Illinois Sportsmen are getting hit again

[Greg Meyer]

The continued cuts to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by the Governor has one more "hit" for Walleye fishing. The Spring Grove Hatchery is being closed after further budgets cuts of over another $20 million. THis will immediately result in major reductions to the Chain of Lakes, Fox and Illinois River stocki9ng programs. In there or four years we could see Walleye populations plummet. Something has to be done to wake up all of the outdoorsmen in Illinois. State Parks are not being maintained, major facilities are going to be damaged, maybe irreversibly as a result of this neglect. And, now with more staff reductions valuable programs and infrastructure facilities are being lost.



Here's a link to the full article from the Sunday Daily Herald.



http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=3836150




http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=3836150

 

[Staci Matheis]

I think you know where I stand, Greg.....



I do all my hunting and almost all my fishing in Missouri - even though I live here in Illinois. In Illinois, those of us who want to enjoy ourselves participating in the shooting and hunting sports are, at best, an afterthought. I give $150 to $200 to Missouri every year for non-resident licenses because they provide me with well managed facilities and lands.



Two Thumbs Up, Missouri!

Get with it, Illinois.....



me

 

[David Munaretto]

I'm gonna write my congressman, I encourage you to do the same, this is BS - I've sent it out to other tournament guys in the area greg... This state is so f'ed up it is ridiculous. Little known fact - in IL we pay on average 55 cents of every dollar in taxes. You can't run a state on 1/2 of the income of its citizens there is something frickin wrong. How can they have the audacity to complain having no money at that frickin rate?



David

 

[Greg Meyer]

Dave,



There is a growing sentiment that someone should pound on the Fed's doors to get an audit of the Robinson-Pittman funds returned to Illinois (15% tax on hunting and fishing gear)... With the Hunting/Fishing license and stamp fees and the Federal funds... a mere $188 million budget seems pretty thin... The Fed's funds are earmarked exclusively for "Conservation" issues...



This is appalling. but predictable. Our state is dominated by Chicago politicians and the rest of the State can just float away as far as they are concerned...

 

[Staci Matheis]

I find it interesting how easy Illinois makes it for me to walk in and buy a huandgun with my FOID card..... But difficult for me to find public areas to hunt. About the only listings are the few pages in the back of the pamphlet published by the DNR.



Take a quick look at the Missouri Department of Conservation's website and see how things should be done.....
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/

 

[fatrap]

Greg

The fishing in Iowa is getting deploreable. Our DNR could be better run by a group of nine grade biology students. The big blunder is inavertly stocking Yellow Bass into most the bass waters in my area. Now their spend big dollars to drain and kill off these lake and restockl. This takes the lake off-line for several years and adds pressure on what few lakes we have. The bass tournament pressure is extreme. One lake that is still decent has sixty tournaments a year and it only has 800 acres. Many of the tournaments are from Easter Nebraska. Someone wanting to take his kids fishing on the weekend has to park two miles from the ramp. Iowa doesn't give a hoot. Every year it gets a little worse.

Don't know what the anwser is.

fatrap

 

[David Munaretto]

You tell me what doors we should be pounding on and I'll go apoundin' - This state is a joke!



David

 

[fatrap]

I've been trying to find out myself. A man I hunt quail with is bud's with the govenor and says Vilsuck knows of the problem. The DNR needs a major overhaul but no one is stepping up to the plate.

fatrap

 

[Staci Matheis]

Stooopid question, Mike.....

What are "yellow bass"?