The 2025-2026 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations has been released in English, Spanish and Polish, along with Quick Reference Cards in all three languages.
Category: Hunting Skills and Techniques
But Where Do I Hunt? How to Find and Scout Public Land Remotely
Finding a place to hunt can be difficult when you don’t know where to look. Utilizing public information provided by the Illinois DNR and other data sources, you can find and scout public land near you. Narrowing down sites and noting key habitat features before conducting boots on the ground scouting helps saves time and […]
Knot to be Without — The One Knot Everyone Should Know
When is the last time you learned a simple skill that could save your life? Well, if you don’t already know the bowline knot, that counter will restart today. Take 15 minutes to learn this knot and practice it often enough that it gets engrained in your memory. Anyone who goes outside should know it. […]
Mourning Doves and Grizzly Bears
Mourning Doves and Grizzly Bears The farmer who planted the ag fields at my Grandpa’s place had a wheat field loaded down with doves. I must have been right around 15 or so and while I had been hunting for several years, this was my first dove hunt. I wonder if that farmer would have […]
Tick tock, tick season is coming. What you need to know.
By Jason Buckley and Dan Stephens Anyone who spends time outdoors has likely encountered ticks and has read about tick-borne illnesses. You likely wonder how prevalent ticks are across the state, what the risk is to humans of tick-borne illnesses, and what steps we can take to mitigate and prevent interactions with ticks. Today, we […]
Remote Scouting Series: Reading and Understanding Topographic Maps
As much of Illinois is experiencing substantial snowfall and below-average temperatures, many of us are hunkered down inside waiting for the eventual onset of spring. As a hunter, I like to take this time to clean and organize my gear, practice my turkey calling skills, and spend time developing a plan for my scouting efforts […]
Shed Hunting Overview and Strategies
Shed Hunting Overview and Strategies There is just something special about antlers. Perhaps, it’s the rapid growth and deciduous nature of antlers that make them so appealing. Every single antler is different; its shape, size, and character all show the unique story of each buck. Being in the heart of winter, many of us are […]
Tracking – Ancient Art For the Modern-day Hunter
One of the many things to love about hunting is how it encourages you to push your own personal boundaries. Not just by getting you out into the wild places where memories come from, but also by encouraging personal growth. Growth in skills that were prerequisites for survival to our ancestors but have become exceedingly […]