Waterfowl hunters are encouraged to mark their calendars for upcoming waterfowl hunting blind site random drawings to be held at several public hunting areas in Illinois in the coming weeks.
Duck and goose hunters must register in person for waterfowl blind site drawings and must be present at the drawing -- held at each location designated below immediately after the registration period -- to claim their blind sites. Mail-in registrations are not accepted. Blind allocations are good for one year, except on the Mississippi River and Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison County.
To participate in a drawing, applicants must present a 2007 or 2008 Illinois hunting or combination sportsman's license and a 2007 or 2008 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp at the time they register, unless exempted by law.
Applicants must be at least 16 years old by the date of the drawing. Participants should save their 2007 waterfowl stamps in case they have difficulty purchasing new stamps.
Applicants needing to purchase new licenses and stamps should do so before the drawing. Most blind drawing locations will not have license sales available. Licenses and stamps are available at any DNR Direct license and permit vendor, through the IDNR Web site at http://dnr.state.il.us, or by calling 1-888-673-7648.
Registrants also must possess a current Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card from the Illinois State Police. Expired FOID cards are not acceptable. Applicants under the age of 21 do not need a FOID card if they are accompanied by an adult who has one. For those without a FOID card in their possession, law enforcement officers will not be able to validate FOID card status on the day of the drawing.
In order to be an eligible applicant for the drawing, the participant must not, at the time of the drawing, have his or her hunting privileges suspended or revoked by the IDNR or any other jurisdiction.
Out-of-state residents must have a 2007 or 2008 nonresident hunting license for Illinois and a 2007 or 2008 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp.
The schedule for local 2008 blind drawings on June 1 (blinds allocated for three years) are:
• Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County). Registration will be held at Shelter #1 directly north of the park office from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on June 1. (Park office is 1.5 miles south of Pontoon Beach on Illinois 111).
Mississippi River Area (Pools 25 and 26):
• Glades/12 mile, Fuller Lake, Helmbold Slough, and Piasa Island: Registration 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Alton Wood River Sportsman's Club, 3109 Godfrey Road in Godfrey.
• Godar Diamond, Hurricane/Michael, Red's Landing, Rip Rap Landing: Registration 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Calhoun County fairgrounds, north of Hardin on Illinois 100.
• Batchtown and nearby Mississippi River blinds: registration 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Batchtown Ball Diamond in Batchtown.
• Stump Lake, Calhoun Point, and the Illinois River blinds: registration 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jersey County Fairgrounds and American Legion on the north end of Jerseyville on Illinois 267.
Eagle cam at Coffeen State Park
A recent discovery of a family of eagles nesting at Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife area --near Ameren Energy Generating Company's Coffeen Power Station --has prompted the installation of a live camera to monitor the nest and allow anyone with web access to watch the action.
This is the second straight year that the bald eagles have nested at the site. Last year, they successfully fledged two eaglets. This year, they are currently raising two eaglets that should fledge within the next few weeks.
The Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA) is home to a number of native wildlife species, including the nesting pair of bald eagles.-The 3,145-acre site is located in Montgomery County, Illinois. The site is comprised of lands owned by the Ameren Energy Generating Company and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).-The centerpiece of the site is the 1,100-acre cooling lake for the Ameren's coal fired Coffeen Power Station.
A donation from Ameren provided for installation of an "eagle cam" to share the eagles' nesting activity with the public. The eagle cam can be viewed daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. by visiting Ameren's Web site at ameren.com and following the links to the live eagle cam.
Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is open to the public for hunting, fishing, picnicking and other activities.-For more information on recreational activities at the site, contact the site office at 217-537-3351 or visit the IDNR Web site at www.dnr.state.il.us.
