A Mix of Good and Bad: Warm Winter Climate Effects on the Midwest

Temperatures in the Midwest and in many other parts of the United States have been unusually high and snowfall exceptionally low for the 2011/2012 winter season. Some industries are adjusting well to the unseasonably warm temperatures, while others have taken a hit, but are not suffering.

Given that so many parts of the outdoor industry are adjusting well, what is it exactly that’s being affected?

More Food and Less Predators for Michigan Upper Peninsula Deer

According to a Feb. 21, 2012 report by Jon Gaskell for the Capital News Service, the mild winter could provide more food for deer and give deer an advantage over their predators. The population could also grow, whereas in normal winters many fawns die off within their first year in extreme cold temperatures. Old and unhealthy deer that normally fall victim to severe temperatures might make it in greater numbers as well. All this could lead to an exceptional hunting season in the fall.

Hunting and Fishing Stayed the Same in Ohio, Even Though Patterns Changed

Vicki Ervin, the communications manager for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said this year was the first time Lake Erie didn’t freeze over for fishermen. So there were no shanties on the lake with ice-fishers in them, anglers still took to the water on their boats.

As far as hunting goes, Ervin recalled one week in January where temperatures were in the 40s and 50s. She said the kill numbers went up that week as more hunters ventured out. “It doesn’t change those things,” Ervin said, referring to hunting, “it changes the patterns of those users; they adapt to it.”

Outdoor Product Sales Take a Big and a Small Hit

The final figures on outdoor product sales presented a complex result. Because of the “unusually late and tame onset of winter”, January sales rose by a slow one percent growth, according to a report by by the Outdoor Industry Association and The SportsOneSource Group. Certain outdoor products performed better than others, such as a strong sale of footwear and apparel.

Other outdoor products were not so fortunate to have grown. TMJ4 in Brookfield, Wisconsin reported that many motorsports shops are sitting on unsold snowmobile inventory. Bob VanZeist, owner of Don & Roy’s Motorsports, said, “People aren’t riding as much so service is down, parts, consumption’s down so it’s kind of hurt across the board and it’s really created more cabin fever than we’re accustomed to.”

On a side note, snowmobile registrations are down 40 percent from last year in the state of New York.

Snowmobile Fatalities Down in Wisconsin

Todd Schaller, the conservation warden for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said his department has noticed less snowmobilers and ice-fishers this year. “Three weeks ago our non-residence trail pass [for snowmobiles] was down over 30 percent,” Schaller said. On a positive note, less snowmobiles means less accidents. “We have had less snowmobile fatalities, which is reflective a little bit on the volume of use,” said Schaller.

Mountain Sports Will Survive Through the Mild Winter

Surprisingly, mountain resorts seem to be affected less than expected. Both Shanty Creek Resorts and Boyne Mountain Highlands Resort (and similarly Boyne Mountain) in Michigan reported that despite a very small Christmas-time/holiday season, which is their most important, the resorts have retained enough customers in January and February to keep the business afloat. “It will not be a record year, but it will not be our worst year,” said Steve Kershner, the director of snow sports at Shany Creek Resorts.

Boyne Mountain Highlands’ natural snowfall totaled 52 inches through February, which is 30 inches less than this time last year. Compare those numbers to the 2008-09 season when total snowfall reached a higher-than-average 157 inches. Erin Ernst, the director of communications for Boyne, said the biggest problem the ski resort has experienced is actually not the snowfall, but the warm temperatures. The resorts and ski hills at Boyne have had to put additional resources into snowmaking this season to keep surface conditions at their best.

Campers Venturing Out Early

Outside of the Midwest, campers in West Virginia are already making reservations for campsites. State Parks Chief Ken Caplinger said, “This time of year, with the temperature as mild as I can remember, more campers than usual are checking the state parks website for campsite reservation forms.”

Overall, there are ups and downs in response to the warmer weather all across the board in the outdoor industry. Some hunters and the hunted are reaping the benefits while they last, while others are keeping their fingers crossed that winter 2012/2013 won’t be so warm.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - A Mix of Good and Bad: Warm Winter Climate Effects on the Midwest

A Mix of Good and Bad: Warm Winter Climate Effects on the Midwest

Temperatures in the Midwest and in many other parts of the United States have been unusually high and snowfall exceptionally low for the 2011/2012 winter season. Some industries are adjusting well to the unseasonably warm temperatures, while others have taken a hit, but are not suffering.

Given that so many parts of the outdoor industry are adjusting well, what is it exactly that’s being affected?

More Food and Less Predators for Michigan Upper Peninsula Deer

According to a Feb. 21, 2012 report by Jon Gaskell for the Capital News Service, the mild winter could provide more food for deer and give deer an advantage over their predators. The population could also grow, whereas in normal winters many fawns die off within their first year in extreme cold temperatures. Old and unhealthy deer that normally fall victim to severe temperatures might make it in greater numbers as well. All this could lead to an exceptional hunting season in the fall.

Hunting and Fishing Stayed the Same in Ohio, Even Though Patterns Changed

Vicki Ervin, the communications manager for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said this year was the first time Lake Erie didn’t freeze over for fishermen. So there were no shanties on the lake with ice-fishers in them, anglers still took to the water on their boats.

As far as hunting goes, Ervin recalled one week in January where temperatures were in the 40s and 50s. She said the kill numbers went up that week as more hunters ventured out. “It doesn’t change those things,” Ervin said, referring to hunting, “it changes the patterns of those users; they adapt to it.”

Outdoor Product Sales Take a Big and a Small Hit

The final figures on outdoor product sales presented a complex result. Because of the “unusually late and tame onset of winter”, January sales rose by a slow one percent growth, according to a report by by the Outdoor Industry Association and The SportsOneSource Group. Certain outdoor products performed better than others, such as a strong sale of footwear and apparel.

Other outdoor products were not so fortunate to have grown. TMJ4 in Brookfield, Wisconsin reported that many motorsports shops are sitting on unsold snowmobile inventory. Bob VanZeist, owner of Don & Roy’s Motorsports, said, “People aren’t riding as much so service is down, parts, consumption’s down so it’s kind of hurt across the board and it’s really created more cabin fever than we’re accustomed to.”

On a side note, snowmobile registrations are down 40 percent from last year in the state of New York.

Snowmobile Fatalities Down in Wisconsin

Todd Schaller, the conservation warden for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said his department has noticed less snowmobilers and ice-fishers this year. “Three weeks ago our non-residence trail pass [for snowmobiles] was down over 30 percent,” Schaller said. On a positive note, less snowmobiles means less accidents. “We have had less snowmobile fatalities, which is reflective a little bit on the volume of use,” said Schaller.

Mountain Sports Will Survive Through the Mild Winter

Surprisingly, mountain resorts seem to be affected less than expected. Both Shanty Creek Resorts and Boyne Mountain Highlands Resort (and similarly Boyne Mountain) in Michigan reported that despite a very small Christmas-time/holiday season, which is their most important, the resorts have retained enough customers in January and February to keep the business afloat. “It will not be a record year, but it will not be our worst year,” said Steve Kershner, the director of snow sports at Shany Creek Resorts.

Boyne Mountain Highlands’ natural snowfall totaled 52 inches through February, which is 30 inches less than this time last year. Compare those numbers to the 2008-09 season when total snowfall reached a higher-than-average 157 inches. Erin Ernst, the director of communications for Boyne, said the biggest problem the ski resort has experienced is actually not the snowfall, but the warm temperatures. The resorts and ski hills at Boyne have had to put additional resources into snowmaking this season to keep surface conditions at their best.

Campers Venturing Out Early

Outside of the Midwest, campers in West Virginia are already making reservations for campsites. State Parks Chief Ken Caplinger said, “This time of year, with the temperature as mild as I can remember, more campers than usual are checking the state parks website for campsite reservation forms.”

Overall, there are ups and downs in response to the warmer weather all across the board in the outdoor industry. Some hunters and the hunted are reaping the benefits while they last, while others are keeping their fingers crossed that winter 2012/2013 won’t be so warm.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - A Mix of Good and Bad: Warm Winter Climate Effects on the Midwest

Illinois DNR to extend IRAP Program Application Deadline

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced today that it is extending the application deadline for the Illinois Recreational Access Program’s (IRAP) youth turkey hunting program on IRAP leased sites.  The original deadline was February 13^th and has been extended to February 29^th for the Spring Youth Wild Turkey Season and March 14^th for turkey seasons 3 and 4.

“We have been so successful in leasing property in IRAP’s first year that we have more sites than anticipated.  We want to make sure we give young turkey hunters the every opportunity to participate,” said IRAP Program Manager Tammy Miller   “The IRAP program now has nearly 7,000 acres enrolled from private landowners in just a little over three months.”

Through IRAP, the counties that are currently available for youth (under 16) to spring turkey hunt in are: Adams, Lee, Bureau, Woodford, McLean, Iroquois, McDonough, Fulton, Schuyler, Mason, Pike, Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, Christian, Macoupin, Bond and Monroe.

Three spring turkey seasons in 2012 will be available for youth hunters through IRAP:

• Spring Youth Season, which gives the kids a head start on turkey season, will run March 31- April 1 (Southern Zone) and April 7-8 (Northern Zone)
• Season 3, April 21-April 25 (Southern Zone) and April 27-May 2 (Northern Zone)
• Season 4, April 26-May 2 (Southern Zone) and May 3-May 9 (Northern Zone)

Interested youth turkey hunters should download an application for an IRAP Youth Turkey Hunting site through the IDNR website at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP.

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Illinois Native Named to Pheasants Forever’s National Board of Directors

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce Leonard Sachs of Peoria, Illinois, as the newest member to the organization’s national board of directors. The 18-member board meets quarterly and oversees the operations of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, the nation’s largest upland conservation organization.

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Sachs grew up with an appreciation of the outdoors, but it wasn’t until he completed his studies at the University of Illinois College of Law and took a job in central Illinois that he was able to fully dedicate his free time to the outdoors and conservation. That dedication eventually led to his nomination and selection as a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever national board member in fall of 2011.

“I am humbled to serve on the national board of directors for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever,” Sachs said, “Since attending my first Pheasants Forever banquet nearly 10 years ago, I have always been struck by the passion that Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members convey, as well as the organization’s grassroots model. The Pheasants Forever board and staff are the most gifted, talented, committed group of people in the conservation community, and I am looking forward to working with them and our partners to make an impact for future generations. Given this team’s enthusiasm and creativity, I remain confident that our best days are yet to come.”

“We are honored and thrilled to have Mr. Sachs as the newest member of the Pheasants Forever Board,” says Bruce Hertzke, Chairperson of Pheasants Forever’s National Board of Directors, “He brings a wealth of talent and passion to our midst that will make our organization an even greater presence in the conservation community.”

A true conservationist, Sachs, through his local conservation club, recently initiated a project in partnership with Pheasants Forever and the DNR to convert his farm in Knox County, Illinois, into a showcase example of what is possible through active conservation management and participation. When he is not practicing labor and employment law at Howard & Howard, Sachs can be found volunteering with a number of different nonprofit organizations, including serving on the board of the Heart of Illinois United Way and the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross, all in an effort to give back to his community.

Illinois is home to 44 Pheasants Forever chapters, 19 Quail Forever chapters and over 10,000 Pheasants Forever and/or Quail Forever members. For more information, please contact Rehan Nana, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Public Relation 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.

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Illinois Deer Harvest Totals 181,411 During 2011-12 Seasons

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 181,411 deer during all 2011-12 seasons.  Illinois deer seasons closed last weekend as hunters concluded the Archery Deer Season and the last segments of the Late-Winter and Special Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) deer hunting seasons on Jan. 15.

The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons of 181,411 compares with a total harvest for all seasons of 182,270 in 2010-11.  During this year’s deer seasons, hunters took 49.2 percent does and 50.8 percent males.  Illinois’ record deer harvest occurred in the 2005-06 season, when 201,209 deer were taken.  For a historical perspective (in ten-year increments), the 2001-02 total Illinois deer harvest was 152,768; 1991-92 was 101,418; and, 1981-82 was 22,570.

“Hunters experienced harvests this year that were almost identical to last year,” said IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton.  “Slight declines in the archery and firearm seasons were virtually offset by increases in the Youth, Muzzleloader, and Late Winter/Special CWD seasons.  Deer populations in many parts of the state have been brought down to levels that are more in keeping with population goals, and in the coming months biologists will be studying available data to determine changes to implement for the 2012-13 seasons.”

During the just-concluded 2011-12 Archery Deer Season, hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 61,852 deer (Oct. 1, 2011-Jan. 15, 2012), compared with the archery deer harvest of 63,570 in the 2010-11 season.

The combined preliminary harvest total for both the Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and the Special CWD deer seasons was 14,931, compared with a harvest of 14,884 deer taken during those seasons last year.  The seven-day split seasons for the Late-Winter and CWD hunts were Dec. 29, 2011-Jan.1, 2012 and Jan. 13-15, 2012.  Hunters in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, La Salle, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties and Kane County west of Ill. Rt. 47 participated in the CWD season, while another 66 counties were open for the Late-Winter season.  The Special CWD season is used to assist in controlling the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd, while the Late-Winter season provides additional harvest opportunities as a deer population management tool.

Hunters took a preliminary total of 97,886 deer during the 2011 Illinois Firearm Deer Season (Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4, 2011), 4,886 deer during the 2011 Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season (Dec. 9-11, 2011), and 1,856 deer during the 2011 Illinois Youth Deer Season (Oct. 8-9, 2011).

Preliminary county harvest totals for all the 2011-12 Illinois deer seasons are detailed below, followed by a table of comparable figures for the 2010-11 seasons.

For a complete list of deer harvest results by county please visit http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/deersummaryjan2012.pdf

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November Studios Welcomes New Creative Director

November Studios, the production arm of Whitetail Properties and the award-winning Whitetail Properties TV show, announces Jeremy Putnam has joined the team as creative director.

Putnam, 33, of Minneapolis, Minn., holds a Multimedia Arts degree from The Art Institute of Minneapolis and is a known creative leader in the outdoor market plus an avid outdoorsman. He has spent the last 12 years developing and managing several highly successful programs in the industry.

Working for six years as producer, editor and camera operator with the team of Lee & Tiffany Lakosky and four years of full production of Whitetail Freaks, Putnam has introduced many new techniques to the art of outdoor television production. Putnam has used his expertise in graphic design to build the logo and branding of Whitetail Freaks TV since inception, as well as the Beyond the Hunt with Rick and Julie TV show. Credited with hundreds of brand identity creations, Putnam’s previous work has included the complete production and creative of many DVD projects.

While Putnam is extremely proficient at all aspects of design, animation, image manipulation and video production, he spends most of his time outdoors chasing whitetail deer, which is a natural fit to the November Studios’ team.

As Putnam takes over his new responsibilities, he states, “I am excited to join the November Studios’ team and look forward to lending a hand to enhance the Whitetail Properties brand and other collaborative productions.”

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Illinois DNR Extends Controlled Pheasant Hunting

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced additional controlled pheasant hunting season extensions at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.

Four days – Wednesday, January 18, 2012 through Saturday, January 21, 2012 – have been added at Eldon Hazlet, and five days – Wednesday, January 18, 2012 through Sunday, January 22, 2012 have been added at Wayne Fitzgerrell.  These season extensions are possible because the IDNR Wildlife Propagation Centers had a better than expected pheasant production season in 2011.

Hunters are encouraged to use the online Controlled Pheasant Hunting Reservation System at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov to secure permits for these additional hunting opportunities.  Reserved permits ensure hunters will have the opportunity to hunt.  Standby permits are also available at each site, although standby hunting opportunities may be limited.

 

 

To access the reservation system:

1. Click on the “Hunting/Trapping” button on the toolbar on the IDNR Home Page
2. Then click on the Pheasant Icon
3. Then click on “Controlled Pheasant Areas” under the “Quick Links” heading

Hunters are reminded that the daily permit fee for controlled pheasant hunting is $25 for resident hunters and $35 for nonresident hunters.  The daily permit fee applies to each hunter.  Reserved Permits are paid for via credit card during the application process.

Completing a permit reservation online can be accomplished as late as twenty-four hours before an available hunt date and takes less than five minutes.  Standby hunters pay daily permit fees at the site hunter check station on the hunt date.  Standby hunters need to be prepared to pay permit fees with cash.

Hunters without computers are encouraged to gain access to the controlled pheasant hunting online reservation system by checking with family or friends who have computers with internet access or by using a computer at their local public library.  Completing a permit reservation online takes less than five minutes. For complete details, check the controlled pheasant hunting website at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov

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Illinois DNR Extends Controlled Pheasant Hunting at Eldon Hazlet and Wayne Fitzgerrell SRAs

Springfield, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced that the controlled pheasant hunting seasons have been extended at Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area in Franklin and Jefferson counties.

Five days – Wednesday, January 11, 2012 through Sunday, January 15, 2012 – have been added at both Eldon Hazlet and Wayne Fitzgerrell. These season extensions are possible because the IDNR Wildlife Propagation Centers have had a better than expected pheasant production season in 2011.

Hunters are encouraged to use the online Controlled Pheasant Hunting Reservation System at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov to secure permits for these additional hunting opportunities. Reserved permits ensure hunters will have the opportunity to hunt. Standby permits are also available at each site, although standby hunting opportunities may be limited.

To access the reservation system:

1. Click on the “Hunting/Trapping” button on the toolbar on the IDNR Home Page
2. Then click on the Pheasant Icon
3. Then click on “Controlled Pheasant Areas” under the “Quick Links” heading

Hunters are reminded that the daily permit fee for controlled pheasant hunting is $25 for resident hunters and $35 for nonresident hunters. The daily permit fee applies to each hunter. Reserved Permits are paid for via credit card during the application process. Completing a permit reservation online can be accomplished as late as twenty-four hours before an available hunt date and takes less than five minutes. Standby hunters pay daily permit fees at the site hunter check station on the hunt date. Standby hunters need to be prepared to pay permit fees with cash.

Hunters without computers are encouraged to gain access to the controlled pheasant hunting online reservation system by checking with family or friends who have computers with internet access or by using a computer at their local public library. Completing a permit reservation online takes less than five minutes. For complete details, check the controlled pheasant hunting website at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov

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New Pheasants Forever Chapter Enrolled at Illinois State University

Normal, IL – Undergraduate students from Illinois State University have formed the newest Pheasants Forever chapter in the nation, and the fourth-ever Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever collegiate chapter. Known as the Illinois State University Pheasants Forever chapter, the group will provide future land stewards with conservation experience through education, fundraising and hands-on youth work.

“Being a college chapter, one of our goals is conservation education,” says Ashley Bishop, the chapter’s first president and Illinois native who previously served as a Pheasants Forever youth ambassador, “We plan on using the university’s five-acre horticultural center to showcase native Illinois grasses with walk-through signs explaining the importance of the forbs to not only pheasants, quail and other wildlife, but to our environment and daily lives.” Bishop, who has been involved with her father’s Pheasant Forever chapter since she was six years old, notes the college chapter will also be partnering with the McLean County Pheasants Forever chapter, located in Bloomington, Ill., with their youth mentored hunt, “When being introduced to hunting and the outdoors, it helps to have someone closer to your own age that you can relate to, and all of our members are looking forward to helping foster another generation’s passion for the outdoors.”

As a Pheasants Forever chapter, Illinois State University Pheasants Forever will hold annual fundraising events, and then use those funds to accomplish wildlife habitat projects and public awareness for conservation. The Illinois State University chapter will function like all Pheasants Forever chapters. Pheasants Forever provides its local chapters the ability to decide how 100 percent of their fundraised dollars are spent. This local control gives chapters and members the ability to make things happen for wildlife in their communities, while belonging to a national organization advocating for wildlife and conservation in policy discussions in Washington, D.C.

“The Illinois State University chapter is a great example of the next generation’s willingness to grab the baton and lead the charge in conservation and outdoor education,” says Tim Caughran, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist in Illinois, “Many of the members are from Pheasants Forever families, so they have hit the ground running, and we are anxious to see the great things this chapter will accomplish in the coming months and years.”

Illinois State University Pheasants Forever chapter

• The Illinois State University chapter has also elected Stacy Durbin as Treasurer, and Leslie Annis as Public Relations and Recruiting Officer. The chapter’s Faculty Advisor is Dr. Rick Whitacre.
• The chapter’s next meeting will be announced on the Illinois State Pheasants Forever chapter’s Facebook page.
• For more information about the chapter, including upcoming meetings and events, Email Ashley or (217) 313-107.

Illinois is home to 64 Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters and more than 10,000 combined Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever members. For information on “The Habitat Organization” in Illinois, contact Tim Caughran, Pheasants Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist, at (618) 467-2586  / Email Tim. For all other information, contact Rehan Nana, Public Relation Specialist for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, at (651) 209-4973 / Email Rehan.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever empower county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent – the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. As a result, chapter volunteers are able to see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy.

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Illinois Firearm Deer Season Closes with Preliminary Harvest of 97,760

Springfield, IL – Firearm deer hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 97,760 deer during the seven-day firearm deer season on Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced today. This year’s preliminary firearm season harvest total compares with the 98,944 deer taken during the 2010 firearm season.

The preliminary second-season (Dec. 1-4) harvest total was 31,259, compared with the 30,907 deer taken by hunters during the second segment of the season in 2010. This year’s preliminary first-season (Nov. 18-20) deer harvest was 66,501, compared with a first-season harvest of 68,037 in 2010. The preliminary harvest totals include deer taken in all counties in which firearm deer hunting is permitted, as well as at Chain O’Lakes State Park in Lake County.

“The first two days of the second season provided excellent hunting conditions, and harvest totals on those days reflected that,” said IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton. “Steady rain was the story of the day on Saturday in the north and west, and on Sunday in the south and east. This depressed harvest somewhat on those days, but there is still a lot of deer hunting opportunity to be had with the upcoming Muzzleloader, Late Winter, and Special CWD deer seasons.”

Preliminary harvest reports show the top five county totals for deer taken during the seven-day firearm season were Pike (2,958), Fulton (2,581), Adams (2,393), Jefferson (2,314), and JoDaviess (2,267).

Continuing and upcoming deer hunting opportunities in Illinois include:

• The Archery Deer Season, continuing through Jan. 15, 2012; 136711
• The three-day Illinois Muzzleloader-only Deer Season is this week on Dec. 9-11;
• The seven-day split Late-Winter Firearm Antlerless-only Deer Season and Special CWD Deer Season are Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 1, 2012 and Jan. 13-15, 2012.

Permits for both the Late-Winter and Special CWD seasons will be available over the counter through DNR Direct license and permit vendors beginning Dec. 13. Archery and remaining muzzleloader-only permits are also available over the counter from DNR Direct vendors. Vendor locations by county are available on the IDNR website at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

For detailed information on the Late-Winter and CWD deer seasons, including information sheets listing open counties and permit limits, check the IDNR website at this link: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Pages/ResidentHunting.aspx

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