Young hunters between the ages of 10 and 15 can apply for the Pere Marquette Youth Pheasant Hunt scheduled for March 2 at Pere Marquette State Park.
The Pere Marquette Youth Pheasant Hunt is a new addition to the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt Program and represents an expansion into early spring.
Most youth pheasant hunting opportunities are offered at Illinois Department of Natural Resources Controlled Pheasant Hunting Areas in the fall or early winter.
Modeled after the World Shooting and Recreational Complex Youth Pheasant Hunt, young hunters at Pere Marquette State Park will participate in a wingshooting clinic during the morning. IDNR/National Sporting Clays Association Certified Wingshooting instructors will conduct the clinic.
Young hunters will practice shotgun safety and advance their wingshooting skills. The pheasant hunt will take place after lunch.
More than a dozen co-sponsors are assisting the IDNR and Pere Marquette State Park with the wingshooting clinic and pheasant hunt. Co-sponsors provide funding for the clay targets, target and field shotshells, and for lunch for the young hunters. Many sponsors also will provide bird dogs and bird dog handlers and hunting guides.
Co-sponsors include the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau; Channel-Seedsmanship At Work; Ducks Unlimited; Friends of Pere Marquette State Park; Green Roof Kennels; Hargrave International; the Illinois National Shoot-To-Retrieve Field Trial Association; Migratory Waterfowlers; the National Wild Turkey Federation -- Midwest Gobblers Chapter; Otter Creek Hunting Club; Pfister Seed Co.; Quail Forever -- Illinois Pioneer Chapter; Todd Parish -- Attorney At Law; Ward Financial Services; Whitworth-Horn-Goetten Insurance Agency; and Winchester/Olin.
Permits for the Pere Marquette Hunt are available through the IDNR's Controlled Pheasant Hunting Internet Reservation System.
Hunters need to review the "Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt Information" and the "Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt Regulations" on the controlled pheasant hunting website before submitting an application.
Completing a permit reservation online takes less than five minutes.
For complete details, check the controlled pheasant hunting website at www.dnr.illinois.gov.
