OUTDOORS; Mushroom count should start to grow
Apr. 14—We finally got some spring weather and this stretch of weather has really been nice, and, there are mushrooms being found in the area.
With rain in the forecast, this week could be a really good week for the mushroom hunters.
Youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,309 birds during the 2023 Illinois youth turkey season March 25-26 and April 1-2.
A total of 5,283 youth turkey permits were issued for 2023, compared to 5,032 in 2022. The top five counties for youth turkey harvest this year were Jefferson, 52; Randolph, 48; Marion, 47; Pike, 39; and Adams, 37. In 2022, a total of 1,258 turkeys were taken. The record total was set in 2020, when 1,733 turkeys were harvested.
Turkey hunting season in Illinois is divided into 5 seasons running from April 10th to May 11th in the Northern Zone (Our Zone).
Turkey hunting ends at 1 p.m. each day during the five seasons so keep this in mind if you are mushroom hunting in an area where turkey hunters are hunting.
In order to hunt turkeys in Illinois, a person must have a valid turkey permit, a hunting license, a habitat stamp, and a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID Card).
There are hunting areas assigned for turkey hunting in most state-owned areas. These hunting areas are off limits to mushroom hunters during the turkey seasons in April and May. Please know the areas where you can and cannot hunt mushrooms while on these state areas.
This is one of the most dangerous times of the year for wildlife throughout the country.
Animals are having their young during the spring months and one of the most dangerous predators of young wildlife is children!
When children see a young animal such as a bird, a rabbit, a frog or a snake, they many times want to bring it home and make a "pet" out of it.
More often than not, this doesn't end well for the animal as most people do not have the knowledge to feed or to provide optimal living quarters for these animals.
How sad! Many of these animals will die, many times from starvation or illness. If left alone, most would survive.
Every animal wakes up every morning with the same hopes and expectations that we do; a nice day with plenty of food, quiet nap time, and just some enjoyment and fun; no animal wakes up and plans to die or be imprisoned that day!
Please, please teach your child to leave the animals in their environment so that they can live out their life as life has planned it. Observe from a distance and help them to survive; they have enough predators without your child being one of them!
Sam Van Camp writes about the outdoors on Saturdays. Fax: 446-6648. E-mail: pamnsam70@aol.com
