SI Outdoors Blog

It’s shameful the way the governor is treating this once proud state agency.

The department has not only been neglected, it’s been abused. I’m just waiting for Sally Struthers to make a tear-drenched television appeal on behalf of the agency. The fact that the governor has declined to appoint a new director speaks volumes.

It would certainly be nice to see a wildlife specialist be put in charge of the department again, but I don’t look for that to happen in this partisan political environment. Yeah, yeah, I know, the position requires political expertise. I’m well aware of that. However, I’d be much more comfortable with someone not beholding to either political party.

In the meantime, the state has asked its biologists, Conservation Police Officers and site superintendents to operate on shoestring budgets. The fact that our parks aren’t in more dire condition speaks volumes about the dedication of IDNR employees.

Came within a hair of bagging a huge 10-point buck Saturday.

Fortunately, I had the brights on and saw him in time to brake. Did make me sweat though.

I don’t expect a note, but Jeff Lampe and Dale Bowman owe me.

Lampe, the outdoors writer at the Peoria Journal-Star, and Bowman, of the Chicago Sun Times, and I were duck hunting early last week. There just a few minutes before the end of shooting hours. I volunteered to put my gun away in order to lure a last flight of ducks.

It worked like a charm.

I hadn’t even gotten my gun cased when four teal strafed the blind.

They’re welcome!

You can tell. Four-wheelers are being towed behind pickup trucks all over town. More people than normal are dressed in camo at convenience stores.

And, you can always tell when someone is from outside Southern Illinois. They are incredulous about schools dismissing on the opening day of deer season.

Does anyone else find the winter flocks of blackbirds fascinating?

I was on my deck, filling my bird feeders earlier this week, when a monstrous flock flew over. The flock was over two blocks wide and it took nearly five minutes for it to pass overhead.

Then, a few minutes later on my way to work, another equally huge flock landed in a cornfield. I couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how many birds were in each flock.

While driving to Starved Rock State Park Sunday afternoon I saw a strange sight.

There were these magnificent birds flying in the air in a distinct V-formation. They flew right overhead. Out of curiosity, I scanned the skies and realized these birds were all around.

I’d almost forgotten what it was like to see the skies filled with Canada geese. And, it was more than the skies — the ponds and borrow pits around I-39 were covered with geese.

I probably saw more geese in a 10-mile stretch than there are in all of Southern Illinois. It made me nostalgic for the good old days.

Actually, there were only three.

We came upon three bold does at the 16th green at Kokopelli near sunset Sunday evening. Everyone in our foursome reached the fringe with long irons or fairway woods, so the deer weren’t spooked before we walked up.

However, I’m not sure anything would have fazed them. They did back off slightly, but barely looked up as we chipped and putted out.

We had the first real frost of the season Monday, Oct. 29. I’m totally amazed.

We’ve had a few patching frosts earlier, but Monday was the first general frost of the season. I’m loving this. We’ll still have oak and gum trees in our yard, lush and green on Nov. 1. With a little luck, my tomatoes will avoid freezing and I’ll still be harvesting them into November.

As if more evidence was needed that winter is on the way, the first juncos showed up at my bird feeder today.

Sheesh, it wasn’t that long ago I still had a few hummers buzzing around.

Yeah, I know winter is coming.

However, I like to deny it as long as I can. The unseasonably warm weather has helped me put it out of my mind. But, after driving across Crab Orchard earlier today I know winter is just around the corner.

The coots are back.

Yup, there they were, hundreds of them bobbing up and down on the water. I’m not sure how are when they got here, they have a tendency just to appear in huge numbers.

However, their arrival means winter is on the horizon.