Belle Island, I have never hunted the Shawnee National Forest, but hear it is fantastic!

Jimmymac, you must have had some bad luck meeting the people you did in Illinois. I have hunted in Pike Co. for 5 years now, and I can honestly say that I have met hundreds of locals while there. I have many new friends for life, and have encountered one person with an attitude towards non-residents in that whole time! The people I meet while in Illinois are as friendly as you will find anywhere. Every vehicle that passes you will wave, every time! I am ashamed to say that when I get home after spending 3 weeks hunting in Pike Co. every year, I will wave to people on the rural roads around home and about half the time people look at me like I`m nuts!

IL-Cornfed hit on a very good point! There are hard feelings, and understandably so, about non-residents like myself coming in and paying a farmer to hunt his ground. The farm my friends and I hunt every year used to be bowhunted by one man. Then, 5 years ago, the farmer decided to try to get some money out of this hunting thing. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I only get the land for bow season, it is gun hunted by the farmers friends every year. I am truly lucky, because I cannot/will not get into a bidding war over the ground. I have paid the same amount for 5 years, while outfitters have offered much more than I pay. So far, the friendship and trust my landowner has in me and my hunting buddies has kept us there.
And while I am sure it happens, since I have been hunting this farm, NOT ONE resident has tried to lease this ground for personal use, only outfitters.

NRA,UBP,BASS Member
New Stanton,PA