Southern Illinois Public Hunting Land?

[Todd1700]

Anyone familiar with any public land open to bow hunting in Southern Illinois? Has anyone ever hunted at Red Hills State park?

[dmax2002]

Yes to the first question. What would you like to know?

[Todd1700]

Where have you hunted? How Crowded? Quality of deer seen?Ever hunted any Illinois state parks?

[Lanse couche couche]

I grew up about 7 miles from Red Hill. I have never hunted it, so cannot give details on it, but I can tell you that the general vicinity is crawling with deer.
It is far from any large population center and is surrounded by private land where it is still relatively easy to get permission to hunt. So, i would ASSUME that the park would not be too crowded with hunters, but I could easily be wrong.

[dmax2002]

Todd,
Shoot me your email and I will get back to you on my 2006 hunt and how I planned it.

[Todd1700]

I grew up about 7 miles from Red Hill. I have never hunted it, so cannot give details on it, but I can tell you that the general vicinity is crawling with deer.
It is far from any large population center and is surrounded by private land where it is still relatively easy to get permission to hunt. So, i would ASSUME that the park would not be too crowded with hunters, but I could easily be wrong.

Yeah thats what I'm hoping. I bowhunted 3 years in a row near Olney and Newton with a buddy who grew up in that area and knew a few farmers that would let him hunt their land. Unfortunately my buddy was killed in a car accident last year. On our trips we drove past this park several times while we were up there and that's why I mention it. I also think there is a park called Sam Parr in Newton. I know that west central Illinois gets all the hype for big bucks but man we saw great bucks every year in this area.

[Lanse couche couche]

Yeah, there are some big bucks in the Embarras River bottoms, and everywhere else too. This past year one was takenoutside of Claremont (about 6 miles fromRed Hill) that was supposed to be close to making it to Boone and Crockett or something like that.

[ChicagoTRS]

Shawnee national forest...

[ihuntbuck]

there is a magazine called outdoor illinois you can get from the dnr it spotlights a different public acces area every month the last two have both been in southern illinois i highly recommend reading this magazine for both residents and nonresidents

[spudrow]

Hey Kyle, I get it every chance I get. It is a great publication.


Spudrow from Mo