ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/Deer_Task_Force.html

All Illinois deer hunters NEED to voice there concerns and issues here. Tell them you want NO part in the purposed 3rd week in Oct. gun season. It's a survey, with chances to to give them ideas on how to approah deer population issues. The comments and questionaire section are at the very bottom.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

lower their non-resident fee and we will come! (bowhunting that is !)

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

This isn't about NR fees...it's more serious than that.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

thanks for the link, did it! let's see if something comes of it...


Strongly urge others to oppose any gun season in October.

as well as"Earn a 2nd Buck Tag"

Personally I'd like to see December be our 1 and only gun season. If they wish to issue extra antlerless permits for it, great, not opposing any of that, but I do think a 1 month long december season, like I believe Iowa has would be a great thing. Less pressure by other hunters since we can spread out our hunting days. Would give the weekend hunters 4 weekends or so as opposed to 2 wekends, and only 4 days, even though we have a 7day season. So if you agree, jump on board with December being our firearm season.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

That is the last thing we need unless you're going to take some Does! Hunt the Monster Bucks you have at home!

Solocamcan, Survey done! ;)

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

3rd week in october gun season is the worst proposition i have ever heard. thats our time, as bowhunters! im all for lengthening the late season. i like snow hunting. add a lil extra meat to the freezer too

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Uh, guys, the last time I checked, you can bowhuntfor three months.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

With all due respect, if you don't live here, and have NO clue as to what our DNR is purposing, I'd leave these type of comments to yourself.Let me put it to you like this, would you be happy if Ohio allowed gun hunters into your bow hunting woods at the start of Pre Rut? I gun hunt, but I gun hunt like I bow hunt, I sit in a tree stand. BUT alot of gun hunters do deer drives and other crap that borders ethical compliance, I don't want that stuff in the woods in Oct. and 99% of bowhunters feel the same. And this link is the only platform we have to voice our concerns. So all this talkfrom outsiders about lowering NR fees and blah blah...if you want to hunt here, pay up or stay out.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

If I purchare a license I have a say. I am aconsumer. If I have the most sayl, I win! In addition to bow hunters in general having what is quite obviously an elitsit attitude. What do you do when the small game hunters come threw? And ethical compliance, when is a deer drive unethical?? Another bowyerism!

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Now lanse couche couche, we do have three months, but like my man solocamcan stated, as bowhunters for them to even propose to bring a season like this in october is outrageous. Late october pre rut is in swing, mid november its in full swing, and december post rut is working for us. now if a shotgun season takes place in october, our best chance of a trophy buck is completely screwed up. Deer get unpredictable and spooky after gun season. Shotgun hunting was ok for me when i was a kid, but now its not even amusing, i just drink a lot of beers on these two weekends with some buddies.Now, Buckhunter1 a deer drive is unethical to me,period. say its the last day of a gun season and your trying to eat some deer loins instead of a tag sandwich thats cool, but i dont believe in it. now if IDNR really wants to control the herd, wtf is wrong with a extended late season? nothing! its getting tough to hunt here in illinois

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

I pay IL taxes and buy license, so I have a bigger say. And I say creating a Doe only gun season to go along WITH the other 2 gun seasons sucks. And I highly doubt you will come to IL to shoot a Doe only. I am not a bowhunter only, I gun hunt, and I never said deer drives are unethical, you should proof read my postbefore labeling me.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Having a gun season in October doesn't make any sense to me. I like to bowhunt more than I like togun hunt. And the time for this propsed gun season is in prime time bow season....

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Your right BUCKMARK....And do you know what their reasoning behind this purposed 3rd week of Oct. Doe gun season is? Well they say it's the best time for 2 reasons.. 1.) Being that it's not to warm and not to cold "usually". and 2.) This is a bowhunters down time..not many bowhunters in the woods this time of yearHere is part of the article where this is all coming from...

3. An October antlerless-only gun hunt, which could happen but would be very controversial among bowhunters and outfitters. The third weekend of October has been mentioned as a possible date.
Bowhunters don’t like the timing of a late October hunt because it comes just before the peak of their hunt, the whitetail breeding season. If there is to be another gun season, archers on the task force would prefer a late September hunt.
Shelton said hunter participation would be higher during October than during September and weather conditions would be more suitable for the later hunt.
“It’s not real hot weather. You’re not into the rut yet and you’re in a period of time where archery activity is down some,” Shelton said. “It’s also immediately before the peak of deer-vehicle collisions.”
Shelton said Minnesota and Wisconsin have recently added October antlerless-only seasons and Missouri is considering something similar.


So I am guessing this Paul Shelton doesn't bow hunt?????

Here is theshort list of possible changes..

While no decisions have yet been made, discussion has touched on some interesting topics. Here are five:

[ul][*]1. Sell late-winter firearm tags over the counter.[*]2. Extend the existing three-day late-winter firearm, antlerless-only season. Seven days was mentioned as one possibility.[*]3. Create an antlerless-only firearm deer season in late October.[*]4. Create an earn-a-buck program in which hunters must shoot a doe before taking a buck.[*]5. Provide more public access for deer hunters. [/ul]

#5 isn't going to sit well with land owners....what it doesn't tell you in this article, is that #5 means allowing more access to PRIVATE ground.

Our Gov. has brain washed the DNR.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Public Access to Private land won't be a problem to landowners?

You won't be required to let anyone just hunt your land, I'm sure there would be incentives for landowners to open up their private ground.

IL isn't just going to take over your private land and let anyone hunt on it, if you don't agree to.

If they won't be happy because more land will be available and therefore less hunters to lease their land? well thats not my problem, and I think there will always be guys willing to lease private ground, no matter how much land IL opens up....

All these different gun season propositions etc....all that BS could be solved by just throwing them all into a month long december season. If they want to sell antlerless tags OTC, fine, but having it part of a December season would simplify alot of things and be a better situation in my eyes.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

They are having meetings that started tonite and continue tomorrow nite in Rockford. Here's the info.......





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Chris McCloud
August 27, 2008 (217) 558-1540

Deer Population Task Force Schedules Public Meetings[/b]
Panel reviewing options for improvements in deer management, reduction in deer vehicle accidents[/b]

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the state’s Joint Deer Population Control Task Force will conduct a series of public meetings to discuss and seek public comment on proposals for changes and improvements in deer management in the state.

The task force was established by the Illinois General Assembly to examine and make recommendations on ways to manage the Illinois deer population, including maintaining and increasing deer hunting opportunities, reducing deer-vehicle accidents and examining how those accidents affect insurance rates, reducing crop and other property damage, and maintaining and increasing the health of the Illinois deer herd.

“The open house public meetings will allow those attending to review information on the Illinois deer management program, deer-vehicle accidents, and proposals the task force is reviewing for changes in hunting seasons and related issues regarding deer in Illinois,” said IDNR Acting Director Sam Flood.

Staff from the IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources and members of the Joint Deer Population Control Task Force will be available to answer questions, discuss deer management, and hear comments from those attending the meetings. Following the public meetings, the IDNR will also accept public comments through a link on the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us

Members of the public are invited to attend any or all of the series of meetings listed below. Each session will be open from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Sept. 2 – Peru Eagles Lodge, 830 Harrison St. (just off U.S. Rt. 6), Peru
Sept. 3 – Rockford Public Library, 215 N. Wyman, Rockford (use Mulberry St. entrance)

-more-
2001**08





Page 2


Sept. 4 – Scripps Park Community Building, U.S. Rts 67 & 24, Rushville
Sept. 9 – Olney City Park Community Building, Ill. Rt. 130, Olney
Sept. 10 – World Shooting and Recreational Complex, Sparta
Sept. 11 – Bethany Fire Station, 530 E. Main, Bethany

For more information on the open house public meetings of the Joint Deer Population Control Task Force, contact the IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources at 217/785-2511.





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RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

I really think thata lot of this whole discussion is centered around the CWD counties. Thestateisn't wanting to have to pay their employees toexterminate the deerduring Jan, Feb and March anymore due to budget and staff cuts. Since I live in the middle of the mess, thats what I think.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

It's more centered around the counties where Deer to Vehicle accidents are more frequent, the Insurance companies are all over the IDNR to do something about it. That is where this is coming from. We only had a very small amount of CWD reported and it was mostly in the upper 1/3 of IL. This is geared more towards West Central, Southeastern, and Southern IL. Where most outfitting takes place, where they don't require their clients to harvest a Doe before taking a buck. Either way it's a joke, and if it passes, it will be state wide.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

solocamcan,

Lanse is from our state and owns a couple chunks of ground in our great state! I just don't think he has much sympathy for us bowhunters.

An October gun season will absolutely kill us bow hunters. I'm all for a late season antlerless only season. Shoot, give them 3 weeks or whatever they think they need. I'll even give up my last two weeks of bow season and end it on Dec. 31st.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Car/deer accidents....

More drivers on the road, more deer collisions there will be, one doesn't mean the other.

It's similar to when you put more cops on the streets, crime goes up? because more crime is caught/reported etc...

There was always the same amount of crime, just more reported.

But I'm not sure what time period they're talking about, past 5 years? past 10? past 100years? certainly there are more deer collisions today then even 30 years ago, when there were far less people around.

My dad spoke to a woman who had hit 5 deer! Everyone close around me has never hit a deer. Then again being a hunter, I think I look for deer, notice them more than most drivers, ie non hunters, as well, I know when/where to look for them.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Amen to that

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

I tookthe survey and hope it does some good. The 3 weekend in October is when I like to bowhunt and really spend some time in the woods. I would bet that most collisions are the drivers fault anyway, way blame the deer for driving to fastor just not paying attention to your surroundings. I see plenty of people flying down counrty roads at sunrise and sunset. These are the ones hitting deer. Just venting over the way some people try to come up with stupid sollutions to other peoples problems...

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Yes i could see where an october gun season would screw up some peoples bow hunting but notice we already have a mid october youth season in most counties and that goes mostly unnoticed in my neck of the woods. i think most hunters will wait until november to chase that trophy buck instead of burning up vacation on a doe only hunt. i personaly am a meat hunter so i would welcome a late october gun hunt on my farm. i just dont think you would see the numbers of hunters afield in october as some would think i know in my neck of the woods we only have probably a fourth as many hunters during the january doe season as we do during regular firearm seasons . i just really think more deer will get disturbed by upland game hunters and people sighting in for november than would get spooked by another doe season...

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

If you are for an antlerlesshotgun season in October then you must be high. Do you realize what this would do to the rut and the regularly scheduled shotgun season? This would ruin things not only forbowhunters but for shotgunners too. The bucks would go nocturnal the first time they hear those gunshots, whether they are being pursued or not, they become EXTREMELY cautious and would make bowhunting next to impossible. Yeah there is a youth season already, but lets be real, not very many people participate in it. I am just predicting disaster... The DNR is pretty good at ruining things so we will see what happens.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Co-Sign.....And I almost bet that 90 % the surveys completed are against this, so we will see if our DNR took in account what we had to say. If this passes, it will show me that this survey was just all a "formality",a smoke screen to make it seem as if they cared.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Sorry guys, but I'm at a loss to understand how putting a gun season in part of october is gonna "ruin" bow season. My dad and his hunting partner are bow hunting fanatics and generally go after big bucks. They have taken quite a few over the years and i don't recall all or even most of those bucksbeing taken during one week in October. Some are taken the firsthour of bow season, some are taken literally at the last minute of bow season. Hell, they have taken plenty of deer almost immediately after one or both of the guns seasons.If it would make folks happy, then I would be all for an extended "shoot does with whatever you want" season for the first two weeks of January. But sorry, i just don't buy the whole "ruin" scenario.

And yes, I am from Illinois and own land in Richland and Wayne counties and just spent the last 5 days over therecruising around looking at crop damage on surrounding tracts of land. The deer numbers in that area need to be cut down and the folks out in the country that actually have to live with the problems caused by too many deerdon't really care how or when it gets done.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

It’s not about ruing bow season, it’s about simplifying the hunting season.

October is for bow hunters! If the decision makers in Springfield wish to thin the doe population, than make the whole month of December gun season, issuing only one buck tag per hunter. Get rid of this idiotic lottery for residents.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Like GTD said it's not about "ruining" bow season...it's having either our season cut short or having to co-exist with gun hunters during this purposed "Doe season". I am ALL for population control, but this isn't the right way to do it. It's a IDNR quick fix that's being shoved down their throats by insurance companies. The #1 thing I'd like to our DNR implement is some kind of Doe program requirement for Outfitters and there Clients. #2 extend the 2nd gunseason, or have this Doe only gun season the last 2-3 weeks in Dec.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Well, like i said before, I would be all for simply adding a supplemental two week season in January when folks could shoot does with whatever they want, rather it be bows, shotguns, or pistols. But it is safe to assume that some folks won't like that either. I just think the whole"ruin" argument sounds silly.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

I think by "Ruining" most of the above posters ment It will "hurt" bow season, your taking this too far. Big difference between the choice of words there.

As for it "hurting" bow season...Absolutely!!

Let me ask you this...Why is the first morning of shotgun season always the best day and most productive?? Because its the first day of the gun season and most bucks do not have a clue until that day that us hunters in orange are out and about after them. Usually after the first day many... (I didnt say all) go completely nocturnal. That is FACT.

Now think in terms of bow season... We stick that Gun season at the end of October...and your telling me it will not hurt the primary rut during Bow season??? Indeed it will! Most of those bucks that would be up on their feet cruising for does at majic-thirty in the morning will now be laying back in the brior thicket grinning like a horse eating thissles:D

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Yep, i shouldnt have said the october gun season wouldn't ruin bow season, it would DEFINITELY hurt it though. last year i took a nice mature 8 in between gun seasons. Now, he wasnt out cruising for does either, i happened to put myself in what i thought to be a good funnel, and it worked out. He was extremly cautious, so, yeah if you throw that season in, deer are just going to move at nite, like primetime said, and cut our chances down. When food gets scarce in thelate season though, those eerie bucks start to come out of the woodwork, and thats a fact. i say NO!!!to this october season.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

After the first day ofgetting shot at, many bucks go nocturnal and are gonna stay bedded down rather than be out chasing does during the rut??? Uh, okay. However, based on that that assumption, then both bow and regular firearm rut season hunting should be hurt/ruined by the mid-october youth firearm hunts, and the second firearm season and late bow seasons should betotal busts in terms of taking bucks, since they don't even have the lure of the rut to have them out during legal shooting hours. Spotnstalk's anecdote is kind of helpful in terms of refuting the latter scenario, as are the several big racks that my father and his hunting partner took last year in December with both bow and shotgun.

I'm not gonna argue this any more fellas,since folks seem to betoning downthe "ruin" philosophy.Would be much more productive to discuss how to improve access to land, sinceall thesupplemental hunting seasons in the world ain't gonna help a whole lot if people can't get to the deer.

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Your failing to see the point we are all trying to make

As for the youth season being a hurt to harvesting a mature buck during the rut, It has no where NEAR the impact a late Oct. anterless only season would have. Youth season is not near as widespread not to mention the main rut is nearly a month after youth season anyway.

You cant tell me after a late Oct. anterless only shotgun hunt that them mature bucks are going to feel like coming out of the wood work that much more...:eek:

When you live in a place that has an abundant amount of hunting pressure the way it is (around here) your odds at taking a mature buck are even more reduced when you have a gun season placed RIGHT before the primary rut.

It would be like me asking johnny..."would you rather hunt 1st morning of shotgun season or last day of second season?" Common sense would tell yah which is better and what day your chances of killing a mature buck are of higher levels..[&:]

Would you rather have an 65% chance at taking a mature buck or a 40% chance? I know for me being a trophy hunter around here my chances being reduced would certainly fire me up!![:@]

RE: ALL Illinois Deer Hunters PLEASE......
 

Actually, Iunderstand perfectly the point that some of you are trying to make and ihave made mine clear as well. However, as i said earlier, I'm not gonna argue this any further since, to repeat, i wouldprefer to discussa more realisticemphasis on promoting ageneral supplemental hunt in January and finding ways to increase hunters access to places where you have too many deer. No matter what is attempted though, i am sure that most of us can agree thatthe state of Illinois will find some way to screw things up[:'(]