Vabowman

why does ILL and IA not have a rifle season?? I don't hunt with a rifle, and never have, I just see that most states allow it, but they don't, and yet, this is where soooo many P&Y/B&C come from...correlation???

Simp

I'm sure they have a shotgun season though right? Heck, some shotguns will flat out lay one down at 200 yards, so who needs a rifle?

wallhangr

IL has always been because of the population and the range of rifles - and I'll agree that there's a correlation between the two. I'm wondering how much longer they will stay up there now that ML's are allowed. I would think the numbers would go even higher for a couple years before they start to come back down.

Double Creek

I believe Illinois allows a total of 10 some odd days of firearm use. Compare that to the 50+ here in MS and its no wonder whyI love Illinois so much! It's a bowhunters paradise, plain and simple.

HNI_Christine

Illinois is a big, mostly flat state with nearly 13 million people. Shotguns and muzzleloaders are consider 'safer' than rifles by most folks around here. (stray shot wise)

Illinois 'gun' days: There's the 7 day regular gun seasons(1st and second) in which shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns are legal. The muzzleloader only season (3 days). A special CWD season (3 days) in certain counties. The 3 day late winter 'antlerless' season (shotgun, muzzleloader and handgun) in which bucks that have already shed get shot. There is also the youth gun season (two days) in early October.

There is talk now of adding more gun days in '09.

Rory/MO

I REALLY wish that instead of AR's, Missouri would
a) move the gun season to after the rut
b) switch to bows, muzzleloaders, and shotguns
c) cut down on the number of doe tags

Steven McBee

EXACTLY!

a) kansas does this(and look at thier bucks)
b) illinois and iowa do this ( and look at their bucks)
c) well im not sure what state does this lol

i would also like to add, no one should be able to come to missouri and just buy over the counter tags, this is one of the biggest reasons why missouri isnt a consistent big buck producer

IAhuntr

1. The use of a slug gun instead of a rifle greatly increases the chance of bucks making it to maturity.
2. InIowa our slug gun season doesn't start until this coming Saturday by which time the rut has pretty much wound down and mature bucks won't be out during daylight much which also keeps the mature buck numbers higher than most rifle states.

wahoohunter

Question: Given that traditional management practices so heavily encouraged limited doe harvests and limitless buck harvests which in turn lead to greatly unbalanced herds in many areas, what benefits do you see coming from cutting down the number of deer tags?

MeanV2

I know in IL they require Slug guns or Muzzleloaders because they say High powered rifles are too dangerous in populated areas.

I'm pretty sure why rifles are not legal, or maybe I dreamed it[8D]

Dan