Kid

.......you might find this interesting. www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/article/deer_task_force_eyeing_public_meetings/


In particular, take note of the comments after the story. Some of you non-residentsand outfitters may not like what you read (or even some residents), but i thought you might find what the average Illinois resident trulythinks about the current state of deer hunting in Illinois enlightening.Managing the Deer herd in Illinois is unlike probablyany other state in the country. The IDNR is slave to many masters and unfortunately resident huntersand wildlife biologists are somewhere down the list of opinions that matter. Hopefully, residents will make a point to get to these meetings, if possible,and make their voices heard and just as importantly, the IDNR will listen. There are no easy answers, but it is clear Illinois residents think that things have got to change.

Lanse couche couche

It is clear that something has got to give. I like all of the suggestions.

GrandSlamHunter

Non-residents drive to Illinois for the large, mature bucks; not the large number of does. Quality deer management involves large antlerless harvests to keep the overall population in check. I would support whatever means of doe harvest the DNR proposes.

s. il. hntr

how about a doe only season for archery, maybe june to oct. 1st. still could tell a buck from doe. public access is also a major problem here. got to drive 1 hour to bow hunt and seenext to nothing while i see deer every day to and from work.

Lanse couche couche

Lots of residents aint too fired up about taking does either. It is like pulling teeth with my dad to get him to just shoot one for some tender meat. he's not alone.

solocamcan

What a flippin joke our DNR is becoming...who is this Shelton guy? He said there is a "down time" for archers in Oct? So there would be more involvement among hunters to gun hunt does that time of year....Ummmmm, correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't the pre rut start kicking in around the 3rd week in Oct? Don't 90% of logical bowhunters know that's the startingtime to be in the woods as much as possible? I agree with extending the 2nd season to 7 days, and even adding a late season gun hunt that includesany weapon currently legal to use in Illinois.The "shoot a doe before abuck" will never work without bringing back check stations. Why not include 2 or 3 antlerless tags for every gun permitt issued? Why not issue land owner tags without all the red tape? Why must you have a minimum of 40 acres to aquire a landowner tag to begin with? Why not open land owned by the state that is currently closed to ALL forms of hunting? Why not set up more "deer crossing" signs where deer to vehicle accidents occur most often? Until that Chicago idiot Rob "Blowitbitch" gets removed from office, our DNR will continue to spiral out of control.

Lanse couche couche

Those idiots won't even issue cull permits to farmers who are getting creamed by the overpopulation of does and young bucks.

As far as i am concerned, they can identify problem counties and open a 90 day season where you can use whatever is legal in the state of Illinois to take a very generous limit of deer until a certain quota is filled. But they aren't oo interested in doing anything that would take money or extra effort, they are just interested in raking the mney from permits in with both hands.[:'(]

2 Lunger

Unbelievable!!! If they add an October gun season us bowhunters can count on seeing less bucks during our primetime. I'm all for closing bow season Dec.31st and putting up a 7 day gun season the first of January.

I've got a feeling something is going to happen and bowhunters are not going to like it.

salukipv1

I think "Earn a 2nd buck tag" is a much better idea than simply "earn a buck tag"

I'm sure many guys shoot 2 bucks every year and move on. I'd certainly hate to miss a buck of a lifetime because I had yet to shoot my doe.....also what about the guys who have 3days to hunt, period.

And yes with the check stations gone, you could just call in your "1st doe" and earn that buck tag, but the honor system I do think works by most hunters.

mulvany

This was my comments to the posts on the topic. I agree with 2 Lunger...we archers are going to get screwed...bad!


So far I have heard some good ideas and some dumb arguments. I say suggestions 1 & 2 are good ideas. Buying tags over the counter would help more people, like me, hunt late season. If the season was a few more days that would be nice. I heard arguments against this like...we might shoot bucks that lost horns or buttons bucks...to that I say figure it out! With good hunting techniques you can figure out what you’re shooting. I have been hunting for 12 years now and have never shot a button buck...why? Because on our small property my family and I decided to check over each animal before we shoot it. We use QDM on our small farm and make sure the animals we harvest are mature. It is not that hard of a concept. Besides when people don’t study what their shooting they usually end up shooting someone. It’s dumb practices like shooting deer in lowlight practices and not knowing for sure what they are that get people shot. Early season, mid-october or longer seasons in dec would hurt deer populations and suck for archery hunters. I am a hardcore archery hunter and each year after the gun seasons it takes days & weeks to even see deer again because of all the shooting. The early season is when we take advantage of hunting. the earn-a-buck program would be stupid. Last season I shot a buck on the first night out because we had patterned him all summer and set-up right on his travel lanes and he walked right by me. I agree for more public access too. open up some land for us to hunt, we just lost some of our prime hunting land to private owners andare down to only our small farm.
Just my two cents is use ideas 1 & 2...and get blagojevich out along with his retard friends!