RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

The tag systemwas consistently abused when they had check stations and it will continue to be abusedif they bring it back.And yes, I am all about population control. Not to be harsh, but the people who want to keep things the way they are generally arent the same people who have to deal with crop and property damage from too many deer. I dont really care about the the whole trophy state thing. It is funny that folks like the idea of Illinois being a trophy state, but then complain bitterly about outfitters, leasing, and high land prices that result from the trophy hunting mentality. You see a significant reduction in the deer population, including bucks, and those problems start going away.

The funny thing is that I used to think my way of thinking on the topic was way out of the ordinary. However, over the holidays, I discussed the situation with several folks in my part of Illinois who are pretty hardcore deer hunters and who like to go after the big bucks. Surprisingly, they tended to agree with me. And I know that the majority of large landowners in my area (many of whom don't even hunt) agree with me.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

I'm not sure we need a longer doe season in my county. Everyone I talked to saw far fewer deer this year than in years past. I haven't killed a doe since 2006, thats the last time I had one in range.[&:]I see tons of spikes and runt bucks, as well as a few nice bucks. Next weekend is the killem all doe season, if I even see a doe it will be a nicehunt IMO.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Where are you hunting at? In the counties that I am familiar with in southeastern Illinois, guys damn nearhave to push their way thru the does just to get to their stand.[:-]My last day in Illinois for Christmas, I was driving around Crawford and Richland County and almost hit two does out in the open in the middle of the day.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Not too far from your stomping grounds Lanse. I live in Marion County near Salem. I hunt there, Fayette County near Vandalia and Clinton County near Patoka. I see deer, just very few does.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Oh okay. Sounds like they really need to thin out the bucks in your area.

My frame of reference is counties like Jasper, Crawford, Richland, Lawrence, and Wayne. When I drive home to Illinois, I cross into Illininois at Terre Haute and drive south on hwy 1 from Marshall, then west on hwy 50, then have several miles of blacktop and gravel roads. I pretty much have to keep on my toes as i have already hit one deer and have had a couple of close calls on that stretchof road, especially lower highway 1. Its even worse in a lot of rural Richland county. It is easy to hit one or have a close call just driving 35 miles an hour down a gravel road. The local paper now often has a special section in the police reports just to cover the deer related accidents. My family that still lives out in the country have to build fences that look likeVietnam firebase around their gardens just to keep the deer damage at a minimum. That is a hell of a change since the 1970s. I guess that for people whocame of age since the population exploded in the late 1980s and 1990s, all this seems normal. But for other folks it's not.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Lanse and 2Lunger, I read both your comments alot on this board and really like what both of you have to say. In this instance, I agree with you both. Lanse, after thinking about it, I tend to agree with you a little more. I agree that the high price of the outfitters tends to make less people a larger area therefor making the buck quality much better. I think the problem for me is that I really can't afford to take one of these outfitter hunts therefor I hate seeing all these big deer taken and not getting the opportunity at them. Its one of those situations where you love it and hate it at the same time.

These areas that are overcrowded with deer are probably the big 200+ acre parcels of land that have 3 guys trophy hunting it and therefor let all the does walk. Then you get a bunch of 40 acre parcels in another area where you get 2 or 3 guys hunting that land and try to take meat for the freezer and then hope for a big buck. The deer population just varies so much county to county. You'll get guys complaining of no deer on a 50 acre parcel but 5 miles away on a 300 acre parcel they'll be deer everywhere. Personally, I wish these outfitters would make there clients take a doe when they fill there buck tag. Even if they donate it, it sure would help. After I got my buck in Illinois this year, I was looking forward to taking a doe and helping a person less fortunate but was unable to due to a health issue with my buddies wife.

I wish there was a way to convince some of these trophy hunters to take a doe and donate it to someone less fortunate. I know there are programs set up around the state, but I seem to never be able to find one when I have an extra tag to fill, I'd love to make it easier. I have no problem spending the extra $15 for a tag and 30 mins gutting and loading a deer if I know I can get it to someone in need. That, though, is when I can find a place to hunt in Illinois!

I feel that they issue enough tags, its just getting those tags filled in the right areas and not overhunting one area and underhunting another. People drive through a 1000 acre farm and complain about almost hitting a deer, but then 3 miles away there is nothing. Its all about shooting the deer in the right areas.

I'm not even going to get into poaching, It just makes me mad the way people don't callin deer or reuse tags.

Heres a quick example of my hunting experiences with some of my favorite pictures:

Here is the first buck I got in Michigan after hunting gun season there for 8 seasons on one piece of property:
(This is an average buck shot on this property over the past 15 year)



Here is the opening day buckpole, same county 6 miles away, same year. I think there are around 14 guys in camp.
(Note: These are guys I know through a friend of a friend, so if it's your buckpole I hope you don't mond me using it!)
They are hunting on 400 acres I believe.



Here is me on a nice size parcel of ground in S. Illinois first time hunting it on opening day:




I think the key is just to get people who own big chunks of land to take out enough does so there property isn't a sanctuary. I do feel for the farmers in areas that get a lot of there crops eaten by deer, but they may be the same farmers leasing there land to these outfitters who only let there clients take 130+ bucks. Its a tough medium, thats for sure. I think its up to the hunters more than the government to get a acceptable deer population where we obviously have too many.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Lanse,

Don't get me wrong. I agree that something needs to be done about the deer population. Our doe population is out of control! With that being said, I love deer hunting in IL. for one reason and one reason only. Big Bucks!IL. will always have big bucks. With that we will always have outfitters. With outfitters we will always have a large doe population. With our current tag system we will never come close to having an accurate harvest number. Our harvest number was down over 80,000 deer this year bow and gun season combined. That right there tells me the call in system does not work. Sure the check station method was abused as well, but not nearly as bad as the call in system.

If we continue with what we are doing right now the problem will take care of itself. Eventually we will run out of quality deer and the out of state hunters will seek other states like Iowa and the new sleeper state of Indiana for large bucks. This will include the guy from PA that I ran off of my hunting ground three times during gun season. The third time the game warden was called and he was given a ticket after I called the landowner and he came to the scene. The exact words from this guys mouth was, " This $250 fine is a lot cheaper than a guided hunt in Pike Co."

To make any difference with our exploding doe population we will have to lean towards a earn abuck program and re-instate check stations. You will get your buck tag when you check your doe in at the check station. Buck tags would not be able to be sold over the counter. This will never happen in IL. do to the Chicago politics who do not care about funding our DNR.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Earn a 2nd buck tag I thought sounded like a great idea.

You could still get your buck opening morning, and you'd have to harvest a doe if you want to keep your season alive for another buck.

As sportsmen in IL I think we should just all agree to take a 1 or more does for every buck we take.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

I'm not real worried about a big buck so much anymore. I've killed a few nice bucks, This year I killed my two does by the 10th of October. Guys kill the deer, Screw the outfitters, stop and talk to the guy that's farming, get pemission and kill some deer. Up in winnabago county they have been having the county kill the deer due to C.W.D. they don't care, buck, doe, spike it all goes down.

RE: IL Deer Task Force Final Recommendations.
 

Well, I dont want to make the outfitters the scapegoats for the whole problem. The simple fact is that over the last couple decades we have had plenty of mild winters, plenty of food, andbag limits on deer thatdid not keep up with the rise in deer population. Throw in the increasing big rack mentality and it is a recipe for problems. Lots of large private landowners post their property for their own use and only take a few big bucks as well. Even worse, you can get landowners who acknowledge that they have too manydeer on their land, but look at you like you are crazy if you suggest opening it up to a lot of other people for deer hunting. Lots of different directions to point fingers. I just know that the current plans allow lots of chances to reduce the doe population, so it will be interesting to seehow much of it gets implemented and if it works.