Illinois River Duck Club...

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Pat Gregory

Well-known member
I've reference our duck club many times in postings. With Mike and Chad bringing their boys, I thought I'd post up some pictures and share a little about our club. Other members on our site, if you are part of a duck/goose club or camp, I'd be interested in seeing some pics of your place.

About our duck club... I am part owner in the Wing & Feather Club in Topeka, IL. Our club borders the Illinois River and sets on Clear Lake which is backwater along the Illinois. We own 475 acres of wetland. On our club, we have 6 duck blinds. Our blinds have to be floating blinds as our water level fluctuates with the raising/lowering of the Illinois River. We have two timber blinds, two marsh blinds, both for puddle ducks, and two open water blinds for diver ducks. During normal pool, our water is about 3 feet deep. We've hunted during periods of high water in as deep as 12-15 feet deep. It just depends on what they do with the level of the Illinois River. We can't plan corn or any non-native plants because of the fluctation of the water so, we practice moist soil management.

To the south of us is Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, a chartered waterfowl refuge managed by USFWS. We have a good working relationship with our friends at USFWS. Our cabin is an old historic Illinois River boat house that has been placed on a foundation. Some rooms were added. We have bathroom with shower, full kitchen, family room and bunk rooms for guests.

Yesterday we met with the team at the Illinois Natural History Survey/Frank Bellrose Research Center and USFWS regarding some grant work we're doing with them. INHS has been doing some canvasback research on our club in the spring to determine what foods the cans are using in the spring on Clear Lake. They've trapped and banded over 500 in two years. The INHS is a division of the University of Illinois and, their research lab sits at the south end of Chautauqua Refuge.

I thank God for such a wondrous place. Here are some pics, enjoy...

INHS Facility...
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To get to our club, you drive through Goofy Ridge, IL, past the Mallard Club, behind Chautauqua and, of course, down Mallard Lane...
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Pat~

Great photos - truly fodder for any gunner's dreams - good for you!

I worked in the Mississippi Flyway one fall (1976 or 7?) - chasing Canadas in an airboat (I was in the airboat, not the geese) at the Horicon Refuge. Almost all of my colleagues were from your flyway - and I was impressed by the reverence they had for the Mississippi valley and its wetter spots. Also, one of my long-time partners - the fellow Long Islander for whom I just rehabed the Brant rig - lived in southern Illinois for several years, about 40 years ago. He attributes his exceptional calling skills to his time in the midwest.

Gunning camps like yours are rare hereabouts. You may recall the thread from earlier this year about the Pattersquash Gunning Shack - still mostly intact but now literally adrift in Bellport Bay thanks to superstorm Sandy and the resurrection of Old Inlet. I was never a regular there - only the occasional guest - but will surely mourn its passing. These rarities are precious and I'm sure you appreciate your camp fully. I hope your blinds continue to rise and fall with your "tides" for many years to come.

All the best,

SJS
 
Well Pat, now you just made it harder to wait for September!
Thanks for the pics. I shared them with my son last night and he was all smiles!

We are all looking forward to sharing the hunt very much.
 
Pat,
I have often wondered about what your club looked like. You and your partners are true conservationists and should be commended for your work. To often hunters condemn those "rich guys" who own the private land and keep everyone out. Very seldom do they get to see the inside of that private land and all the time and resources that are being put into proper management and conservation of those lands. Hunting really a very small part of what you guys do at the club. Large parts of this country would have long ago been filled and developed if it were not for private conservation efforts by people like you.

Thanks for sharing your little piece of duck heaven. I am very blessed to live in an area that has vast tracks wild lands and I thank God often for it. I suspect you feel the same about your area there.
 
Thanks for sharing Pat. Coming from SE WI I have litle experience with duck clubs, most of them in WI are on the mighty Miss. WI is know for deer camps. While they hold many of the same values and traditions it isn't quite the same to me.

I was fortunate to tour my first IL club last week near Canton, IL.

I am glad you brought up the Canvasback research. The spring feeding habits are different and interesting to me; have they found any significant dietary findings to date? I think the conservation work behind many of these clubs is lost in "rich hunters club" attitude. At the Canton club all of the hunters helped to maintain many goose nests, the majority of which are already occupied for the spring, as well as many other conservation and habitat projects.

Can't wait to get the boat down here and start exploring.
 
Guys - Thanks for the kind words. To be clear, it's nothing fancy. The decor is somewhere between the 1950's and 1970's. Just how we like it... Being an old boat house, it does have side by side stools in the bathroom... :)

Brandon - We are far from a bunch of rich guys. Just 5 guys who enjoy duck hunting.

Joe - I'll never forget that flurry of teal last year, last Saturday. I too have revisited that in my head many times. Amazing! We had a great weekend. Let's do it again this year...

Take care and God bless! Pat
 
Brad - In addition to the abundance of "strategy discussions", add to that, a magnificient view of the refuge and the fact that our porch faces west for some amazing sunsets, it is nothing short of breathtaking...

I think you need to do a tour of the ongoing restoration at Chautauqua around, say, November??? You could meet our new Site Manager, Bob Barry...

The porch is peaking about then... Pat
 
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