My Trip back home: Observations and Silly Generalizations
11-20-2008, 07:36 PM
#31
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Corruption capital USA, N. Illinois
Posts: 1,150
RE: My Trip back home: Observations and Silly Generalizations
ORIGINAL: HNI_Christine
Yep, come hunt the public land by my house. I hunted there hard last year and had exactly two deer come within bow range. A doe and button buck. (I killed the doe)
There are more hunters than deer at this park. I did pass up a dink6 pointer during shotgun season there lastyearand the other hunters and the site manager looked at me like I had three heads. Passing up any deer is almost like shooting your gift horse.
Unfortunately, a lot of folks who live here can't afford to lease or go with an outfitter so sardining into the closest public land is the best option.
On the other hand, this year I'm hunting on 'public' land about an hour from here. You have to get drawn to hunt it and then put in 40 hours of volunteer workand thenshare the property with 65 other hunters, it's earn a buck too.. and yet, I've taken three antlerless deer and already passed up a couple of 120"+ bucks. Quite a difference.
ORIGINAL: Cougar Mag
duke is correct. There are some magical areas, but not all over. Even in my county where the deer kill is lower than many if not most, outfitters are taking over. Why in the world anybody would come somewhere to hunt and pay big dollars when most of the deer is in other areas?
It just depends upon what area of Illinois you are hunting in.
Just talked to one of the guys from S. Carolina who is bowhunting property I used to hunt[&o]. He's been to Iowa and Kansas and told me he has seen more deer this trip, the hunting in those areas was much better. He told me he doesn't see as many deer and as many people in those places, but sees bigger bucks.
Really.. it's NOT like that all over the state. It's really not. Not even close.
Why do you think I travel 5 hours south to hunt.
And even worse.. most out of staters don't realize how much land that area of the state has in outfitters.. and can't be hunted by the average joe. (most of it).
And Matt.. If you were hunting in Green co. or Jersey co. Ill. well then.. you are in a trophy area (despite what somebody told you).. just not in one of the counties with 10,000 outfitters running around.
I KNOW location matters.. but what out of staters don't realize is the greatest struggle for Illinois bowhunters is access. ALL private land dominates the state.. and outfitter land is second because of out of staters and their willing-ness to pay big money. And most of that land is ran by some joe-shmo outfitter.
And.. hunting an outfitter land is sometimes comparable to a forest preserve.. only with less a population and a 140" size restriction.. so of course you'lll see more older deer. Duh..
It's not like that in well over half of the state. Trust me. You can't even find deer through the cornbelt..
But I will agree.. that area that lays next to the Mississippi is magical. Unfortunately.. thanks to the outfitters and large private land owners..
Why do you think I travel 5 hours south to hunt.
And even worse.. most out of staters don't realize how much land that area of the state has in outfitters.. and can't be hunted by the average joe. (most of it).
And Matt.. If you were hunting in Green co. or Jersey co. Ill. well then.. you are in a trophy area (despite what somebody told you).. just not in one of the counties with 10,000 outfitters running around.
I KNOW location matters.. but what out of staters don't realize is the greatest struggle for Illinois bowhunters is access. ALL private land dominates the state.. and outfitter land is second because of out of staters and their willing-ness to pay big money. And most of that land is ran by some joe-shmo outfitter.
And.. hunting an outfitter land is sometimes comparable to a forest preserve.. only with less a population and a 140" size restriction.. so of course you'lll see more older deer. Duh..
It's not like that in well over half of the state. Trust me. You can't even find deer through the cornbelt..
But I will agree.. that area that lays next to the Mississippi is magical. Unfortunately.. thanks to the outfitters and large private land owners..
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
Really.. it's NOT like that all over the state. It's really not. Not even close.
Why do you think I travel 5 hours south to hunt.
And even worse.. most out of staters don't realize how much land that area of the state has in outfitters.. and can't be hunted by the average joe.[>:][:@] (most of it).
And Matt.. If you were hunting in Green co. or Jersey co. Ill. well then.. you are in a trophy area (despite what somebody told you).. just not in one of the counties with 10,000 outfitters running around.
I KNOW location matters.. but what out of staters don't realize is the greatest struggle for Illinois bowhunters is access. ALL private land dominates the state.. and outfitter land is second because of out of staters and their willing-ness to pay big money. And most of that land is ran by some joe-shmo outfitter.
And.. hunting an outfitter land is sometimes comparable to a forest preserve.. only with less a population and a 140" size restriction.. so of course you'lll see more older deer. Duh..
It's not like that in well over half of the state. Trust me. You can't even find deer through the cornbelt..
But I will agree.. that area that lays next to the Mississippi is magical. Unfortunately.. thanks to the outfitters and large private land owners..[&:]
Really.. it's NOT like that all over the state. It's really not. Not even close.
Why do you think I travel 5 hours south to hunt.
And even worse.. most out of staters don't realize how much land that area of the state has in outfitters.. and can't be hunted by the average joe.[>:][:@] (most of it).
And Matt.. If you were hunting in Green co. or Jersey co. Ill. well then.. you are in a trophy area (despite what somebody told you).. just not in one of the counties with 10,000 outfitters running around.
I KNOW location matters.. but what out of staters don't realize is the greatest struggle for Illinois bowhunters is access. ALL private land dominates the state.. and outfitter land is second because of out of staters and their willing-ness to pay big money. And most of that land is ran by some joe-shmo outfitter.
And.. hunting an outfitter land is sometimes comparable to a forest preserve.. only with less a population and a 140" size restriction.. so of course you'lll see more older deer. Duh..
It's not like that in well over half of the state. Trust me. You can't even find deer through the cornbelt..
But I will agree.. that area that lays next to the Mississippi is magical. Unfortunately.. thanks to the outfitters and large private land owners..[&:]
It just depends upon what area of Illinois you are hunting in. Just talked to one of the guys from S. Carolina who is bowhunting property I used to hunt[&o]. He's been to Iowa and Kansas and told me he has seen more deer this trip, the hunting in those areas was much better. He told me he doesn't see as many deer and as many people in those places, but sees bigger bucks.
There are more hunters than deer at this park. I did pass up a dink6 pointer during shotgun season there lastyearand the other hunters and the site manager looked at me like I had three heads. Passing up any deer is almost like shooting your gift horse.
Unfortunately, a lot of folks who live here can't afford to lease or go with an outfitter so sardining into the closest public land is the best option.
On the other hand, this year I'm hunting on 'public' land about an hour from here. You have to get drawn to hunt it and then put in 40 hours of volunteer workand thenshare the property with 65 other hunters, it's earn a buck too.. and yet, I've taken three antlerless deer and already passed up a couple of 120"+ bucks. Quite a difference.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
marvelafrica
Hunts/Outfitters
0
08-20-2008 03:55 PM
