Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Im planning a trip to Illinois this fall for some bow hunting. Ive checked out the DNR website but I cant finda list of the Bowhunt only public lands. It has them all listed together, gunand bow,and with my slow a?? computer the season will be closed by the time I find what I want... any help???

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

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RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Look under Illinois state parks, you should find what your looking for. Most of the state parks, the big ones anhow do have bow hunting. I shot a nice 10 pt in lake shabbona state park in 2000. It"s in northern Il. near Dekalb.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Bow only places are usually small tracts of ground, too small for firearm hunting. They usually get the crap hunted out of them fast because of their size and the number of bowhunters in the state. You're better off going south to the big forests where ground is plentiful and hunting pressure is moderate.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Thanks for the heads up on that. We were thinkn southern IL...sounds like to us its better. (bigger dear), any truth to that?

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

My bad....DEER DEER DEER DEER. I failed most all my spelling tests

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Im sure I won't be as helpful as others on here, but if you are checking out Southern Illinois, I take a look at Shawnee National Forest. I hunted Crab Orchard while I was in school down there and saw MANY large bucks during the archery season. The problem was I on Upland game hunted (No where to put a deer!) I don't think Crab Orchard gets to much Bow pressure and with the amount of land, there are always places to hunt. We'd go out hunting 5 days a week and rarely did we see anyone in tree. If they were out, they were rarely farther than 100 yards off the road.Lotsof decent corn adn been fields to set up on and if you knowwhere the thick stuff is in the woods near the ag. fields, you'll find the deer.I'd take a good look at Crab Orchard though, lots of acreage and I don't think they havea huge amount of gun pressure.

Good Luck!!!

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Crab Orchard is a good place to start, but it does get a bunch of pressure because of the amount of land it offers. Take a look at Stephen Forbes State Park in Marion County. I hunted a piece of private land about a mile from the park a few years back. We always stayed at the camp ground on the park and always seen tanks coming and going to our land. I turned a guy at work onto it who was looking for a place for him and his kids to bowhunt. They have been at it now for 5 years and he has taking one 16 pointed that grossed at 173 and some change. They take deer every year and every year see good bucks 140+. I know there are a group of Texans that come up there every year for two weeks around the rut, it is a good place to start looking. Most of the State Parks in Illinois are archery only, the hard part if finding the ones that don't get beat up with hunting pressure. Also, it just crossed my mind, check out Randolph County Conservation Area, I shed hunt this place and have always found some good sheds, so the bucks must be there. Good luck!!!!

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Thanks to all you guys this sounds like it ll be helpfull ALOT !!! Got anymore ....keepem coming!

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Depending on when you are planning on coming, public land will be bow only until our first gun season. That gun season is usually the weekend before thanksgiving. I think even some of the public ground allows bow hunting during the later gun seasons...but I'm not sure. Hope this helps.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Thinkn it ll be the first or second week in November.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

the bow only area near my house......maybe have some good hunting if by good you mean shoot anything that moves......I'd say the buck/doe ratio is about 1:25-100 I'd love to see some doe management put in place there, I once saw a nice 10pt buck, but seriously you see 25-100does for every buck you see, and that buck you see isn't by any means big, so as for other public land, and bow only I'm not sure, just know that the bow only public near me is plan to shoot a doe if anything....

They should institute a earn a buck tag for that land, or 2 does earna buck.....just encourage guys to shoot more does, and let the 1.5 and 2.5yo bucks walk....

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Go to the Ill. DNR web site & go to publications-get the Ill. Lic/Game regulations booklet (free) & it has all the Public access areas-weapon allowed & acherage & other information needed. Also order the Trophy Deer Management pamphlet-Public access places where there are antler restrictions like 4 or 5 points 1 side to be legal-some you may have to take a Doe 1st b/4 being allowed a Buck or draw for a specific week ect... They are not all small areas either.
I now live in Iowa (right over the border from my Ill. home town). Lots of decent PUBLIC access in both states. Good Luck. Oh, I live right in some of the BEST deer hunting in these states & HAVE NOT killed a BUCK for 3 years-my choice-passed on many decent Bucks and on PUBLIC GROUND. My son with my 2nd largest Whitetail I ever took about 10 years ago from public ground.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Nice deer dude!!!! Thanks again for the info, Im stock piling all these and checkn into them. I ve gotta friend who hunts in Kentucky and another who hunts Ill. just across the river from him. They both hunt public land and talk about how GREAT it is....Big bucks around every tree. Im not gonna hang on their coat strings but I would like to see first hand how GREAT it is up there.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Well, Don't think they are behind every tree-you will hunt for them. I would try & Bowhunt anytime after Nov. 1 st. The Bucks will be getting anxious anytime then & you will probably see more movement & fewer bugs & cover & rubs & scrapes will be easier to see. good Luck.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Do you need a special permit (besides ahunting and deer license)for public hunting in Illinois? I had talked to someone who had told me that you had to apply for special permits for state parks.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

Get the Illinois hunting digest (paper booklet). It is free. Go to Ill. DNR publications & order it on line or pick up at a DNR/sporting goods store.
ALL public areas are lisrted & what weapons are legal & if applications are needed. There is also a pamphlet for TROPHY Managed areas (10 or 12) Most have to be applied for ahead of time & have a 4 per side or 5 per side antler restriction or you may have to tag a Doe b/4 able to shoot a Buck. There are some good Public areas-I've Bowhunted sevral over the years i lived in Ill..

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

If your hunting in Southern Illinois, look at the Shawnee forest, trail of tears area. Giant city state park, Lake Kinkade, Crab orchard, Devil Kitchen area. There are a lot of places down here to bow hunt. I'm able to hunt on a federal reservation which have a lot of deer, but it's only for employees only. Good luck.

RE: Public "bow hunt only " lands???
 

X2. All are good places to hunt and with asmuch landasall ofthose places hold, you should be able to put yourself on some deer away from other hunters.Crab Orchard is huge, just get more than 200 yards off the road. Shawnee forest is a state within itself, huge and almost mountainous. Devils kitchen isn't as big, but offers some nice terrain, I think its looked past for good hunting for some reason. All are good spots though.