It's becoming an epidemic in Illinois,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I'm talking about leasing! I think the outfitters days are numbered! Farmers are becoming aware that outfitters are making all the money and farmers are given a minute amount. That's why more and more farmers are leasing land to hunters (as groups &/or individuals). They are clearly making more by leasing the property themselves.. But once a farmer recieves $ for the use of his/her property, then they are also assuming liability for that persons safety and no longer protected by state law! I see Illinois quickly becoming alot like England(pheasant hunting), that only the wealthy will be able to enjoy deer hunting.

I had hunted in Pike county from 86' to 98', and in that time period, i know of a great deal of families who no longer speak to one another due to the "leasing epidemic". My familiy and friends had been hunting on this farm since 1980.Our supposed friend had arun down old farm house on his property that he said we could turn into a deer camp... Sowe took it upon ourselves to rebuild the old farm house, which before we came, had a family of coons living in it and the roof collapsing in. A group of us, all tradesman (carpenters, electricians andpipefitters), pitched in money and rehabed the whole house, donated furniture and so on....... We all pitched in $250 each x 13 of us, to have it resided. On top of that, we each payed our friend $350 per person for the use of electric, gas and taxes. We would also come down and help on the farm, with bailing hay and stacking it in the barn. To say the least, we thought we were really close, like a family...........

Then around 1996, we started noticing stuff missing, little stuff, like tooth paste, soap, toilet paper and so on... So we payed no mind to it, we thought our friend might have had some friends over for poker parties or something of that nature. Boy were we in for a surprise! There were only 3 of us that bow-hunted the property, maybe 1 or 2 weekends before gun season. My best friend had property on the other side of the state and he had wanted me to bow-hunt with him and also asked me to start gun hunting with him. Year after year I had told him I couldn't gun hunt with him because of this camp we had built. But in the past years I had been noticing a great deal of non-resident hunters in the area, and I had not been seeing the calibur of deer, that I used to see (#'s, and quality). Well the following year, more and more stuff came up missing (pillows, blankets and so on.)and we had to start giving him weekends we were coming down, 8 months in advance..... which was weird to us! The next season had come and gone and with the popularityof PIKE County at an all-time high, farms we used to be able to hunt, we were no longer welcome due to leases. Well, one weekend that i was supposed to bow-hunt I couldn't due to a funeral, soI had called my friend and told him I would be coming the next weekend, he had told me I couldn't, I thought he might have had family staying at the camp, so I in turn told him I will just stay at a hotel in town and he then said, I can't hunt on his proeprty that weekend.I asked him why? He said he had hunters coming from Pennsylvania coming.................... I was blown' away, I didn't know what to say.. I contacted the other guys from camp and they couldn't believe it! So, we always had an understanding that no-one could bow hunt a week before gun season, so the woods could settle a little bit. So I called our so-called friend to let him know that I was going to come down 3 days before gun season to due some off the road and porch scouting, being the camp was on the highest point in the area. He said its a bad idea, I said I'm just coming down to get a little R&R in...... he said, not to, because he was busy.... I told him I didn't expect him to baby sit me, and thats when he told me, that he has a group of guys from Chicago hunting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and that's when I said, this would be my last gun season in Pittsfield, Pike County and he would have extra room next year, because he would never see me again, after this gun season. I went down during gun season to retrieve old photo's and personal belongings and have never set foot in Pittsfield again!

I miss that place because of all the fond memories........... But my story is only 1 of probably a 100 in Pittsfield alone......!