Sportsman's Letter Magazine

03/07/2024

Four tagged fish were reeled in the first days of the Kankakee River Fishing Derby, including a small mouth bass caught by Rex Mullady. The small mouth was actually sponsored

22/06/2023

IDNR is hosting a career exploration day for middle school and high schoolers who would like to learn more about careers in the outdoors.
Bring your youth out to the historic Kankakee River State Park Sunday afternoon and evening, July 30th to learn basics on archery, firearm safety, fishing, wildlife, forestry, habitat, invasive species and more! Snacks and light dinner will be provided at no cost. Participants will gain a wealth of information on outdoor careers and volunteer opportunities.
https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.kankakeeriver.html

Contact your local CPO, report an incident, or contact a CPO recruiter on the IDNR website links below. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram

https://dnr2.illinois.gov/OLETIPHotline/?fbclid=IwAR2sMTTH6MFaPzXA8qOw-iw1gbyPdqQqgaGuFktCuKlrTwCsgww011gpalY

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/LawEnforcement/Documents/DistrictCPOPhonesAndEmails.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2mj8B5E1tx6QG87wFoFB_wl8mgL4K-OEOfiQpO01xeZz7gyDNy5vDlfMY

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/LawEnforcement/Pages/CPOCareerOportunitiesFeedbackForm.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2QKzIoEwSVOmb7zaklkYndiy5kLf3KmbqGvHB-r_cEd9MHb7bCD1xf_dQ

14/05/2023

The confluence of the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers

02/03/2023

Attention anglers! Fishing licenses for 2023 go on sale today, March 1. Any licenses purchased prior to today are for the current season that expires March 31.

For a list of licenses types, fees, and details on how to purchase, visit https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/lpr/pages/fishinglicensesfees.aspx

We look forward to seeing you on the water this year.

21/02/2023

09/09/2022

In a previous psting I talked about the apparent lack of action to avert the draining of the Kankakee Marsh in 1918. In this column I will discuss restoration efforts proposed after the Kankakee was ditched. When you look at a map you will find the Kankakee River roughly in the center of the previous marshland. In fact the Kankakee River disappeared and is replaced by the names of the ditches that drained the marsh. Here in Porter County the Kankakee is actually the Marble-Powers Ditch.

In the Congressional Report I referred to in my last column, and other material, it seems to me that most of the vocal supporters of the draining of the marsh were landowners and farmers. I found that even the former owner of my property, W P Betterton, sent in a letter of endorsement for the draining of the marsh. Land speculators were also very supportive of the draining, but stayed under the radar and were not publicly supportive. I think the average farmer saw that the marsh was extremely rich and if the flooding could be controlled— the ground would produce high yields of crops. To a farmer that is like manna from heaven! What was not taken into consideration is that the rich muck top soil is only present because of the marsh system of flooding and compost creating organic matter. This process is very much like what occurs in the Egyptian Nile Valley. The annual flooding and silt replenishment is what created the bountiful harvest that was essential for the rise of the Egyptian Empire. The ancients knew that without the flood, famine would soon follow.

Although making the Kankakee River navigational was the initial reason for channelizing the river, I don't believe it was seriously considered later. After railroads were built in northwest Indiana around the time of the Civil War, I don't see that a canal was the foundation for a reliable transportation system in this area. That being said I do find that in 1894 there was a plan afoot to dig a canal from Baum's Bridge to Lake Michigan.

That brings me to the question: when did people begin to realize how damaging the draining of the marsh occur and then began thinking of plans to mitigate the problem?

The first newspaper article I find that initiates a proposal to restore the Kankakee River is in the July 7, 1921 issue of the Westville Indicator. The story begins with "Farmers of Pleasant and Boone townships, Porter County, started a movement for the restoration of the Kankakee River to its old location." Baum's Bridge is in Pleasant Township and Hebron is in Boone Township. It goes on to say: "The muck land which was thought to be invaluable for growing crops is underlined with sand. The taking away of the waters has practically converted the river area into a desert and the land that was drained is practically worthless." Another reason for the loss of the rich topsoil is that much of the plant life had shallow root systems and died off after the marsh was drained. What I find shocking is that this article is written only three years after the draining of the Kankakee marsh!

08/06/2022

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is hosting a Youth Day Camp on Wednesday June 22, 2022 from 12-4pm at the Kankakee River State Park. It is open to all high school aged kids at no cost (Pre-Freshmen - Outgoing Seniors).

The camp will allow attendees an opportunity to learn about Natural Resource Careers, Archery & Fishing Basics, IDNR Wildland Fire Equipment, Airboat & Nature Center Tour and to Build Bird Houses for the park. If you're interested, call or email Sgt. Wollgast (815-600-1474; [email protected]).

22/10/2021

Major Samuel L. McFadin was a prolific writer of the Kankakee River. Much of the source material I have comes from his pen. One piece he wrote in 1883 was titled "The Duck Hunters." It is a short guide for hunting the Kankakee Marsh. He starts out: "To many the Kankakee is a place about which they have read of frequently and know as much as they do of the interior of China."

McFadin emphases the need for a Pusher. McFadin wrote: "This specimen of the human race considers himself just one grade higher than the trapper...The usual price for a Pusher is $1.50 per day, and he earns every cent of it... he is usually on the marsh at daylight and is not home until after dark. He is compelled to propel his boat all day long and at night clean-the guns for his employer." A Pusher is hunting guide and his boat is designed to maneuver the Kankakee Marsh. McFadin describes the boat as 14 feet long and not over 22 inches wide and used a single long paddle. "Like the gondolier of Venice, he scorns the use of a pair of oars."

One very real danger of hunting the Kankakee marsh is getting lost. For those foolish novices this was a real threat. McFadin told the story of a stranger to the marsh who pushed his boat out of the marsh just as the sun was setting. He came upon a old time Kankakee Marsh hunter who asked him "Why are you leaving so early...the best shooting is between now and dark?" The stranger replied "Old man, do you take me for a fool? I don't know this marsh, and you bet your sweet life I just get right out onto the river before it gets dark." The old timer replied: "If I didn't know every inch of it by heart, I wouldn't stay in here a minute. The man who stays in the marsh over night in this weather is a dead man."

Even the experienced McFadin told the story of himself getting lost. It was a cold November day in 1881. After wandering the marsh cold and wet he heard a distant shot. He fired off 8 rounds in hopes to be found. A trapper named Sherwood came along and took him back to his camp.

Another incident McFadin wrote about was the discovery a of a "body of a man. He was stuck in the mud up to his waist, and was lying face downward across his gun... He had $260 in his pockets, and nine mallard ducks were near him on a muskrat-house... He was evidently lost and had walked until he was exhausted."

To look at the Kankakee River today it is hard to picture what it looked like before the marsh was drained. McFadin describes it best. "Imagine thousands of acres of marsh, composed of open water, grass, and muskrat-lodges. Each foot of the marsh is as like the next foot as two peas. Wo betide the man who lingers in that marsh till after dark, unless he knows it as he does the rooms of his house."

Many may wonder why the heck anyone would want to take up a sport that puts you in such potential danger? You will find the answer on a crisp autumn morning in the woods. I find nothing to compare to being in the forest at daybreak and experience the woods come alive.

21/07/2021

https://www.daily-journal.com/obituaries/edwin-ed-mullady/article_88b3c81c-e570-11eb-8b9b-07562a5a588e.html?fbclid=IwAR10qXLwBqMgLdKUWAfuRPkDAVZYUog9iiHrRBaIP15JEf3C703Wg7GULhg

KANKAKEE — Edwin “Ed” James Mullady, 94, of Kankakee, passed away Dec. 13, 2020.

18/06/2021

16/06/2021

The Kankakee Valley Park District dedicated the Mullady Launch in honor of Ed Mullady at Bird Park.

15/06/2021

The 2021 Illinois Free Fishing Days celebration will take place June 18 – 21, once again coinciding with Father's Day weekend. During this four-day celebration of fishing in Illinois, anglers can fish (on waters open to the public for fishing) without purchasing a fishing license, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp.
Learn more visit https://www.ifishillinois.org/