Occasionally a bear is seen in the wild bottom lands of the Mississippi River.
Of the smaller variety of animals, we have the squirrels and the rabbit. The squirrel is very hardy and well able to care for himself if given the opportunity. Where there is even a small amount of woodland these busy little fellows are to be found. Under a good system of protection they are likely to hold their present status.
Rabbits are numerous in all parts of the state, and while they are not regarded by law as a game animal, and are without legal protection, they nevertheless furnish good sport for the hunter and add materially to the food supply of the state. Because of his tendency to bark young orchards, he has been made an outlaw that any one may kill at any season of the year.
Of fur-bearing animals there are but few. In places, the muskrat is sufficiently numerous to attract the trapper. His fur has a real value, and for that reason this animal is well worth protecting. Mink are not numerous, but some are caught by trappers along our water courses.
The fox and the wolf are by no means plentiful throughout the state, but in those sections where there are large tracts of timber land many of these animals are to be found. The hunter regards them primarily as of value because of his love of the chase. In addition, the furs of these animals have a commercial value. The farmer looks upon the wolf and the fox as a pair of thieves that should be exterminated because of their fondness for young pigs and domestic fowls.
At the present high value of farming land, the farmer cannot afford to maintain much woodland and other places that are haunts of wild animals. It is therefore probable that we shall see a decrease in all these animals, except, possibly, the rabbit, and he is not likely to be as plentiful in the future as he is now.
A goodly number of prairie chicken are still to be found in the state, but no method of game conservation can bring it back in such numbers as formerly, because the character of the country has been changed by the white man's plow. Proper care and protection, however, may increase the number so that, in all parts of the state, an opportunity to kill a small number of these birds each year may be offered to the sportsmen.
At the present time there are not enough quails in the northern counties of the state to make quail shooting attractive. In the southern counties where there is more cover, good shooting is to be had, although not so good as ten years ago. With aid of game reservations it is hoped that in some sections the supply will be kept up. In the closely tilled country, quails will be scarcer.
There are but few wild turkeys left in Illinois. In the southern part of the state where there are large tracts of timber and swamp land, this bird is still to be found in fair numbers. As a table bird it outranks the . domestic turkey.
The Mississippi River and the Illinois River hold myriads of wild fowl in season. There is not, of course, the great number of ducks to be found on these waters that there were many years ago, but there is still a good supply, and this supply is likely to he kept up now that there is a disposition to do away with the late spring shooting.
Our best duck, of course, is the canvas back, which, though never numer ous, is sufficiently plentiful in sections of the state to afford good sport.
The mallard and teal, both splendid ducks, are to be found in fairly good numbers in all parts of the state.
The wood duck, which breeds regularly in the state, is one of our most beautiful ducks.
Brant and geese follow the same course to the North and South that our ducks take, but they are not disposed to remain in our waters very long while on their migrations. Both are exceedingly wary birds and keep away as much as possible from the shooting territory frequented by sports men.
It is an important duty of the commission to consider the welfare of our song and insectivorous birds. Nearly all of our non-game birds live wholly or in part upon insect life and noxious weeds. These birds, as well as the game birds, are being encouraged through game reservations where they can nest and rear their young undisturbed.