They are not behind every tree
 

I have to take a second to vent, so please hang with me. I had an out-of-state hunter (NJ) come and hunt here in Illinois with me. He bow hunted the 18th-20th and then gun hunted the 21st & 22nd.

Of course he could not make the drive here to Illinois to scout any property (hunting private land), so I had provided him with some maps (aerial & topo) and also provided him with my thoughts on each piece, as to where would be good stand locations. We discussed several pieces and together decided on a small tract of land with good timber off the property, a 2 acre thicket and a thick creek bed on the property, all surrounded by cut corn. In the off-season I had found two very nice sheds on this piece, one was half of a 10 that taped out at almost 75" and the other was half of a very thick 6 that taped out just over 60". I really liked this piece of property a lot and really wanted to hunt it, but never got the chance, since I almost always hunt with my two boys and this piece is not big enough for three hunters.

My NJ hunter called me on Tuesday the 18th, all pissed off. He had sat in the stand all day for two days and had seen two does and one spike. He was talking to me like I had purposely set him up in an area where he would not kill deer. Mind you, I am not outfitting this guy, he is a member of a hunt club I belong to, I was doing nothing more than trying to help him out since he could not walk the ground himself. We had pretty much the same conversation on the phone again on the 19th. The night of the 20th, I arrived at the apartment I had rented for us all to stay in and this guy was fit to be tied. Four all day sits, he had seen 11 bucks, nothing over a 2.5yo and some does, less than 30 deer all together. I simply explained to him that this was hunting, that there have been days when I did not even see a deer on stand, more less killed a tank. I mean this guy was expecting to come to Illinois, sit in the stand for a week and kill a 150"+ animal.

I have to ask the question. Is this really what people think the hunting is like in Illinois? We don't have 150" deer behind every tree and we sure the hell don't have them tied up just waiting to be shot. I don’t care where you hunt, you HAVE to hunt to kill a 3.5yo or 4.5yo old deer. Sure, there are managed farms that have more 3.5yo deer that other farms, but you still have to hunt. Sure, there are those people that go sit just a hand full of days and kill a tank, but they are the exception, not the rule.

I would like to know what the expectations would be from other east coast hunters if they came to Illinois. This guy truly thought that in 6 days of hunting a150"+ buck would be a sure thing.

Sorry for the long post and vent, but it just amazed me.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

30 deer in 4 days? 11 of them bucks! You do have deer behind every tree! I might not see that many deer in an entire season. Tell the guy to do it ALL on his own next time. Whats that saying...No good deed goes unpunished?

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I've hunted 74 sits here.....and seen "maybe" 15-20 different bucks. Maybe 15-20.

I like the odds there, better.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Well first off he shouldn't have taken his bad luck out on you. But I do believe there is a miconception here in the east that 150's are everywhere in ILL. thatnks to all of the publicity that y'all get form the pros.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Jim, some guys don't realize that if big bucks were everywhere even the residents would all kill one and very very few do. Most never do in their entire life. Nope, some people read or hear of a few nice bucks being taken each year and expect they will do the same.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I have hunted fairly hard this year and have seen one buck and a total of 9 deer. I am hoping to go to the midwest to hunt and my expectation is to see alot of deer (compared to what i see here) after that expectations and reality arethat as you stated, "it is hunting."

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I hear ya kickin. There is absolutely a perception that is so much easier, almost guaranteed, in IL. I absolutely do not disagree that there are more big bucks here, but you still have to hunt to kill them. This guy sounds like he needs to do some more high fence hunting if he is looking for a sure thing.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I come to Illinois every year because I KNOW realistically that thereIS that type of deer SOMEWHERE on the properties I hunt, and it IS realistic that I might just see one or have a legit opportunity to shoot at one.
Coming from PA.........brother that'senough for me.;)

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I'd say he had a good 4 day hunt. That's a lot of deer to see.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

From a GA hunter who hunts in Illinois every year, I have eaten my dose of tag soup, but I ate it with a smile on my face. Shooting amature one in Illinois is just as difficult as anywhere else, if not more so. The reason I keep returning to Illinois is because of the potential for a big buck, not a guarantee.Anyone who does not understand the difficulty of shooting a mature buck anywhere (including Illinois) needs a wakeup call.

Headed to Illinois next week for a muzzleloader hunt, my first non-archery hunt ever there. I'll cross my fingers and hope for the big one. We will see!

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Kickin: I still have my IL NR archery tag. Set me up like that and I'll come over and be grateful for the help even if I never see a deer! LOL...

I hunted southern IL tues-wed-thurs before gun season and saw two deer. One little buck while setting up my stand, and a decent 130 8pt that came trotting in minutes after getting in the stand that first day. That's it. It happens, even on ground I have hunted for 15 years straight. I felt fortunate to have seen that 130.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I've lived here all my life and I don't see the number or quality of monsters that most out of staters expect. I've seen 2 this year that would go P&Y, I missed one with the bow on November 1st and killed one on November 8th. I haven't even SEEN a decent buck since then.[&:]

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

You have to do your homework to kill a 150 class deer unless you just happen to get lucky which is a 1 in 1000 or higher odds one just walks by.I would say he had a great 4 days seeing 30 deer. I have seen 31 total for the season and I have hunted hard. I would not be complaining at all if a friend located a spot for me to hunt on PRIVATE land in Illionis (no less)and I saw 30 deer without scouting the area for myself. I would be buying him a few rounds just to say thanks.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

take it with a grain of salt, people like that just will never understand. Tell him to pay a lot of money and go hunt a high fence place. It sounds like you have plenty of deer, and just because he didnt connect shouldnt mean that its your fault.

I hunt a lot and all over and I see a kill as a bonus, not something that just happens. Ive been sticking close to home this season and i have had run ins with countless bucks and some of them way up in the 180 range but i still havent connected. That doesnt mean that where i hunt sucks, or I suck. This guy just needs to realize its not like a DVD. They get in there stand and 15mins later they shoot a monster, The hunting shows need to start telling people that they hunted for 60 days straight had close calls and spent all spring and summer getting ready for the chance to fill one tag.

Im with you though its frustrating when people think it should be easy and the deer should be "sitting behind every tree".

sounds to me like if this guy wants to shoot a 150 he should start taking hunting more serious and do the work himself. He should just be blessed he has a place to hunt.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

your right, the guy was expecting something that is not a guarentee anywhere. I know they are not everywhere behing every tree but i also know Illinois potential, and work right on the river on the Indiana side across from Ill. So i work with alot of Ill hunters. I can say this though, i see the pics EVERY YEAR of the deer these guys kill and it is mind blowing. I have one co worker who kills 1 if not2 p@y bucks every year in Illinois, last year he killed a 160" and a 150" five minutes apart via bow. a big part of Illinois sucess IMO is the short fire arm seasons they have. I talked with another Illinois co worker today, he has not shot a buck but has had three encounters with a 170+ eight point and has been turning down 130" bucks on a regular basis. dont get me wrong, im not siding against you, i know how hunting is ;)Like i said it is never guaranteed. But Illinois is in my book, a top end state :)And im jelious you live there and i dont :D
ps:: These guys i speak work there nads off for what they accomplish ;)its not handed to them.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I know what you mean, everyone thinks there are a bunch of dumba$$ mature bucks that cant wait to be stuck with broadhead in Il.:D

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

deleted for skirting the profanity filter. Used $

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Sorry to hear you were being unappreciated by an obviously lazy hunter who wanted to be spoon fed. Even if he was guided, which he wasn't, he still needs to evaluate his situation and adjust accordingly.
Regrdless of the state you hunt you need to be hunting in an areathat holds thehighest deer numbers. There are areas here in Iowa that look like gold, but don't hold squat for deer numbers. Likewise there are areas that 99% of the hunting public would drive right by that hold tons of deer or at least have deer pass thru regularly.
Scouting before and during a hunt is the key and is often overlooked. Quite a few big name hunters will tell you if you have 5 days to hunt, spend 2-3 of those scouting to make the last 2-3 productive. You can sit five days and see nothing and have the bulk of the local herd passing within several hundred yards without you having a clue. Also, hunting with minimal impact is just as important. You can have the best set-up in the world, but in more cases than not, the deer have the hunter patterned rather than the other way around.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

bloodcrick, don't deny it but the Hoosier state is becoming a top end state as well;). One buck limit a year should help a lot. And though I don't personally know any of the land around Evansville and a little farther north, the Wabash/Ohio river bottom grounds should be dynamite! This coming from an ex-Hoosier now living in Illinois.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Folks come here and use outfitters or hunt ina couple of selectareas and think that's what it's like in all of Illinois.

I know lots of IL residents who put their time in the woods and have yet to kill a p&y buck.(heck, they're just happy to get a deer) I hunted hard at the nearby fish and wildlife management area and had exactly two deer come within range all of last year. A doe and a bb. I killed the doe.

Four days and 11 bucks... that's a pretty good piece of property.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Some people are really something Jim!! You were kind enough to do what you did and yet the prick still Isn't happy. The hell with the guy!!

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

The best part of this is, he MISSED a really good buck on Friday morning. I did not see the buck myself, but he told me it was between 130"-140" as an 8. That is pretty damn good deer if you ask me. When he left out Sunday morning, he told me that he was thinking of Iowa or Kansas for next year. Good luck if you run into him guys!!!!

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

This is even more obsurd now you given the rest of the story.

I'm putting in for an archery tag next year, If you have any excess land let me know.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

He has seen more deer on stand then I have then. He shouldn't be so picky!!

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

that is classic

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You mean not everyone in Illinois, Iowa or Wisconsin shoots a huge, monster of a buck every year? From reading the boards on a Minnesota-specific site (sorry, I'm a cheater I know), if only Minnesota would be like those states in terms of its DNR-imposed management strategies, every one of us would slay a bigun each year on opening day. And we'd all hold hands and tiptoe through the tulips. Big bucks require work, no matter where you're at.

I see guys all around me locally griping there are no big bucks. Then I pick up my Outdoor News each week and see picture after picture of guys - and gals in Minnesota holding up 150-180 class bucks with a bow slung across them. They are out there. They are just indeed not behind every tree.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

kicken a very good thread IMO.

This year is my 10th year bowhunting and 9th year shotgun hunting. All of them have been spent in Illinois. While I am not denying the fact that Illinois is a trophy area, it is by no means a "gaurantee" to kill a giant. In those 10 years of bowhunting I have had cracks at some P&Y's and 1 B&C. Meanwhile, if you go take a look at my mounts in the basement you will see ZERO record book deer. They are in the area, but seeing them, getting them in range, and then making a good shot is a whole different thing.

My family owns 365 acres in Jersey County, which is considered to be in the trophy area. We have taken some big deer off this land with a shotgun while the deer are running wild. My cousin killed one that went around 205 and my uncle killed one in the low 170's. There are also a few 130's-160's thrown in there, but that is during the shotgun seasons, and over the course of MANY MANY MANY years of being hunted (30 years or so). We have NEVER killed a P&Y buck off our land. I had the chance to this year, but I blew it and so far have been unable to recover the buck.

So yes, big deer do live here, and yes many of them are killed throughout the state, but not by a loooooonnnnngggg shot is it easy hunting. Some mega managed lands are going to have outstanding hunting, and this is often the types of land that you see on T.V. and the types that out of staters go to when they travel to our state.

If there is a big buck hiding behind every tree in our state, then I must be blind.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

No No you are not blind...look at what you said...they are hiding!! haha

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

They are not behind every tree, but the rut in Illinois is phemonimal. I've spent 4 years in 3 different counties and its been good in all three. If you expect to kill a 150, wake up! Sure, it could happen, but odds are not with you. Now, if you only want a 110-120, you have a very good chance at that. For most places in the country, that is a very good bow buck!

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Cougar,I 100% agree with you on this one ;)The OBR ( i know it dosent agree with some) but i have seen a hugh difference in my are with it. If we would shorten our gun season we would be a killer state. Just to give you an idea of my year in Indiana even after last years EHD. I have been close to a 160 a 130 and two 120-130 bucks this season but couldnt make it happen :(I have seen a TON of bucks and handed out passes like crazy this season waiting on a big one. Im not complaining ;)

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

Dude sounds like a typical yahoo out-of-stater. No worries kickin.

To put things into perspective.. to take a older whitetail requires ALOT of work. So much in fact.. that most hunters will never do the work it takes. But they'll whine all day long about their own misfortune.

I spend about 150 hours looking for sheds each spring. Another 150 looking for new land.. and trees to hang a stand from for the following season. Not to mention the other 100+ hours I spend glassing.. driving.. etc. all in the name of whitetail. And this is all before the season even begins.

I probably scouted 4 hours for every 1 hour I put into stand this year.

Bottom line.. if you want bigger.. older whitetail.. prepare to work. And to keep working well into the season.

What a yahoo. I love peoples out look on this state of Illinois.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I'm guessing you won't be helping him again.;)

I would say if you put yourself in the right spot you should have a reasonable expectation to see some good deer if you hunt all day for a week or more during the rut. That goes for just about any state. It sounds to me like this guy had a pretty good trip though. 11 bucks? I know some guys that will go 5 years without seeing that many bucks.

I think someone watched too much Outdoor Channel.

RE: They are not behind every tree
 

I will definately second that thought. I have put in a ton of time scouting last winter trying to figure out the travel paterns on my new property.

And I should have kept a better record of my time on stand this year, but I forgot to write in too many sits to remember them all. Lets just say, I have a ton of hours on stand and I have a 125 inch ten point to show for it so far. They are out there, but not behind every tree and they don't just walk in front of you on every sit. It takes a lot of work or luck.