a website of the Illinois State Library

This is a list of all documents accepted for permanent retention under the subject classification 'Natural resources and the environment: Ecology: Types of environments: Prairies'.

Natural resources and the environment:
   Ecology:
     Types of environments:
       Prairies

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2000-2001 Illinois Hunter Harvest Report
A random sample of 3,000 hunters was selected from the 2000 Illinois Habitat Stamp stubs and license sales. The sample was evenly divided between each sample frame (1,500 from each frame). Of the sample of 3,000 hunters, 2,912 questionnaires were deliverable. We received 2,142 (74%) returned questionnaires. License sales declined 1.4% from 1999 (294,000) to the 2000 season (290,000). From 1999-2000 to 2000-2001, harvests increased for 7 game animal categories (rabbit, pheasant, dove, gray partridge, squirrel, red fox, and coyote), decreased for 4 game animal categories (quail, woodcock, raccoon, and opossum), and did not change for 1 category (gray fox). Activities of upland hunters were profiled, as were attitudes toward hunting and general information about hunters.

2000-2001 Illinois Trapper Report
A stratified random sample of 892 persons who purchased a 2000 resident Illinois trapping license was surveyed after the furbearer trapping season. The U.S. Postal Service was successful in reaching 857 of the licensees, 621 (72%) of whom returned usable questionnaires. Trapping license sales declined 9% from 1999 (2,345 licenses) to 2000 (2,126 licenses). Trappers had traps set for an average of 23.4 days during the 2000-2001 season, and they harvested an estimated 96,480 furbearers (down 18% from the 118,326 harvested in 1999-2000). Data are provided for temporal distribution of trapping activities, types of traps used, participation in trapper education programs, and fur hunting by trappers. The opinions of trappers as to changes in furbearer populations and trapping effort are also presented, as is a profile of personal characteristics of trappers.

2001-2002 Illinois Hunter Harvest Report
A random sample of 3,000 hunters was selected from the purchasers of 2001 Illinois Habitat Stamps and resident hunting licenses. The sample was evenly divided between each sample frame (habitat stamps and hunting license). Of the sample of 3,000 hunters, 2,902 questionnaires were deliverable. We received 1,906 (66%) questionnaires, 1,883 of which were usable. License sales increased 2.1% from 2000 (290,000) to the 2001 season (296,000). From 2000-2001 to 2001-2002, harvests increased for 4 game animal categories (woodcock, gray squirrel, raccoon, and coyote), decreased for 8 game animal categories (rabbit, quail, pheasant, dove, gray partridge, fox squirrel, red fox, and opossum), and did not change for 1 category (gray fox). Activities of hunters and types of land hunted were profiled, as were attitudes toward hunting programs and general information about hunters.

2001-2002 Illinois Trapper Report
A stratified random sample of 894 persons who purchased a 2001 resident Illinois trapping license was surveyed after the furbearer trapping season. The U.S. Postal Service successfully reached 858 of the licensees, 619 (72%) of whom returned usable questionnaires. Trapping license sales increased 25% from 2000 (2,126 licenses) to 2001 (2,668 licenses). Trappers had traps set for an average of 29.8 days during the 2001-2002 season, and they harvested an estimated 184,562 furbearers (up 91% from the 96,480 harvested in 2000-2001). Data are provided for temporal distribution of trapping activities, types of traps used, participation in trapper education programs, sources of furbearer and trapping information, and fur hunting by trappers. The opinions of trappers as to changes in furbearer populations are also presented, as is a profile of personal characteristics of trappers.

2002-03 Illinois Trapper Survey Report [HR-03-02]
A stratified random sample of 770 persons who purchased a 2002 resident Illinois trapping license was surveyed after the furbearer trapping season. The U.S. Postal Service successfully reached 741 of the licensees, 551 (74%) of whom returned usable questionnaires. Trapping license sales increased 15% from 2001 (2,668 licenses) to 2002 (3,073 licenses). Trappers had traps set for an average of 28.1 days during the 2002-2003 season, and they harvested an estimated 193,072 furbearers (up 5% from the 184,562 harvested in 2001-2002). Data are provided for temporal distribution of trapping activities.

2002-2003 Illinois Hunter Harvest Report
A random sample of 3,000 hunters was selected from the 2002 Illinois Habitat Stamp stubs and license sales. The sample was evenly divided between each sample frame (1,500 from each frame). Of the sample of 3,000 hunters, 2,907 questionnaires were deliverable. We received 1,852 (64%) returned questionnaires, 1,832 of which were usable. License sales decreased 2.4% from 2001 (296,000) to the 2002 season (289,000). From 2001-2002 seasons to 2002-2003 seasons, harvests for 3 game species increased (gray squirrel, red fox, and opossum), decreased for 8 species (rabbit, quail, pheasant, gray partridge, woodcock, fox squirrel, raccoon, and coyote), did not change for 1 species (dove), and could not be calculated for 1 category (gray fox). Use of the internet by hunters was profiled, as were attitudes toward wildlife and wildlife management, and general information about hunters.

CP-38: State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Restoring Grassland and Wetland Habitat in the Grand Prairie Natural Division
This brochure describes a targeted initiative for landowners aimed to bolster prairie and wetland wildlife such as pheasants, quail, waterfowl and songbirds. This initiative rolls out the new continuous Conservation Reserve Program practice called SAFE or CP38.

CP38: State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Restoring Grassland and Wetland Habitat in the Southern Till Plain Natural Division
This brochure describes a targeted initiative for landowners aimed to bolster prairie and wetland wildlife such as prairie-chickens, quail, waterfowl and songbirds. This initiative rolls out the new continuous Conservation Reserve Program practice called SAFE or CP38.

Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Associations of Franklins Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii Sabine 1822) (38 2007, 1 February)
Irregularly published technical series. Abstract: To better inform conservation and management strategies directed at Franklins ground squirrel, Spermophilus franklinii, I reviewed published and unpublished accounts of the squirrels distribution, abundance, and principally, habitat associations. I present the body of literature on S. franklinii and include portions of original accounts to avoid potential bias from paraphrasing. A consensus of the literature indicates that S. franklinii is most frequently associated with habitat characterized by a mixture of grassy and woody vegetation, referred to as savanna-like or parkland habitat. Moreover, S. franklinii has had an affinity for this type of habitat throughout its geographic range in recent, historic, and even prehistoric times. This is in contrast to a view of the species as primarily associated with tallgrass prairie habitat. As indicated in the literature, populations of S. franklinii are subject to marked fluctuations, which probably are influenced by local disturbances in addition to regular dispersal events. In the southern part of its geographic range, S. franklinii is currently limited in its occurrence principally to roadside and railroad right-of-ways. In these southern regions S. franklinii is justifiably of conservation concern. I suggest that more detailed surveys for the species (such as those that have recently occurred in Illinois and Missouri) take place in Iowa and Kansas.

Human Dimensions Research Program Fact Sheet: 2006-2007 Illinois Hunter Harvest Survey (2008, April 9, covering 2006-2007)
Highlights from the results of the 2006-2007 Illinois Hunter Harvest Survey

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