HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Archery harvest in Illinois down significantly!
Old 10-23-2013, 10:39 PM
  #27  
Zim
Nontypical Buck
 
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: LaPorte, IN
Posts: 1,111
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There are many methods to manage for mature bucks, but keeping guns out of the rut is absolutely the number one ingredient. This has been proven over time. Antler point restrictions & OBR are marginally effective but the only alternative for states that gave the rut to gun hunters years ago. The sense of entitlement developed by the much larger gun hunter special interest group makes it impossible for those states to fix their problem now.

The lower 1/3rd of Iowa, plus far eastern along the river has the cover and terrain to allow bucks to live the longest. The difference in quality to the rest of the state is significant. Some of those areas have leftover NR tags, but for zones 5 & 9 the wait is 3/4 years annually. Illinois & Indiana public is hot garbage by comparison. I work in all three of these states and get to scout the majority of all their public lands, in addition to hunting all three extensively. The sample size I get to see is huge.
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