Today
Attempts in the 20th century to reintroduce the greater prairie chicken to northeastern Iroquois County failed. State naturalists believe the wildlife area is too wet to be a good home for this species. The IDNR adaptively reused the failed prairie-chicken ground as a place to hunt whitetail deer, doves, pheasants, quail, rabbits, and squirrels. These game activities continue in their respective hunting seasons.
The Iroquois County State Wildlife Area is today a mosaic of sand dunes and wet prairie habitats. The juxtaposition of the sand and wetland has created a rolling savanna landscape of trees and grass, classified as an oak barren. The dominant oak tree is the black oak, often found on relatively infertile, sandy ground. The black-oak savanna is one of the largest native grassland remnants in Illinois. Prairie forbs include the blazing star and hairy puccoon.
Read more about this topic: Iroquois County State Wildlife Area
Famous quotes containing the word today:
“In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)