Jacksonville police investigate report of truck chasing geese at Lake Jacksonville

Jacksonville police are investigating a report that a man used a truck to chase geese at Lake Jacksonville before driving away, a complaint that has drawn attention because it unfolded in one of Morgan County’s most heavily used public recreation areas.

The lake sits about 3 miles south of Jacksonville and spans 500 acres, with city materials describing it as a place for boating, skiing, fishing, camping and other water activities. Jacksonville also promotes Lake Jacksonville as one of the city’s top angling destinations, alongside Mauvaisterre Lake, and says the water holds bass, bluegill and other sport fish. City information puts the lake’s average depth at 13 feet and its maximum depth at 36 feet.

That mix of uses is what makes the report stand out. A truck moving aggressively around geese at a public lake is not just an odd nuisance. It is the kind of conduct that can put walkers, boaters, anglers and families on alert in a space the city markets as a shared outdoor destination. Even without details on whether anyone was hurt or whether any birds were struck, the complaint lands in the middle of a broader question about how vehicles should be used around wildlife and other visitors.

Lake Jacksonville’s rules give the city broad authority to respond when conduct turns unsafe. The city says it can terminate camping privileges and ban people from the lake and its campgrounds for dangerous or unsafe conduct and repeated violations after verbal warnings and fines have been issued. The lake is also closely managed by season, with a 2025 notice setting fishing to open March 10, camping to open April 1 at 8 a.m. and camping to close Oct. 15 at 5 p.m.

The concern is sharpened by memory. In 2019, a man chasing a goose was struck by a pickup truck and died at the scene, and Illinois State Police crash reconstruction continued the investigation. That fatal case was different from the current complaint, but it showed how quickly wildlife encounters around vehicles can turn serious near Jacksonville’s roads and recreation sites.