I am from Florida and have the opportunity to hunt this thansk giving for the week and wanted to get any advise I could regarding hunting in Illinois, things I should look for or things I should do to ensurea succeful hunt. I will be hunting virden just outside of Springfield.

Stay in FLA, all the big bucks are down there!

Actually, that is the weekend between gun seasons, so the deer may be a little shell-shocked. Any security cover will be a good bet.

Yep, try and find a thicket or some sort of bedding area close to a feeding area....which will most likly be a corn or bean field, and hunt on the edge of it, don't go into the bedding area itself ifyou don't have to.

You better bring something warm to wear, and have a good pair of warm boots or you'll be donefor in a short amount of time andleave the sun screen at home. Good Luck

lol (leave the sunscreen).......... thanks for the info I have plenty of warm gear since I travel to a few areas a year to hunt like kentucky , North Georgia & North carolina.. I know it is alot colder up there but I should have plenty of warm gear. My wifes family lives up there so it should be a great time i am going to hunt with her cousin on Private land. Me personally I dont have to have a huge buck to make my trip a succesfull one and just looking for the opportunity to get into the woods and hunt an area in the country that is known for big bucks. For me a good size Doe is fine , since the back straps taste the same to me (lol). not too mention saturday after thanksgiving I will Fly to North Georgia where I took a good size 10 point last year. but am looking foward to the trip.

Is the area your hunting get pressured during the shotgun season?

not sure as of yet I havent spoke to my wifes cousin about the area. I do know it will be in the virden, litchfield area.

Shell shock really does dampen things. I dont know how picky you are but you might be in for slim pickens. Deer shut down alot after first shotgun season

I hunt Macoupin County near Palmyra and have to agree about how the deer are after first gun season. BUT.....That doesn't mean you wont see anything. I would be curious to know if the land will be gun hunted. If not and the surrounding land is then they might be hiding out there.
It'll be tough but a bad day in the timber is still better than a good day at home.

from my understandingnobody hunts the area but once a year as far as the surrounding areas I cannot answer that.
I will say this being from Florida and having to hunt so of the thickest brush known to man I dont have a problem working my way into the woods as far as it takes to geta better shot. that just means I bring a gallon of code blue standing doe estrous.