Ducks to geese to deer: Hunting notes around Illinois

Fresh geese are arriving while at least some ducks are departing with the recent weather changes; and we await the harvest report on firearm deer season for these notes around Illinois hunting.

• I will post the firearm deer harvest numbers as soon as I get them right here. I am curious how the numbers will shake out. Up until the heavy snow on Sunday, the second firearm season seemed passable for weather at least.
• Speaking of weather, it looks like Illinois’ north zone for duck hunting will run through before ice-up or only lose a day or two. The season in the north ends a week from today on Dec. 13.
• Duane Snow, site superintendent at Heidecke Lake, agreed, “Dale, I do not anticipate ice-up this weekend. I think we will make it to the 13th OK.”
• I know geese are moving around, saw that last week out hunting (my column tomorrow is on that) and in the days since with birds migrating.
• Saturday was the best day at both Braidwood Lake (19 boats/39 hunters taking 39 ducks and one goose) and Heidecke (14 boats, 27 ducks).
• Muzzleloader season for deer is Friday through Sunday. I think some over-the-counter permits remain, but it is not easy to tell on the web site.