Indianahick

Illinois deer harvest up four percent in first firearm season










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Hunters harvested 4 percent more deer statewide during the first firearm season compared with last year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday.

HIllinois deer harvest up four percent in first firearm season










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Hunters harvested 4 percent more deer statewide during the first firearm season compared with last year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday.

Hunters in northern Illinois killed 13 percent more deer during the season, which ran Friday through Sunday.

A total of 77,051 deer were killed statewide, compared with 73,819 during the opening weekend in 2004.

unters in northern Illinois killed 13 percent more deer during the season, which ran Friday through Sunday.

A total of 77,051 deer were killed statewide, compared with 73,819 during the opening weekend in 2004.


Have not seen any figures for Indiana yet.

bwhunter501

Huh, thats surprizing considering the new way of checking in deer. I thought there would be a lower percentage.

Wolfhound76

Some counties were down.
http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2005/Nov/Deer_harvest_1_P_R.htm

titleist_03

That's surprising. I had my worst shotgun season ever. I usually see around 20 deer through the weekend but this year I only saw one doe on Friday morning. The rest of the weekend I got shutout. Many of the people I talked to in the area had the same problem.

hunter25

titleist, we had the same problem within our hunting group. Saw very few deer over the first shotgun season. Obviously, others saw plenty, but not us. Primed and ready for this weekend though.

Indianahick

Here where I live in Indiana, Vigo county, my son and I took a small deer into the processors that we use and they were checking in Ill deer at a rate of roughly 5 or 6 to 1 compared to Indiana deer. Most seemed to be bigger bodied deer too. But then again I still have not seen a lot of deer when hunting. Went over to the daughters Saturday for family Thanksgiving and when we left at 5:30 there must have been 15 to 20 does standing in a field with in a 1/2 mile of her house. But then again that land owner does not allow hunting on his property. Deer know where to go to be safe.There are a couple of farmers down by where I have been hunting that do not allow hunting either. So maybe that is where the most deer are. Come ML season I will be back out and at it again. But I do hope that the wind and rain die down Since I am still sick from being rained on last time.

robbdad1

I have been hunting Carroll County for the last 15 years andfor the first time saw the rut taking place. Every group of does had a couple of bucks right behind them. 1 saw 19 deer walk by me on friday and took a large bodied buck with broken horns chasing three does. Saturday I saw 9 deer and filled my doe tag with a nice 2 year old. My son took a huge 10 pt. dressed out at 220lbs and he also saw plenty of deer. The farm next to us shot 5 deer on Friday. It was a typical season on our bluff.About half of the 30 guys who hunt the bluff got a mature deer. I feel sorry for you hunters who see so little.The DNR officer said the bluff we hunt has 50 deer per square mile on it and I personally think it is higher.