217 Today: Deer hunting ‘a cycle of life.’ But fewer people are hunting in Illinois

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Mike Foulk uses a single shot AR-15 when deer hunting. He said it does not have a lot of recoil, which makes it a good weapon to teach people on. “A weapon’s not a living thing. You’re the living thing. It’s just an extension of you, just like a hammer or a screwdriver. It’s something you use. You can do it for good or you can do it for bad. It all comes down to the person.”
  • Photo: Rich Egger / TSPR

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Three film production studios received a total of $10 million in funding through the Illinois Soundstage Program.
  • The state pension for the now-convicted aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is being suspended.
  • Every year, the Champaign-based Education Justice Project distributes thousands of re-entry guides to people in Illinois prisons. This year’s guide includes a new chapter on the unique challenges LGBTQ+ people face.
  • DNA testing can be expensive. One Illinois lawmaker wants to make it more accessible to Black residents who want to learn about their ancestral roots.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about deer hunting — and how it is not as popular as it once was.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Dave McKinney, Farrah Anderson, Anulika Ochuba and Rich Egger.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.