Ag Minute: Feathers, Hooves, and the Holidays
- Sangamon County News
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Around Illinois, friends and families gather around dining room tables to share traditional holiday meals. Turkey, ham, and tenderloin are cooked to perfection as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus and many look ahead to the start of a new year. But for some families, the holiday spread looks a little different—one shaped by autumn mornings in the woods and long walks through grassy fields. Venison summer sausage, duck poppers, and pheasant nuggets find their way onto Christmas Eve appetizer plates, fresh from the field and shared with pride. And the table isn’t the only place families come together this time of year. Some gather in duck blinds for one last sit of the season, while others head to the grasslands for a final walk behind a good dog. With time away from work and school, the holidays offer a rare chance to hunt with friends and family—and hopefully bring home not just a meal, but a story worth telling around the table.
Deer hunting sits at the heart of many Illinois fall traditions, and the meat from those hunts often carries into the holiday season. While deer season remains open through late January, most harvest takes place earlier, from late October through November, with many hunters wrapping up their final sits around Thanksgiving. Most do this to give the deer a break during the harsh winter months, but also to spare themselves from the cold sits of December and January. Illinois’ first firearm season, typically held the weekend before Thanksgiving, is the most productive of the year, and in 2025 hunters harvested 81,225 deer across all three firearm seasons, with more than 51,000 taken during that first season alone. Because processors are often backlogged during peak harvest, venison doesn’t always make it to the table right away—making December gatherings the perfect time to serve summer sausage with cheese and crackers, amongst other traditional venison dishes.
Duck hunting is another holiday-season tradition for many Illinois families, with cold weather often creating the best opportunities late in the year. Unlike some states, Illinois’ duck season does not include a split, allowing hunters to share the blind together from late October right up to Christmas, while those in the South and South Central zones can hunt through the holiday and into the New Year. After a successful morning on the water, ducks can also become a memorable part of the holiday menu. Seared duck breast, paired with a simple holiday sauce, is an approachable way to introduce new game eaters to waterfowl. One of my own favorite sauces includes equal parts currant jelly, ketchup, and red wine gently warmed into a rich glaze. Thinly sliced and served on a toothpick, duck breast is the kind of dish that keeps guests listening to waterfowl stories long after the plates are cleared and talking about the cook’s skills just as much as the hunt itself.
Few holiday traditions capture the spirit of late-season hunting quite like walking grasslands with a good dog and a group of close friends. The ring-necked pheasant, originally imported from Europe and Asia, has become a fixture across the Midwest and earned nicknames like “ditch chicken” and “stubble duck” for its ability to disappear into thick cover. In Illinois, pheasants are most common in the central and northern parts of the state, but they remain tied to specific habitat that includes dense grass, water, and nearby food sources. While harvested corn and soybeans provide plenty to eat, quality cover is harder to find in a landscape dominated by row crops and timber. Where pheasants do exist, the experience can be rewarding, with a daily limit of two roosters and seasons that run into early and mid January. In the kitchen, pheasants are versatile and often compared to wild chicken, though fried nuggets remain a favorite. Drizzled with honey and shared fresh from the field, pheasant can become one of the most memorable meals of the fall and winter seasons.
I wouldn’t argue that one meal or game dish is the best of the winter months by any means; I feel that venison, duck, and pheasants can all serve their place at the table around the holidays. Beyond the meals themselves, these traditions reflect the value of time spent afield with friends and family, sharing experiences and skills that are passed from one generation to the next. We’re almost through this holiday season, but what Illinois game dish will you serve and share during the holidays in 2026?
For more information on the 2025 Illinois firearm season results, follow the link below;
For more information on hunting information and regulations in Illinois, follow the link below;