How many of you IL hunters are going bowhunting this weekend with the youth firearm season going on? Sitting in a stand w/ blaze orange on, holding my bow waiting for a nice buck or doe to get within archery range makes me want to try my luck at some fall bass fishing. Anyway, just curious...went out the last two years on this weekend w/ no luck.

you only need to wear the orange if your county is open for the youth gun season. besides with the weather being the way it has been, it feels more like fishing weather.

hunter,
I' ll be in the ground blind with my 10 year old son. He will be attempting to take his first deer this weekend. I think he is more excited about this than any of the hockey tournaments his team has won. I can certainly miss some time with the bow in an effort to get him started with the gun.

Glad you all reminded me......have to get the orange out.

Bill L,

That sounds great! Good luck w/ your son. I certainly wasn' t implying the early season youth hunt was a bad idea. Anytime you can take a youngster out in the woods or fishing is a great thing. It' s only going to be in the 70' s on Sat. and 60' s on Sun., so it' s not a bad weekend to finish up some yard work or go fishing myself.

Is that open in Montgomery county?

hunter,
I did not take it negatively. It used to make a differencet to me too. Now I could not be more pleased to have a new hunting partner. He was with me this spring when I killed my first turkey. He went on scouting trips with me every weekend before the season. That was certainly " our" bird. Now it is his turn. I' d trade all my deer this year for him to get a shot. I' ve killed a few, but I doubt any of them will mean more to me than his first.
He is also no stranger to the back of a bass boat. I just wish I could get him to 12 or 13 years old, and keep him there for a long time. Thanks for the good wishes.

How do I find out if my county has this hunt going on?

IBM
DNR should be able to let you know what counties have these permits available. You have to apply for them like any other gun permit, then go through the lottery. I did not find out about this hunt until late, but was still able to apply for my son during the random daily drawings. He was fortunate enough to get drawn. I would suggest having a look at the DNR website for more information. I would doubt you could get in on it this year, since the season is this weekend, but you should be able to plan for next year, providing the county you hunt has this special season. It is antlerless deer only, one permit per youth, and I believe it is for kids 16 and under. Good luck.
Bill

I just want to know if I need to wear orange or not.


this post was the first I heard of the season