An absolute monster of a buck harvested in Illinois successfully impregnated six does in Louisiana after his death. That sounds impossible, but with the help of a determined hunter and the brains and technology of a researcher at Louisiana State University, it’s very possible.

Hunter Mike Toney shot a trophy whitetail buck in Illinois last November. The buck’s antlers rated in the high 200s. Toney estimates that the buck weighed about 275 pounds, deer that weigh 170 to 180 are already considered pretty big in Illinois.

After the harvest, Toney thought back on a research project he had heard about conducted by Louisiana State University researchers at AgCenter Research Extension. He contacted the researchers to see if they could make use of the reproductive material from the monstrous buck and drove the semen down eight hours to Louisiana after properly packing the testicles to ensure the preservation of viable specimens.

Dearl Sanders, resident coordinator at the LSU AgCenter’s research station in Idlewild, Louisiana said breeding deer with big horns for hunters is just one of the many advantages of artificially inseminating does.

“It gives a whole new method of moving deer genetics from the wild into other herds of deer,” Sanders said in an interview with Grand View Outdoors. “Say you found a herd of deer in a state where you can’t move the deer – there are a number of those – that had an inherent resistance to a disease. This could be a way to move that genetic material to any area of the country.”

Toney reached Jesse Saenz who was a member of the LSU research team that successfully birthed three fawns in June 2006 through extracting semen from dead bucks. Saenz earned his master’s degree in 2007 with a thesis about the best techniques for extracting semen from dead bucks, but he was now working weekdays at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans studying cat testicles for his doctorate. That Sunday in November, he extracted and froze the deer’s semen.

“I processed it, got the sperm out. They were still kicking pretty good,” Saenz said.

At the Baton Rouge and Genex Cooperative Inc., a supplier of dairy and cattle semen, the semen was loaded into 100 plastic straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Each straw held enough material to inseminate two does.

A total of 16 does were inseminated with semen from the trophy buck. Six became pregnant and are expected to give birth possibly next week.

LSU lawyers are looking to patent and license the insemination technique developed by Saenz for his master’s thesis. Although Saenz and Sanders say they do no plan on beginning semen sales, there is a thriving market for semen from pedigreed bucks. Straws containing half a cubic centimeters, or about one-tenth of a teaspoon, may sell for up to $10,000.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Dead Trophy Bucks May Soon Father Fawns with Does Hundreds of Miles Away

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Friends of the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) and the National Wild Turkey Federation – Turkey Bluffs Chapter are sponsoring a wingshooting clinic for youth and women on May 19-20 at the WSRC in Sparta.

The clinic will provide an opportunity to learn to safely and properly shoot a shotgun.  The clinic is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of hitting a moving target with a shotgun with reasonable reliability.  An equally important objective is to work with each participant to ensure the fundamentals of safe shotgun handling are learned and practiced.

Wingshooting skills are those abilities shotgun shooters develop over time and with practice to use a shotgun to consistently hit moving targets.  Participants may use these skills when shooting clay targets on trap and skeet fields, on sporting clays ranges, and when harvesting game while hunting.  This clinic is hands-on and includes live fire at four basic clay target presentations.  The participant-to-instructor ratio is four to one.  There will be a safety and shotgun-handling session at the start of each shooting session.

Young shooters between the ages 10-15 years and women of any age who are interested in learning or improving their wingshooting skills are encouraged to attend.   The clinic will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days.  The clinic will be taught by National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) and IDNR-certified wingshooting instructors.  The clinic is free to participants.

Advanced registration is required.  To make a reservation, access the IDNR Wingshooting Schedule at http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/programs/wingshooting/WingshootingDates.htm.  Click on the underlined date that you wish to attend to download registration and information forms, and follow the instructions to complete your registration.

What: Youth/Women’s Wingshooting Clinic
Where: World Shooting & Recreational Complex, near Sparta, IL
When: Saturday & Sunday, May 19 &20, 2012; 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. each day
Who: Young shooters 10-15 and women of all ages
Instructors: NSCA and IDNR Certified Wingshooting Instructors
Sponsored by: Illinois DNR, the Friends of the WSRC and the National Wild Turkey Federation – Turkey Bluffs Chapter
Supplies/Materials: Clay targets, traps, and refreshments are provided by clinic sponsors
Reservations: Call the WSRC (618/295-2700, Extension 1), for more information – Last day for reservations Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Youth/Women’s Wingshooting Clinic May 19-20 at WSRC in Illinois

Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized chapters and individuals from across the state for their wildlife habitat conservation efforts at the organizations’ recent state convention. During this event, four Pheasants Forever members were inducted into the state’s Hall of Fame, celebrating their dedicated efforts in supporting the organizations’ conservation mission in Illinois. Gerry Rodeen (posthumous), Pat Martin, Kelly Howry and Bill Bryan represent the inaugural Illinois Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) Hall of Fame inductees.

“This year’s inductees represent the true conservation spirit of Illinois, committing their lives to helping the state’s upland wildlife and landscape,” says Dick Wyatt, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Regional Representative for northern Illinois, “Illinois is a state with a rich history of volunteer support and hunting heritage. I hope other Illinois residents carry the banner and follow in the footsteps of this year’s inductees, furthering Illinois’ reputation as an outstanding state for hunting and conservation achievements.”

The Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Hall of Fame was established to recognize the individuals who have been influential in the success of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Illinois over the past 25-plus years. These individuals worked not just to promote their respective chapters, but they helped grow the organizations throughout the state.

Illinois Hall of Fame Inductees

Gerry Rodeen – Illinois Pioneer PF chapter – Rodeen helped found the Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever chapter; the first Pheasants Forever chapter founded in Illinois. While staying active with his local chapter, Rodeen helped start a multitude of other chapters across the state. He also assisted in growing Pheasants Forever to its current national level through his 24-year service on the Pheasants Forever National Board of Directors. Rodeen drafted the legislation and lobbied for the Illinois Pheasant Stamp, providing hundreds of thousands of dollars for habitat projects across the state. A lifelong advocate for conservation, Rodeen helped found the Habitat Wheel Initiative, an active Illinois conservation measure which has also been replicated in other states. During his service with Pheasants Forever, he was appointed to the Illinois Conservation Foundation by then Governor Edgar and was active in other community and state preservation organizations. Gerry Rodeen passed away in January 2011, and in his passing, Illinois lost a champion of wildlife conservation.

Pat Martin – Highland PF chapter – In 1986, Martin helped found the Highland Pheasants Forever chapter; the fifth Illinois chapter to sign a national charter. He also helped form the Illinois Pheasants Forever State Council and served on its board for 10 years. Martin assisted Gerry Rodeen with lobbying the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the Pheasant Stamp Initiative. In 1995, with the assistance of Pheasant Stamp funds, the Highland Chapter purchased 117 acres for public access which constituted the first Pheasant Habitat Area for wild upland hunting in Illinois. Martin served as the Highland chapter President from 1986-2006, and under his guidance, it became the first Illinois chapter to raise and spend over $2 million on habitat.

Kelly Howry – Dewitt County PF chapter – Howry has been an instrumental member of Dewitt County Pheasants Forever since the chapter’s beginning, and he has helped plant thousands of acres of habitat during his tenure as the chapter’s Habitat Chair. Howry has also been critical in the success of Pheasants Forever’s mission in Illinois, having been known to transport chapter equipment hundreds of miles to help with projects in areas without local chapters. Some of Howry’s other accomplishments include his role in several land acquisitions, recruiting new members to the chapter committee, helping conduct repeated sell-out banquets and serving on the Illinois Pheasant Fund Committee.

Bill Bryan – Mclean County PF chapter – Bryan, along with two close friends, formed the Mclean County Pheasants Forever chapter in 1986. For the first two years of the chapter, Bryan served as President to facilitate the chapter’s initial success. Later, Bryan served an additional two terms as chapter President and worked as Habitat Chair for multiple years. Bryan was critical to forming the Illinois Pheasants Forever State Council and served as the council’s President for two years.  He also joined Gerry Rodeen to introduce and lobby for the Illinois Pheasant Stamp program. Bryan served on the Illinois Pheasant Fund Committee for 11 years after being appointed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director. In partnership with the Illinois DNR, Bryan and his wife hosted the first Pheasant Management Workshop on their family farm.  Bryan also was a participating member in coordinating the Illinois Sponsor Print program.

The 2011 Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever State Convention took place at the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Convention Center, East Peoria, Ill.  In attendance were various guest speakers, including Pheasants Forever President & CEO Howard K. Vincent. After the day’s round-table discussions and educational break-out sessions, the awards banquet and live auction took place to celebrate a successful 2011 for “The Habitat Organization.” Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever improved over 15,000 acres for wildlife in 2011. Those acres are a direct result of the organizations’ members, volunteers and partners working together to further the organizations’ habitat mission.

For more information on Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in northern Illinois, please contact Dick Wyatt, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Regional Representative, at (217) 733-2173 / Email Dick. For more information on Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in southern Illinois, please contact Tim Caughran, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist, at (618) 467-2586 / Email Tim.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Illinois Pheasants Forever Inducts Inaugural Members to Hall of Fame

A bill championed by Illinois State Representative Rogel L. Eddy would amend the Wildlife Code to allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to conduct an Earn-A-Buck program. If signed into law, hunters will be able to earn a third buck tag following the harvest of an antlerless deer, beginning with the 2013 hunting season.

Under the program, hunters reporting the taking of antlerless deer “shall be issued an additional either-sex permit to allow the hunter to take an additional antlered deer, and that this additional permit shall not be counted toward one of the two antlered deer a hunter may take in a year, allowing a hunter who takes an antlerless deer to take up to three antlered deer in a year.”

Currently, the bill is in a Rules Committee awaiting action. Click here to track its progress.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Illinois May Become a Three Buck State

A Boone County landowner in Illinois filed charges against the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for allegedly removing “no trespassing” signs from his property following the establishment of a sharpshooting area adjacent to his property, according to the Illinois DNR.

The man filing charges, Jim Blackmer, has a court date set for March 23rd. Blackmer claims that he has found evidence of deer shot within his property line, which he believes the sharpshooters are responsible for. Because he believed the sharpshooters were trespassing onto his property, he posted “no trespassing” signs.

The incident began when Blackmer found one of his “no trespassing” signs in a damaged state. He went to buy a stronger post to attach it to, but when he returned, the sign was gone, after which he called the Boone County police. Illinois State Police were also called and when they followed up by going to the office of the DNR’s Regional Wildlife Biologist Tom Beissel, they found a similar sign to the one posted on Blackmer’s property.

DNR Spokesman Chris McCloud said the incident is still under investigation and that no more information is available at this time.

Deer are being culled by sharpshooters in order to reduce the risk of spreading chronic wasting disease (CWD) throughout Illinois counties. Boone County is one of 10 northern Illinois counties at high risk for CWD.

Editor’s note: Look for updates to this story as it develops this week as we learn more from the court date this past Friday.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Illinois Resident Files Charges Against DNR for Alleged Trespassing During Sharpshooting Program

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is examining its deer management program to determine if modifications are needed to hunting seasons and regulations – and to the effort focused in select northern Illinois counties to reduce the deer population and limit the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd.

The review of Illinois’ deer management program is a follow up to implementation of a series of recommendations made in 2008 by the state’s Joint Legislative Task Force on Deer Population Control. Among the task force recommendations was a statewide 14% reduction in the deer herd (as indicated by the rate of deer/vehicle accidents), with specific county goals identified. IDNR expanded the Late-Winter Deer Season and made available additional permits in some counties beginning in 2009 to encourage hunters to harvest additional surplus deer. The statewide accident rate is very close to the identified goal, although some counties still remain higher than desired.

The IDNR also expanded the Special Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Deer Season in 2009 as part of the program begun in 2002 for surveillance and targeted herd reduction in counties where CWD had been identified.

CWD is a disease that afflicts deer by causing a degeneration of the nervous system, and fatal infections can be passed by close contact among deer. Since 2004, IDNR has supplemented hunter harvest by using Department sharpshooters each winter to reduce deer densities in known CWD hotspots in northern Illinois counties. This management approach has suppressed the rate of CWD infection in deer at very low levels. While the sharpshooting program is effective, budget reductions over the past decade is compelling the department to explore alternative means of reducing deer herd density in CWD counties, including changes in hunting programs, assisting local landowning agencies in their own deer herd reduction programs, and working with local hunters to increase their deer harvest on private lands.

IDNR will be conducting an analysis of both programs during the coming months and will provide opportunity for public comment on management goals.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Illinois DNR Examining Deer Management Program

Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Foreverrecognized chapters and individuals from across the state for their wildlife habitat conservation efforts at the organizations’ recent state convention. The Silver Creek Quail Forever chapter was named the Illinois Chapter of the Year, and Alan Justice was named the Illinois Volunteer of the Year.

“This year’s state meeting was a fine showcase of our chapters and volunteers working to accomplish great things for Illinois’ outdoor culture,” says Dick Wyatt, Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) Northern Illinois Regional Representative, “Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever improved over 15,000 acres for wildlife in 2011. Those acres are a direct result of our members, volunteers and partners working together to further the organizations’ habitat mission.”

The event took place at the Par-A-Dice Hotel & Convention Center located in East Peoria, Ill. In attendance were various guest speakers, including Pheasants Forever President & CEO Howard Vincent. Following the day’s round-table discussions and educational break-out sessions, the awards banquet and live auction took place to celebrate a successful 2011 for “The Habitat Organization.”

Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Chapter Awards

The Silver Creek Quail Forever chapter was recognized as the Illinois Chapter of the Year. The chapter worked with many local partners and donors to complete habitat improvement near the chapter’s headquarters of Collinsville, Illinois. These improvements are a much needed welcome for the state’s bobwhite quail populations, which have suffered in recent years due to erratic weather patterns.

Chapters & individuals from across the state were recognized for their efforts in habitat conservation, youth education and their dedication to the organizations’ mission. Those chapters receiving recognition were: “Chapter of the Year” – Silver Creek QF • “Rookie Chapter of the Year” – Golden Triangle QF • “Banquet of the Year” – Winnebago County PF • “Conservation Excellence” – $250K Spent on Habitat – McHenry County PF and Rock Island/Henry PF • “Conservation Excellence” – $500K Spent on Habitat – Carroll County PF and Illinois River Valley PF • “Leopold Leaders” Education in Schools – Vermilion County PF • “No Child Left Indoors Initiative” – Golden Triangle QF, Kishwaukee PF, and Montgomery County PF.

Illinois Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Volunteer Awards

While Illinois has many dedicated individuals and partners supporting the organizations’ habitat mission, the following were recognized as leaders in their respective categories: “Volunteer of the Year” – Alan Justice, Tri City QF • “Conservation Partner” – Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) • “Conservation Educator” – Fred Magers, Illinois Pioneer PF • “Wildlife Professional” – Dr. Brian Anderson,  Director of Illinois Natural History Survey • “Dedication Awards” – Matt Homan, Lincoln Heritage PF; Brad Ozee, Montgomery County PF; and Cherly Innes, Douglas County PF • “Long Spur Society Awards” – Dennis Clatterbuck, Iroquois County PF; Glenn Bishop, Montgomery County PF; Tom Rogers, Dewitt County PF; Jim Ash, Lincolnland QF; Gene Swanson – Tallgrass PF.

For more information on Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in northern Illinois, please contact Dick Wyatt at (217) 733-2173 / Email Dick. For more information on Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever in southern Illinois, please contact Tim Caughran, Pheasants Forever Regional Wildlife Biologist, at (618) 467-2586 / Email Tim.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Silver Creek Quail Forever and Alan Justice Honored with Illinois Pheasants Forever Awards

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have honored the chapter recipients of its fifth annual No Child Left Indoors National Awards. The distinction is presented to one Pheasants Forever chapter and one Quail Forever chapter for their efforts in introducing youth to the outdoors and bringing along the next generation of hunters and conservationists. Chapters honored were the High Plains Pheasants Forever chapter, based out of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, and the Golden Triangle Quail Forever chapter, based out of Quincy, Illinois.

Pheasants Forever’s No Child Left Indoors initiative is the organization’s national effort to engage youngsters in outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing and camping. The No Child Left Indoors National Awards recognize chapters for their youth habitat projects, youth and family community events, and youth outdoor education programs. “These chapters have shown the ultimate commitment to promoting youth activities and getting kids involved in the outdoors,” said Cheryl Riley, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Education and Outreach.

Wyoming’s High Plains Pheasants Forever chapter

The High Plains Pheasants Forever chapter is a model youth participation chapter, holding a minimum of one youth event per month throughout the year. In 2011, the chapter’s events helped 700 children participate in outdoor activities. These activities included a visit to Yellowstone National Park, mentored goose hunts, mentored pheasant hunts, an outdoor survival day, and a day dedicated to game processing and storage.

The chapter also hosts “Day in the Wild” for grade school youth (grades K-6^th). At the event, approximately 500 youth are introduced to a wide variety of outdoor activities, skills and programs. At last year’s event, with the financial help of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wildlife Turkey Federation, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, and several other organizations and individuals, the chapter provided each attendee with a Wyoming Conservation Stamp. The High Plains Pheasants Forever chapter also serves as the parent chapter for the youth-only Texas Trail Ringnecks Pheasants Forever chapter, further fostering youth in conservation and outdoor education.

Illinois’ Golden Triangle Quail Forever chapter

Less than a year old, the Golden Triangle Quail Forever chapter has hit the ground sprinting. Within five weeks of the chapter’s startup, the first annual chapter banquet had 260 people in attendance and raised nearly $50,000 for wildlife habitat and youth conservation education. The chapter’s commitment to youth programs has already resulted in three wingshooting clinics, a chapter sponsored Scholastic Clay Target Program team, involvement in local hunter safety courses, and a scholarship for youth to attend a special Quail Forever youth camp. The Golden Triangle Quail Forever chapter held multiple youth mentored hunts in 2011, including one specifically for disabled or challenged youth.

In addition to the No Child Left Indoors Award, the Golden Triangle Quail Forever chapter won “Rookie Chapter of the Year” for Illinois. The chapter’s president, Ryan Viehmeyer, was chosen by Field & Stream magazine as a “Hero of Conservation” for his dedication to the chapter’s conservation mission and youth involvement.

For more information regarding Pheasants Forever’s youth programs, please contact Rich Wissink, Pheasants Forever National Youth Programs Specialist, at 715-722-0286 / Email Rich. For all other inquiries, contact Rehan Nana, Pheasants Forever Public Relations Specialist, at 651-209-4973 / Email Rehan.

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 130,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Quail Forever Honors Illinois Chapter with No Child Left Indoors National Award

HERCAMOSHOP will display their products lines at the Deer and Turkey Expos presented by Target Communications.  “We are thrilled to partner once again with Woman Hunter Magazine and bring our products to the Deer and Turkey Expos.”, stated Shelly Ray, CEO of HERCAMOSHOP, LLC.  “We will have a complete display of womens’ hunting apparel, gear and accessories at each of the expos in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin.” Shelly continued. “And further I want to personally invite everyone to come out and visit with us in the women’s area, an innovative idea created by Target Communications”

A complete listing of the Deer and Turkey Expos can be found at http://www.hercamoshop.com

For more information, contact Jeff Ray at jeff@hercamoshop.com or by calling 317-771-6903

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - HERCAMOSHOP to Display Their Products Lines at the Deer and Turkey Expos presented by Target Communications

HERCAMOSHOP will display their products lines at the Deer and Turkey Expos presented by Target Communications.  “We are thrilled to partner once again with Woman Hunter Magazine and bring our products to the Deer and Turkey Expos.”, stated Shelly Ray, CEO of HERCAMOSHOP, LLC.  “We will have a complete display of womens’ hunting apparel, gear and accessories at each of the expos in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin.” Shelly continued. “And further I want to personally invite everyone to come out and visit with us in the women’s area, an innovative idea created by Target Communications”

A complete listing of the Deer and Turkey Expos can be found at http://www.hercamoshop.com

For more information, contact Jeff Ray at jeff@hercamoshop.com or by calling 317-771-6903

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - HERCAMOSHOP to Display Their Products Lines at the Deer and Turkey Expos presented by Target Communications