I can' t speak from experience, but my Dad, who is a seasoned veteran with over 30yrs of bowhunting experience, goes to Illinois ever year, and he swears the deer are easier to kill there than here in Mississippi. He said once you have them in range, you' ve got them. They don' t seem to be as cagey there as here in the south. And yes, I agree with MA Jay. It is a proven fact that deer that are under heavy hunting pressure are harder to kill. With seasons in Mississippi going from October 1 - January 31, it makes sense to me that deer in the heavier hunted states are harder to kill.