Illinois rumors...heard any?

Cougar Mag · 12-24-2003, 01:34 PM

I was talking to my local archery dealer today, says there will be some changes for next deer hunting season. This is what I can remember best, don't know if they are true, but he had good information sources.

Caps for non-resident hunters will be raised.
Extra firearms tags may be bought over the counter.
An extra firearms season, and bowhunting will not be allowed during that season.
During handgun season in January......all firearms will be allowed.

My take on it overall if these are true.........the state proves again that all they want is the money. And I seriously doubt if the money goes where its supposed to anyway.....especially with the new governor Illinois has.

bob d · 12-24-2003, 01:52 PM

heard they are thinking of making archery a call in check in for deer

LLBUX · 12-24-2003, 06:04 PM

I believe NR tags will be raised to 15,000 from the current 12,843.

I have heard discussions of an Earn-A-Buck program where you must shoot a doe before you can shoot a buck. New Jersey I believe has the program in place and it is working well. Something like that could be combined with NR tags to reduce doe surplus in many counties.

It might work in making a second buck tag available if they kill a doe first.

I would not be surprised to see a late doe season with any weapon. Just too many does out there!

I could see archery going to a phone in system, but not gun. I believe they need the data they gather as well as the heads for CWD testing.

Good huntin'!

LLBUX

Two Beards · 12-24-2003, 10:11 PM

Sounds similar to things over here - the state needs
less deer and more $$$. It seems like it gets worse
every year... You'd think this would be a great
time for deer hunters, but all we ever hear is problems,
problems, problems.

Sorry to but in on the post, some of the rumors I'm hearing
over here have got me a little fired up[:@]

.

Cougar Mag · 12-24-2003, 11:38 PM

I hope Illinois continues to have mandatory checkins for archery. I can see some bowhunters checking in a doe by phone just to get a buck permit, if they went to a phone-in-system.

Big Country · 12-25-2003, 06:43 AM

Quote:

I would not be surprised to see a late doe season with any weapon. Just too many does out there!

I know...I am a non-resident, and that makes me not real popular sometimes.

But I really feel that if the DNR is going to raise doe tags, or make extra doe seasons, it should be done BEFORE the rut.

It does not matter if you prefer QDM, or trophy management(which are actually pretty close to being the the same) you need to harvest the does before the bucks waste their time and energy to breed them. This also allows the dominent bucks to have more of a chance to breed the vaste majority of the does.

As to the NR archery tags.....I keep close tabs on this since I am non-resident, and an outfitter.

I agree with LLBUX, I think they will raise the number slightly. It may be more like 16-17 thousand, but it does not look like the tags will go back to over the counter sales.

I wish they would allow non-residents to shoot more than one doe. I know that most NR`s will not shoot a doe, but some of us do. And we would gladly shoot more.

Two Beards....are they talking about over the counter NR tags again?

Stephen Grace · 12-25-2003, 06:11 PM

I heard there might be different things coming also here in Illinois. I can't get anything but rumors and none confirmed so far.Cougar Man I'm no giant fan of the gov and I hate politics. But do we know where the money went with the last gov or do we find out at the trial?

Don K · 12-25-2003, 08:09 PM

Im sure the NR cap will go up some. After all the money that they are ripping off the NR's with is just going into the general fund anyway...............

wrongway · 12-25-2003, 08:58 PM

I don't gun hunt, but I have heard of residents not getting tags in the draws. I don't think that it is fair to deny residents to give (or sell) tags to the outfitters or non-residents. Just my opinion. I don't have a problem with non-residents or adding another gun season, but maybe they also need to lengthen bow season (maybe Sept.1 thru Jan.31) if the deer herd is to big.
Wasn't it just last year that they were going to stop allowing unlimited archery-antlerless tags, and limit it to 2?

titleist_03 · 12-25-2003, 10:47 PM

I think the earn-a-buck program would be great. Don't get me wrong I see quite a few bruisers from Oct till January but there are a ton of small deer killed. Especially in a timber that I hunt in. It's probably around 250 acres total. With about 20 people hunting it. Probably 3 quarters of them are bucks with only a couple being mature.