scout26
Member
Back in January my 10 year old daughter expressed an interest in going turkey hunting this spring. A quick check of the Illinois DNR website turned up the Heritage Youth Wild Hunt the weekend before the regular Turkey seasons start (3-4 April). I thought what a great way for her to go on her first hunt.
I figured she'd just hunt public land as there wouldn't be much pressure/competiton from other hunters and she could get some 'tips' from the park rangers.
Got her signed up for a Hunters Safety Education Course in early Feb (which she aced). I quickly sent in the form with Will and Kankakee counties as our areas of choice. (There were no special hunt areas listed, youth tags are by county only). My daughter drew a tag for Will county. Lots of public lands, close to the ol' homestead, and we could do some scouting a couple weekends before the season opened. I planned to spend a father-daughter weekend camping at Kankakee State Park and hunting wherever. I called Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Des Plaines River Fish and Wildlife Area, Kankakee River State Park, Momence Wetlands, and Joliet Army Training Center to figure out where I could take my daughter there for her first hunting trip.
Lo, and behold NO DNR or Federal Area (at least in northeastern IL) is participating in the Youth Turkey season !!!!
What does that mean, unless I can find a place to take her, my daughter won't have a place to hunt. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Soooo. If anyone knows of a place in Will Co., Illinois that I can take my daugther I be much obliged.
To give credit where credit is due: The biologist for the Joliet Army Training Area told me that if I would called him back in November he would have set aside a area for my daughter. He wants to work with kids and is more than willing to reserve areas for the youth deer hunt in October.(and next years Youth Turkey hunt). Anyone in Illinois looking for a place to take their kids for the Illinois Youth Firearm Deer Season and wants to hunt the JATA, send me an e-mail. If I let him know by say May-June how many kids want to hunt then he'll reserve space for us.
I figured she'd just hunt public land as there wouldn't be much pressure/competiton from other hunters and she could get some 'tips' from the park rangers.
Got her signed up for a Hunters Safety Education Course in early Feb (which she aced). I quickly sent in the form with Will and Kankakee counties as our areas of choice. (There were no special hunt areas listed, youth tags are by county only). My daughter drew a tag for Will county. Lots of public lands, close to the ol' homestead, and we could do some scouting a couple weekends before the season opened. I planned to spend a father-daughter weekend camping at Kankakee State Park and hunting wherever. I called Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Des Plaines River Fish and Wildlife Area, Kankakee River State Park, Momence Wetlands, and Joliet Army Training Center to figure out where I could take my daughter there for her first hunting trip.
Lo, and behold NO DNR or Federal Area (at least in northeastern IL) is participating in the Youth Turkey season !!!!
What does that mean, unless I can find a place to take her, my daughter won't have a place to hunt. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Soooo. If anyone knows of a place in Will Co., Illinois that I can take my daugther I be much obliged.
To give credit where credit is due: The biologist for the Joliet Army Training Area told me that if I would called him back in November he would have set aside a area for my daughter. He wants to work with kids and is more than willing to reserve areas for the youth deer hunt in October.(and next years Youth Turkey hunt). Anyone in Illinois looking for a place to take their kids for the Illinois Youth Firearm Deer Season and wants to hunt the JATA, send me an e-mail. If I let him know by say May-June how many kids want to hunt then he'll reserve space for us.
