Illinois is a lonely place.....

Chad Huff

Chad Huff

New member
Eric,
I have been meaning to post up a thanks for the new format. Our family moved to Illinois (Southside Chicago) a year and a half ago to take a new church, and we have been really busy. I haven't been able to even think about hunting much less go, so I haven't been posting much. Your hard work really shows, and the site looks great. I became a 'Supporter' last night to show my appreciation.

Any way, leaving Missouri has been kind of tough when it comes to hunting and hunting buddies. Ira, Mark, Jeff, John et al are great, but live back "Home", and I doubt they want to leave "Duck Mecca" to hunt up here. Not to mention that my son Matt is 10 now, got his first real shotgun for Christmas last year, and all he wants to do these days is play baseball and talk about hunting. I really need to find a place close to take him more often than I can get back to MO.

One of the first things I did when I got here was go to the DNR site and try to figure out the lay of the land.... what I found out is you need a PhD! In the spring I looked up the Turkey regs and, while multitasking, just decided to hit print.... ooooppppssss! 52 pages later I had the TURKEY regs. Man, it is just a turkey, I wasn't trying to get a tag to hunt Bald Eagles. I could really use some advice from you "veterans of the Land of Lincoln." I'd love to try hunting the Miss. River, maybe the Illinois (am I dreaming?). Any other things or areas I should scout / research? Oh, for gear I have a couple of MoMarsh DP's, and am working on a boat for the river. I have plenty of dekes (hand carved and plastics.)

Anyway, I know that I am asking a lot, some of you may be hesitant to give out your spots, and I am not asking you to give the best ones out, maybe just a few crumbs ;) Ed L. suggested I try asking Mark R. and Pat Gregory, or just posting up here. I thank you guys for any help you can give a lost Duck Hunter.

By the way, Matt got his first duck last year, at Jeff Churan's place. I am posting up a picture. This is before he got his Mossburg for Christmas.



Hope you all have a great season, and God Bless,

Matt's First Gaddy1.jpg
At the bottoms1.jpg
 
Last edited:
South Chicago.... not far from Cabela's, the one place I AM familiar with! ;) When you get the 'Hard Bound Catalog' for free in the mail... my wife doesn't think that is a good sign.
 
Last edited:
Better learn how to layout hunt on Lake Michigan then. I'm about 120 mi from Chicago and Jay is closer...Mark Rongers is even closer in Hobart In. Your not far from some good hunting, just different.
 
I would truly LOVE to layout hunt. I have done it to a much lesser degree in MO, on power plant lakes and Truman etc, but not out of a TRUE layout rig (mostly DP's and similar craft). Right now I don't have the riggings for it, and I have a 10 year old to think of.... I would love to get out a day with just the guys sometime, but to be honest my priorities have changed now that Matt is old enough to get hardcore.

What is everyones experience with kids and Layout hunting???
 
My thinking on a kid and layout hunting is they would enjoy it with there dad in a two person but I personally would not do it with a one man they can be a lonely place when you first get started.

My resort is 6 hours from Chicago in the Western UP of Michigan. If you bring your son up for the youth hunt in late september ( usually the 2nd to last weekend) I will give you guys a cabin for no charge and take you guys out into some wildrice one day and a beaver pond the second. Only rule is my puppy gets a retrieve if a bird falls and you son has to smile after he drops those blue wing teals burning through the decoys...

Seriously its an open invite kids need every opertunity to spend time with there parents in the outdoors. Grouse is even open at that time of year if the two of you want to chase something you can both shoot at.

I always make one Cabin available for free for the youth hunts. If I had not found the outdoors I wouldn't be the person I am today all kids need a chance to get out.
 
Chad if you take Brandon up on the offer. you can stop in at my place on the way up. I am 100 mi due South of him off from interstate 39

Closer to home there is the DePlaines Wildlife Area on the Kankaukee river off interstate 55 Lots of water around there.

Back in the 70's I traveled in central Ill. on a weekly basis. I use to see huge flocks of Mallards land on fields. It's a different kind of hunting. Would take some scouting.

Ed also has Mallards in his back yard. I've seen em Hee hee
 
Brandon, that is a very generous offer. I really appreciate it. I have spent some time in the UP over the years, and it certainly is beautiful country. Back in the '80's I used to lead 20 day wilderness trips on the shores of Superior for inner city kids. In more recent years I have been coaching some church planters around Escanaba. You live in beautiful country.

Pete, if Brandon and I are getting together, I will certainly stop by. I have driven past the Des Plaines area several times on my way home (I usually take 55 to 36 and cross in to MO). The Des Plaines area looks like it is hunted pretty hard for upland, they must stock birds in there or something. There seems like there is a little water there, but my search of the DNR site made it unclear if and where you could waterfowl hunt. I know I see a LOT of geese around that area, and a lot of posted signs as well. One farmer I asked looked at my truck plate and saw I live in Cook county and said no... can't say I blame him.
 
Hi Chad your more than welcome to hunt with me on the chain-o-lakes. I hunt DNR assigned blinds and sometimes on Fox lake from my boat blind. I always go up to Manistique (my home town) in the UP to hunt on Indian lake for 4-5 days. Your more than welcome, I stay at my moms house on the Indian River so lodgings and food are free.:) As far as Illinois DNR and our wonderful rules, let me know maybe I can help decipher some of the crap. Since your an Illinois resident now you need to get your FOID card. Cant have a gun or buy ammo without it. :(
 
Chad,
Illinois has some good hunting but getting access can be another story. If you have some time this weekend there is an event going on in Bloomington which is about 2-2.5 hours south on 55. Jeremiah Sportsmen http://www.JeremiahSportsmen.com Our local Delta group will have a booth here for the weekend, also Pat Gregory will be giving a seminar on layout hunting. This would be a great time to meet a few guys off of this site and get some info on hunting in your area. I'll be back and forth between here and my daughters softball tourney all weekend.

 
Chad

Thanks for the status report and posting the pics of your son. He looks like one happy camper. Thanks too for the support. I'll update your account soon to list your as a supporter.

Judging by the replies you are going to have some help finding new hunting spots. It's generosity like this that makes being a participant a great thing. Need some help, just ask and someone will extend a nice offer.
 
Thanks for the offer Mike... I might definitely take you up on that. That area in the chain of lakes looks neat, though a little populated. Wen I drove through there I thought it looked like a cool place to hunt. Are the DNR blinds assigned like the ones on the Mississippi, every 2 years? What's the process?

Manisitque is really pretty. Hopefully we can meet up sometime and get to know each other. Maybe I'll have a BBQ (KC style) at my house some time for all the 'locals' on the site?
 
Hi Jim,
I looked at the website, and it looks like a GREAT event. I am going to talk to the wife and see what is going on for Saturday. Maybe we could come down on Saturday. I'd like to get there early enough for Pat's seminar. I will PM you and let you know if we can come. Thanks for the heads up and the invitation.
 
Chad the blinds on the chain are by lottery. Individuals who want to build a blind enter the lottery and get to pick an open blind location. First drawing gets the first choice. There are 34 blind sites covering Grass lake, Nippersink and One on Fox lake these being within the jurisdiction of the Chain O lakes State Park. The park is closed to all but hunters during hunting season. If you get a blind site then you have to build a blind to DNR specs. The rule is that anyone can use the blind if it is not occupied a 1/2 hour before shooting time. You launch in the parks boat launch and must have a Fox river waterway sticker on your boat. Price varies for the sticker by length and Hp of the boat. I just love the bright colored sticker on my camo paint! ha ha Last year it was red, before that green, that wasnt too bad.

The water is only 4-5 ft deep around the blinds, so decoys are rigged shallow.

There are a few spots that are legal outside of the park that can be hunted from a boat blind. these being far enough from houses and main channels.

I have only hunted lake Michigan a few times from a boat blind near Zion.
 
Dear brother Chad,

It doesn't have to be lonely. Looks like you have some great opportunities and offers already.

I cordially invite you and your son to try a Lake Michigan duck hunt late season, from our layout boats. Hopefully, the birds will be here before the season's end (not so, last season). When they are and it's typically late, they provide great sport. I'll bring one of the 2 man boats, so that father and son can enjoy the time together.

Feel free to contact me at; mightylayoutboys@hotmail.com should this be of interest.

May our Lord continue to Bless you and your work,

Mark
 
Chad,

I am not familiar with Chicagoland, but I hunt west of you and have found good access. I know going to a different state is often confusing. Every time I have relocated it took a while to get new areas and up to speed on the regs, but after the learning curve life is good.

There are a number of streams in IL that are on the IDNR navigable streams list. These are huntable waters.

If you go north to WI, there is more access since WI water laws are different from IL. WI has many more public hunting areas than IL and the seasons open before IL.

drop me an email me at: noweil@yahoo.com

I can maybe give you a few other ideas. I have lots of ideas and limited time.

Mike
 
It sounds like you got some pretty good offers and information. One thing I didn’t see a response to was the Mississippi river up here in the northern part of IL. The Miss up here is different than near Missouri from the standpoint that the blinds for most of it aren’t done on a yearly draw, though a couple of places are. It is mostly first come first serve, although Pool 13 does allow people to build blinds that they then have first right to throughout the season. If the blind builder is not there 30 minutes prior to shooting time, it is open to the first taker though. If you would like to make some trips out there, hit me up and I can either take you or give you some ideas of spots to try.

I’m at goos78@yahoo.com.
 
Hi Ryan,

I kind of filled Chad in about the Mississippi up here. The one thing I couldn't answer about pool 13 is the use of permenant blinds is to be eliminated but I couldn't remember if the 2008/2009 season is the last one or if it's 2009/2010 season. I do know the 2007/2008 was the last season for permanent blinds in pool 14. This years flood took out most of the blinds but I see there are still a few left. The ones left in pool 14 have to be removed prior to the season or the DNR is will hand out fines to the blind owners.

Ed L.
 
Chad,

I grew up on greater Chicagolands north shore but hunted on family and friends land in Will and Kankakee counties. I haven't been back to do any hunting for about 10 years. But, here is what I can report from what was true then. Des Plaines is/was hunted pretty hard. Kankakee River State Park was not as bad. If anyone bowhunts there are big bucks on both areas. However, realize you are on public land and common courtesy is not what it use to be. I have heard stories I beleive to be true of hunters training a deer they shot to find someone else had already tagged it.

I once hunted out of a waterfowl blind on the river. Didn't see anything. I don't know when the prime times would be for waterfowl in that area.

I use to hunt KKK River SP for the released pheasant hunts. Later in the season, on a cold snowy day the crowds weren't too bad. I would usually go to the less popular parking areas and usually had the place to myself. I have taken woodcock there.

If you have a bigger boat to hunt there is a cooling lake on the south edge of braidwood that had some good waterfowl hunting. I don't know about hunting pressure. Sine the lake is above grade it can get very rough very quickly. There were also some priavte clubs just south of Braidwood that I believe the states owns/operates now. I don't know how the hunting is now but, the corn fields around that area would have thousands of mallards in them.

I don't know what the hunting is like around Collins Lake anymore. It was used as a cooling lake for a coal fired power plant. I think the power plant is out of commision now. It is right next to Goose Lake Prairie. They have a nice little museum there with the racks of a couple of large whitetails they found one year after burining the prairie. The place use to hold a lot of deer and pheasant. No hunting though.

One year I did draw a turkey tag for the southern tip of the state. I had a blast. Should have taken a large gobbler but didn't. I looks more like MO there than where you are now.

Don't forget the salmon fishing in the big lake. My dad and use to go it in the spring with a small car top boat. We could only go out when it was pretty calm. But, there is nothing like a 3-5 lb coho jumping over your head for excitement!

Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top