IDNR Newsbits and Dates March 2018

As hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts we always look forward to being outside and enjoying what natures has to offer.  However, there are two seasons that we look forward to more than any other, Spring and Fall.  Over the next few months weather will make it the prime time to be outside, whether you'll be enjoying a boat ride, fishing, hiking or looking for those elusive moral mushrooms. Below are some dates that you will want to pay attention to. 

IDNR Newsbits & Dates – March 2018

Spring Turkey Applications: 2018 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Season permits still available after the lottery drawings will be sold over the counter by DNR Direct license and permit vendors beginning on March 13. Go to the IDNR website for more information:
https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/TurkeyHunting.aspx

Beaver Dam and Horseshoe Lake Archery Application Due at the end of March

While many of us are thinking about trout fishing or hitting the hiking trail, archery deer hunters who wish to hunt at Beaver Dam or Horseshoe Lake need to think about the upcoming season.  Applications are due at the end of March, so don't delay.  This is a great opportunity.  

Archery Deer Applications for Beaver Dam/Horseshoe Lake

PLAINVIEW, IL – Archery deer hunting applications are available through March 30 for the special drawings at Beaver Dam State Park, Carlinville, and through March 31 for the special drawings at Horseshoe Lake State Park, Granite City for the 2018-19 Illinois Archery Deer Hunting Season. Hunters can obtain an application either online or from park offices to apply. Site-specific applications will offer nine weekly intervals at Horseshoe Lake State Park and 11 weekly intervals at Beaver Dam State Park. Applicants must prioritize their hunting weeks and will be selected randomly in a lottery drawing.

Bobcat Harvest Numbers in for 2017 - 2018

From the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Press Office 

Hunters and Trappers Harvested 318 Bobcats During 2017-18 Season

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Hunters and trappers in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 318 bobcats during the 2017-18 Illinois Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Season, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced today. Permit holders salvaged another 40 roadkill bobcats during the season. 

The National Trappers Association Table from 2017 at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds in Illinois

The 2017-18 Illinois bobcat season was open from Nov. 10, 2017 until Feb. 15, 2018, and 1,000 permits were issued to hunters and trappers for the season.