Lanse couche couche

My Father started turkey hunting for the first time this year. He told me that in Illinois, you cannot hunt past 1pm. I wonder what the logic is behind this. I generally never see the darn things on my land until mid-afternoon thru early evening.

longrifle1000

That has been the rules for spring season for quite a while. It is not the case for the fall seasons though. Not exactly sure why, and I don't care to speculate. Good hunting.

IL_BOW_MAN

I think it is to help try and curb people disturbing the birds heading back to roost and to try and keep people from spooking the hens on their nest.

Don K

Yep,

And Illinois isnt the only state that has this law................

Lanse couche couche

Well, I'm new to this, since there were no turkeys in my area until prettyrecently, so please bear with me. What is the logicof scheduling a hunting season that coincides with nesting? And would interferring with birds heading back to the roost be the same as interferring with nesting?

Hunter_59

Remember, the spring season is gobbler only! No particular risk to the population in that hens will mate with multiple toms. You take out a few toms during the spring season and there will be plenty left to mate with the hens that have not been bred yet. Mating actually starts a few weeks before the hunting season begins and continues throughout the season. The 1:00 ending time was initiated because of the real or percieved threat of hunters flushing hens off the nest. Interferring with birds heading to a roost has nothing to do with interferring with nesting. It has been proven that a hen flushed off the nest multiple times will eventually abandon that nest and re-nest in a new location. As long as a hunter who unknowingly flushes a hen off the nest doesn't return and do it again, the nest should be ok.

Lanse couche couche

Much more clear, thanks fellas. In the meantime, it looks like theturkeys of Richland county are safe for this year.

petrey10

I am just wondering what counties you guys are hunting in cause I live in Ford and Coles county...and have not seen a turkey ever....in these counties

Hunter_59

petrey10, I don't know about Ford county but I live in Moultrie county and have killed several Toms in Moultrie and Coles county. Coles county has plenty of birds if you look in the right places.