Waterfowl
Hunting
The floodplain lakes dotting the Illinois River are an acclaimed waterfowl hunter’s paradise. It is not uncommon for a hunter to bag 100 ducks per day in the spring. The problems facing these hunters include carrying enough shells into the lakes and marshes in the morning and then carrying the bags of ducks to town in the evening. These hunters make a good living, with large ducks selling for fifteen cents each and small ones for ten cents (USFWS 1963).
Duck baiting - the placement of food in a location designed to attract ducks so they can be easily shot - is a common practice throughout the country in the late 1800s. In the Illinois River valley, baiting is not common until 1900 because there is a plentiful food supply. Once the diversion of Lake Michigan into the Illinois River occurs, pollution enters the river, and water levels increase. This results in a drastic reduction in aquatic plants and therefore ducks.
Hunters resort to duck baiting, not in the lakes and marshes, but in the surrounding upland areas. Hunt clubs consist of an artificial pond, a pen of live decoys, and corn planted to attract migrating ducks. This is very successful. In 1928, over 7,000 bushels of corn are used to bait one 20-acre tract. One duck club alone killed 4,000 ducks on 40 acres in a single season. It is reported that as many as 250 field pens exist in Mason County, and the Park Hotel in Beardstown advertises its a cooler that can hold 5,000 ducks and still has to turn away hunters because the cooler is full. Federal regulations in 1935 put an end to baiting practices (USFWS 1963).
The abundance of waterfowl in the Illinois River valley inspires the establishment of private duck hunting clubs within the lakes and marshes as well, which is unique to North America. Private hunt clubs proliferate throughout the valley. This proliferation allows hunters to come from across the country by rail, steamer, or cabin boat. These clubs contribute to sport hunting but also to resource management. Private clubs are the first to establish “rest areas” to hold ducks to improve the success of hunters. Almost all of the hunt clubs in 1938 have refuges for the management of duck populations. Hunt clubs also establish bag limits, stop spring hunting, and ban automatic shotguns, all to minimize over-hunting (Havera 2002).
Figure 75: Duck Calls (Illinois State Museum)
The abundance of waterfowl also inspires the world’s finest decoy carvers and duck call makers (Figure 75). Between 1870 and 1940, the art of carving and painting lifelike wooden images of ducks (Figures 76 and 77) reaches its height in the Illinois River valley. Also, between Beardstown and La Salle, there are probably more call makers than in any other place in the United States.
