illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

unfortunatly i was not able to get out this moring as i had not way to get to the woods cause my dad had to work and i stayed at a friends house,,,,but i did make it out this evening and had mixed success,,,i had a couple does come into a fawn bleat,,but they never gave me a shot,,as i have to open shoting lane to the south of my stand and also cause they were on the nieghboring property,,,,i was hoping that they would come in front of me so i could have a shot at one but they did not what to come over,,one of the started to a couple time but kept looking over at me sniffin the air and finaly would turn around,,so i do not know what the deal was,concidering they could not realy see me cause of the tree branches and cause i did not dare to move at all,,,,oh well theres always tomarrow,,,,,so how was your opener???

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

i went out for a few hours this morning. man, it is great to be up in the tree again. i saw a big doe about 9am, but never gave a shot. the public land im hunting changed to doe only this year. it was real hot out by 11 am, i packed it up for the day cause i had stuff going in the afternoon. n

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Right at legal shooting light I had a fat doe trot in on the trail I walked in on and she ran directly beneath me....could've taken her but it's only the first day. Then as she was going down the hill to the corn field a fork horn was coming up it and passed about 15 yards out. I was a little confused at first and thought the doe had just changed her mind about the direction but I know it was two different deer b/c I would have seen the horns if it was him that passed below me. Then about an hour later a bunch of turkeys ran out into the corn....wish I would have remembered my turkey calls! It was a very nice morning though...felt good to be back on stand.

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

I saw 8 deer, the only buck was a little fork horn so i let them all go by. My cousin say 14 and he shot a 6 pointer so all in all i very good way to start off the season for the first day.:D

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

I posted his in the Bowhunting forum too. I had does and fawns all around me yesterday a.m., but I didn't feel like butchering in 80 degree weather. I was lucky enough to kill a turkeyduring my afternoon hunt. I had over 20 come in and managed to get drawn on a hen. I shot her at 12yds. and she went down right there. That was the 5th. turkey I have taken with a bow. She is going on the grill tomorrow!I am ready for it to cool off soon. Good luck to you all!

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Just before shooting light I had two small does come right next to the stand, one of them melled the rope to pull my bow up and looked at me but thought nothing of it. At 8 o'clock six does came in, I stood up when the lead doe got her head behind a tree but she knew something was up so she turned back around the rest of them and trotted off. One was still standing there broadside so I pulled back, released, and the arrow skinned her back. I don't know what happened but it still makes me feel sick. I hope she's alright and they come back, but we'll have to see.

CJW

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

HOT. And no, I don't mean the action. It just didn't feel like deer season honestly. I did have a considerable amount of luck though. Took a crack at a big doe, but misjudged the shot distance and put the arrow right below her belly. Man I either need to pre-mark yardages at my stand or learn how to judge distance better or SOMETHING. The windage was perfect by the way, just picked the wrong pin. I guess I'd call it an OK weekend for being as warm as it is.

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Rather uneventful here in NE IL. Nothing Sat morning, missed a shot at a coyote on Sat afternoon, then got busted by a doe that snuck up behind me, and eventaully spooked one on my way out for the night.

Worked at our hunt club Sun morning then went out last night and didn't see a thing.

All I know is that it's HOT and I really don't think the deer are moving until just before dark. There's a cold front moving in this week and I'm hoping the movement starts picking up when that rolls in. Heading down to Effingham this weekend to try my luck down there!

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Found out yesterday afternoon that my friend's brother shot one of the big 10 pt. that we've been seeing all summer long. He shot it on Sat. evening. Anyways, it field dressed somewhere between 210-220 lbs and we taped it yesterday at 185 2/8! (and we didn't even measure the sticker point on its right G2 or some of the trash on the bases). It will definitely net B&C....it's pretty symetrical and hasnice mass too. It's one heck of a deer!

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Give him my congrats. Anyone who kills that kind of trophy considering the conditions last weeked deserves props.

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

:Di got a 170" deer in Pike County, check Bowhunting forums for more! :D

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Congrats on a fine buck, deerslayer. Opening weekend here was uneventful. Our two creeks dried up during the summer draught, and all the deer are hanging out on the neighbors farm. Didn't see a single deer all weekend. I did have a very close encounter with a very upset bobcat saturday morning. That got my heart pumping good. LOL

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Saturday morning, seen a doe right as it was getting light. Then saturday evening I had a doe and spike pass under my stand, could have took the doe. Sunday evening, I didnt see a thing way too warm!! Cant wait till this weekend, high of 60's!

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

Sat mouning didn't see a thing, evening hut a little better had 3 does feeding at about 50 yds never got close for a shot. this weekend should be much better. Good Luck To All

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

not to bad, sat night went out and saw 8 different bucks in a group. a few does and my buddy deerslayer nailed a 170".

RE: illinois hunters; how was your opener
 

hot!!! but i did see 4 does and actually drew back on one but decided to let her pass. hell i figuered it was opening day and the first time i got to hunt here(neighbor gave me permission to hunt his land ) right out my back door