There’s good news for hunters who were lamenting the end of controlled pheasant hunting season in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says in a Monday statement the season is being extended through Jan. 28 at three sites.

The agency encourages hunters who want to participate to obtain permits online using the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Reservation System. The daily permit fee is $30 for resident hunters and $35 for nonresident hunters.

The sites where the extension applies are the Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County, the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in Cass County and the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area in Franklin and Jefferson Counties.

The natural resources statement Monday didn’t explain the reason behind the extension.