watch historic re-enactors with period-correct crafts and food, military drills, music, children’s games, and mock battles. Encampment admission is free. For more information, visit http://metropolistourism.com/events/encampment/ New Salem Fall Festival: The annual Fall Festival at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site is scheduled for Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days. Site interpreters in period clothing will demonstrate daily tasks throughout the historic village such as candle dipping, soap making, basket making, spinning wool, gardening, natural dyeing, and broom making. Admission is free, and donations are always welcomed. Lincoln’s New Salem, administered by the IDNR, is located two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles northwest of Springfield on Illinois Route 97. Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grants: Applications will be accepted by the IDNR Division of Education through Nov. 30 for the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program. Applicants can select to develop a pollinator garden or a wildlife habitat of their choice. The program is funded by generous contributions to the Illinois Conservation Foundation from the Jadel Youth Fund and the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation. More details are available at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/education/Pages/GrantsSHAG.aspx Camping Reservations: Fall is a beautiful time of year to take the family camping in Illinois. Make campsite and shelter reservations for many IDNR sites online through the Reserve America website at www.reserveamerica.com using a credit card. Trapping Permit Drawing Set for Oct. 6 at Jim Edgar Panther Creek: A public drawing for the allocation of Jim Edgar Panther Creek (JEPC) State Fish and Wildlife Area trapping permits will be held Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1:30 p.m. at the site headquarters, located approximately five miles southeast of Chandlerville. Registration for the drawing will begin at 1:00 p.m. One permit for each of the five trapping zones at JEPC will be allocated through a lottery-type drawing. All persons attempting to enter the draw must be in attendance and have a current 2019 trapping license in their possession. For more information, phone 217-452-7741. Trapping Permit Drawing Oct. 12 at Sangchris Lake: A public drawing for the allocation of Sangchris Lake State Park trapping permits will be held at 10:30 a.m.