Out of State price $265 gets you Either-sex tag and antlerless tag, that is if you get drawn.

This year you could hunt December 4-7 (2nd gun season) and December 12-14 (muzzleloader only Season). You must choose the county you wish to hunt on the application.

Drawing is coming up on August 14th. I'll let you know if I get drawn.

Thanks for the info pal. Is hunting in ILLsomething that many prize from out of state hunters? Didn'tknow thedeerhunting there was so good.

Hunting in IL (my opinion) is great and heavily oriented toward archery season.Gun seasons are very limited and generally do not coincide with the rut, although some rutting activity could occur in the gun seasons.

I am from Georgia and hunt in Illinois because of the potential for a super buck. I go there and typically see more bucks (120 class or better) in 1 week than I would see in an entire season in GA. I haven't shot a buck in IL yet, but thats because I have been very picky so far. This is a vacation to me and not about the deer you bring home persay, but the overall experience of hunting in a truly amazing place. It is not uncommon to see 100 plus deer in a week long archery hunt and plenty of bucks. I have seen about 20 shooter bucks (140+) during my hunts there, but either could not get them in archery range or could not get the high percentage shot I wanted, so I have let them pass. The best one I have seen so far was a 180" that came within 60 yards, out of range in my view for a reasonable shot with a bow.

I highly recommend Illinois. It is an awesome hunting experience in my view and close enough for me to drive to.

You could always google IL DNR...

Got mine as well... I use an ML for all firearm seasons.

1. our gun season is during the rut for the most part. they always start the weekend before thanksgiving and the so it depends on when thanksgiving falls. thank goodness it's late this year. most of the died in the wool bowhunters are not fans of the gun seasons. they typicaly fall during prime rut bowing hunting. gun season brings out everybody and there third cusion for their weekend anventure. i would prefer to see the illinois gun season to be like Iowa and start in december after the rut.
2. sounds like you are hunting with an outfitter. Il is good deer hunting, but there is not a p&y behind every tree. that's a huge misconception. we have alot of public land and there is good deer taken of those places. most ofthe big deer are killed on priviate lands that are micro managed. i, as well as all my friends, each own and hunt our own land. we have good luck butthere's not big deer running all around like squirrels. i'm lucky to see 100 deer in a year and you say you seen that many in a week??? what part of the state you hunting?

I live inand have hunted IL for 15 years and have only killed one deer that went about 140". for the past 8 years i vowed to not shoot a buck unless i wanted to get it mounted. this prevents me from shooting any deer under 3years old. so what i'm getting at is in 8 year's i have killed 3 deer that i got mounted. the rest were does, about 3-4 a year. I hunt in southern IL, greene and washington counties private ground surrounded by more private ground and farm fields. i spend more time in the woods then the average deer hunter 3-4 days a week.

my point is IL is good, but it's not what some people make it out to be and outfitters tend to mislead people into thinking the whole state has big deer behind every tree.

Please allow me to clarify!

The rut generally does not fall on gun seasons. My meaning is simply most of the rutting is done, although you can get rutting activity in that first shotgun season and you could possibly get secondary run in the December hunts. You could also get a late rut and then all trends are off. But generally, the heaviest part of the rut is done.

I do not hunt with an outfitter. I hunt private land in3locations: West Central in Scott Co. and S. Illinois in Union and Johnson counties.

In W. Central (I have only been there once), I saw 5-6 does per day and 1-2 bucks. Most were not shooters, but I had a 150 class 8 pt at 4 yds. that would not stop for a shot and an 180 class mainframe 8 with alot of kickers that was at 60 yds. I don't see as many deer in W. Central, but they are goods ones usually.

In S. Illinois, I've seen plenty of shooters in the 140+ range. I said about 20 total in 2 yrs. You got to remember that it is very open where I hunt and though I might see alot of deer and alot of shooters, they are often out-of range with a bow. It is not uncommon to see 100 deer in S. Illinois as they are virtually everywhere, at least in Johnson Co.

I do understand what you mean though, it is not as easy asmost peoplethink to kill a 140" deer, even in Illinois. Of course, I've only hunted with a bow to this point and this year will be my first muzzleloader hunt. I don't expect it to be much easier though as I'm sure the deer get wise at the crack of the first shot.

Good hunting to you BTW, Greene Co. where you hunt is very near where I hunt in Scott Co.