It’s hard to believe, but when this column goes live, it will be less than two weeks before the official start of hunting season, as squirrel season kicks off August 1 in Illinois.
I heard on the radio the other day that it’s less than a month until school starts in our area. With that comes the fact that we are just seven weeks away from Labor Day weekend which, for many people, means the end of summer.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announces late summer hunting opportunities for 2022.
The following information is provided as a helpful reminder of the season deadlines, which begin in August and September.
Hunting licenses can be purchased through IDNR’s online license portal at https://exploremoreil.com or in person at a participating vendor. To find a list of participating providers, visit https://exploremoreil.com/agentlocator.
Additional details will be announced in the upcoming 2022-2023 edition of IDNR’s Hunting and Trapping Digest. Information about hunting and trapping in Illinois can also be found here online at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/default.aspx.
Here’s a quick rundown of the early hunting seasons available here in Illinois.
Squirrel season dates are August 1-February 15, 2023, but the season is closed during gun deer seasons (November 18-20 and December 1-4). The season is open statewide with a daily limit of five and a possession limit of ten.
Pigeon season begins statewide on September 1 and runs through November 14 and then resumes from December 26 to January 9, 2023. The daily limit is fifteen birds with a possession limit of forty and five.
The early teal season runs statewide from September 10 through September 25 with a daily limit of six and a possession limit of eighteen.
There is a rail season in Illinois that will run from September 10 to November 18. The season runs statewide with a daily limit of twenty-five and a possession limit of seventy-five.
Illinois also has a snipe season; yes ladies, a snipe season. This season runs statewide from September 10 through December 25 with a daily limit of eight and a possession limit of twenty-four.
There is also an early season for Canada Geese from September 1-15. In the North and Central Zones there is a daily limit of five with a possession limit of fifteen. In the South Central and South Zones there is a daily limit of two and a possession limit of six.
I’m not sure where the summer has gone, but it seems to have gone by so fast for me. As much as I love fall, I wish the clock would slow down a bit so we can all enjoy what’s left of summer.
Sam Van Camp writes about outdoor activities on Saturdays. Fax: 446-6648. Email: [email protected]