Slow here in Illinois
 

Well guys this Illinois season has been something else so far this year. I go one day without seeing a deer and other hunts i see quite a few. Have been seeing alot of smaller bucks and keep seeing about a 120 but told myself that i was going to shoot nothing under 130. I have pics of 2 really great bucks (pushing 150) and had to pass on one because i wasnt comfortable with the shot. Not much rutting activity in my area yet but im sure its not far off. Have any of you other Illinois guys been having much luck?

I have been shooting a bunch of does, but have yet to see any of "my" big boys from a stand. I am still getting pics of them, but almost all after dark. I figure this starting this week, things should start picking up. I plan on getting away from doe spots now and start hunting my pinch points and bedding areas. What county are you hunting?

been shooting does as well.. saw one of the bucks I'm after while on stand friday night but he circled downwind and wouldnt come in closer than 50yds.. he knew something was up.. all my trail cam pics show them working the scrapes after dark.. I have TONS of pictures of bucks workin the scrapes.. 16 different ones to be exact.. but all after dark.. this standing corn is killin me!

I have to wonder if you guys are "shooting a bunch of Does" from that same stands that you're NOT seeing bucks out of. If they seem nocturnal... I wonder why??? :s2:

All kidding aside though, it has been slower than normal for this stage of the pre-rut but the weather has been crazy and millions of acres of standing corns in the state certainly isn't helping matters. My best farm is surrouded by 700 acres of corn and it's made things frustrating at best. Did have a 130 class 4x4 bust up a Doe group yesterday and ran them 20 yards past my stand. He was the 4th buck of the morning, but nothing of any size. Scrapes have really been torn up this past week as they prepare for the first Doe to enter Estrus..... any day now.

Good luck to you fellow Illini bowbenders!

Ya this season can just go away and start over for all I care. I have only seen 4 bucks all year, It has to be the corn and the flash floods.

The corn is up and they are hitting thier scapes during the night. My buddy saw a nice 8 just before dark on Sat. and Sun. morning I had a big 6 that I decide to pass on. Funny story...my buddy left his decoy out during the night (he shot a doe and didn't feel like going back to take the decoy down) anyway when he went back in morning his decoy was in pieces. It was probably the 8 he saw that tore it up.

Being away at college I can only hunt the weekends, and that kills me. I have only seen one shooter so far this year. It has been pretty slow for me. I am pretty excited for this next weekend though! I will be spending the all Saturday and Sunday in the woods.

How many does can you guys take there in Illinois?

Unlimited does.

Definitely been slower than I expected. I'm off work all this week, but I think I may be a week early. Going out this morning, didn't need any kind of light since the moon was kind enough to show me the way. What a joke. Had a dorky forky come by at about 7:00, he intercepted a couple does that were on their way in and harassed them for a bit, and that was the action for the day. I bailed at 12, just to warm for my taste today.

seeing plenty where I am at mostly does busted a few arrows and put some meat in the freezer going in the morning and the evening.

I wish I had all your guys problem. I have gone out about 6 times and I have only seen 1 deer, and that was 100 yards away.....

I have been seeing the deer just of no size. Ive shot 2 does and im just holding out. I just seem to keep buying stands and putting them up. I just bought 2 tonight after school that i plan to hang tommorow. We got back in the fields today so hopefully be able to get some of this corn out. I have a feeling im going to be playing some hooky from school these next 2-3 weeks.

i saw two shooters over the weekend. the first one was a nice 10 pointer which i saw at 10:30 just out of range. the second one i saw on the way back in at 3:00 running hard with his tongue hanging out must have been after a doe. besides that a few small bucks and a few does. i havent seen the deer i usually see. lots of corn still in around area i guess thats why. i shot two does and lost a nice 8 pointer in the first two weeks of season and this gobbler i shot last weekend.

All of the Corn, the full moon and 65 degree days ain't helping. They are scraping like crazy. A few more days........