RE: Help-hunting southern Illinois this year.
Deer movement that weekend will be determined by the weather and hunting pressure. Most of the time, opening shotgun season is by no means late or post rut, bucks will still be out. Are you hunting alone, in a small group, or large group? What is the size of the area you are hunting? that will determine your strategy. Shotgun down there is a lot different than bow. It'll be tough for you to take all of the scent precautions, wind direction, etc, just to have the locals running deer and slinging lead by 9:00. Take into consideration those factors and develop a strategy. If there will be several guys there, hike back into the thick stuff and wait for the deer to look for shelter.
the weather could be anywhere from 80 (last year) to 30-40. be prepared for sudden temp changes.
Like i said, shotgun season is a lot different than bow season, don't let anything surprise you, and sometimes a wacky strategy pays off. i've seen deer killed when we were eating lunch, after the neighbors ran deer our way. you just never know.
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