fastetti

First off, welcome to the forum!

I personally would like the check stations coming back because I always found it fun to see what guys are bringing in. Plus, the IDNR can get a better understanding of the age of deer coming in. I know not all will follow it but it would be nice. I still can't see how they don't get University students to come and work them for extra credit. We have so many college/Universities in this state they have to be able to work something out.

Draw for Bowhunting??? In the sentence above you said there were too many deer in your area. The success rate on Bowhunting is quite low. I know many guys that will be eating tags this year. I think the success rate is around 30% or so but I may be wrong. I think Bowhunting is pretty good for the state right now.

I do think that the state could benefit from a later gun season. It would be a tougher hunt for the bucks, but also more of the crops would be down. There are pluses and minuses for both ends I guess.

Lanse couche couche

Many areas of Illinois are dealing with deer overpopulation. That is why there was support for the special season to reduce doe numbers. I don't have any problem with the way things are going now, especially if we are starting to see lower herd numbers reflected in lower harvests. Forget 1999 harvest levels, pre-1989 harvest levels would be fine with me, since it would mean deer are back down to a manageable level.

My only problem is the confusing patchwork of different seasons with different weapons and varying degrees of overlap between deer permits makes it confusing. Would be nice to see things simplified.

crm7290

Some of the woods by my house in Cook county are over run with deer. Im pretty sure that Busse woods had some taken out by the biologists a couple years back.

I dont hunt (yet), dont even own a gun (yet) but I hear all of the complaints about the Wisconsin deer season and come on and see you saying that even Illinois is going down hill is a little disheartening. I want to start hunting and most likely will go out next season near Rochester, Mn on a friends land (I go to college in Minnesota, live in Illinois).

I would volunteer to work a deer check in station in Illinois, with credit given to me or not (most likely not, unless they can somehow consider it an internship). I am also a biology major, still don't know exactly what I'm trying to do, most likely something with the outdoors, maybe fishery biology? But thats a different subject for a different day.

So all in all I really don't have an opinion but am one of those biology students who would be willing to help out a check station.


On a side note I have an invite to go hunting but told him that I would wait to get some practice in with a bow before I go out and shoot a deer in the leg or something horrible like that.

On a second, unneeded, site note:
Im working on the gun situation, as I live in dorms for this year and my family isn't exactly gun friendly at home. Ill be in a house next year and am most likely getting a .22 to shoot, something cheap that I can learn with before stepping up to something else.

Sorry for the post that has little to do with the thread but I didnt want you to be wondering why I dont hunt and am on a hunting site. Tryna learn so i can do it right

crm

IL-Cornfed

I agree with most of your post... however, I think the Youth season change proposal would be incredibly foolish!

Do you guys actually know what the Statewide Youth season harvest is ?!? I don't think a thousand deer taken over the entire state... with the fact that the majority of these deer tagged being DOES, is going to improve ANYONE's hunting in the State. I think it's just easier for other folks to blame kids on their problems.... it's honestly a ridiculous statement to make from any management standpoint.

You would save more deer by taking away even a couple days of bow season or a single DAY of late gun season... I don't think taking away the chance for future generations of hunters to enjoy the sport would be the action any of us would want to take.... is it ?!?

Look and review the actual harvest numbers and I believe some of your would be embarrassed about your proposed Youth season ban! Having the chance to work with Hunter Education groups and trying to encourage 3 kids of my own in the outdoors.... forcing them to wait until the bitter cold, very uncomfortable temps of late November isnt the best way to get a Youth addicted to hunting. Let 'em have the pleasant lazy days of mid October and let 'em enjoy it. What's next, would you like to ban their 2 Days of Youth Turkey in April as well.... I mean, they may take 50 turkey that you guys won't get a chance at?

I just think some you need to look else where for whats to blame.... it's not the young kids, gentlemen.

cherokee75

I think the harvest during firearm season, or lack thereof, may have more to do with all the standing corn. I know in my neck of the woods, Rock Island, Henry, Mercer Co. and such, lots of corn was up during the first season and most of the second with farmers out picking near where I was hunting both seasons. The ground I am ML hunting in the morning still has all its corn up. It was just really wet in Oct. and early Nov.

Down&OutHunting

I deff. say keep the youth season, i think that illinois did a great thing by opening that up. I also got to thinking and i would probably just keep it how it is because i know when i was a youth i seen good bucks but had to take a doe. I know the standing corn has alot to do with the deer sightings but this year when we were shelling corn we didnt run many deer out of the fields. I just think the blue tounge hit some places a little harder than what people may think. I never meant to sound disheartening so sorry about that. Guess its just been a weird year that has certainly tested the best of my abilities.

Demo92

Exactly, theres nothing better than the excitement a kid has when they have a deer down.

i like the idea of having the 2nd buck tag earned, or just make it one buck per season gun or bow, but just one buck.

salukipv1

We should all send ILDNR a email or letter saying let's implement "Earn a 2nd buck tag"

If I have a chance to get a address or email I'll post it...

Down&OutHunting

well i have a question about this earn a second buck tag and how it works. So im guessing you must kill a buck before you can get a second buck tag? correct me if im wrong on that. But usually here in IL if you kill a buck and doe then cant you just go back out and get another buck tag. I mean its kind of already in effect. Or can you go ou tin IL and buy your two buck tags at the same time cause i just buy one set of permits at a time.

salukipv1

Earn a 2nd buck tag would require you to "earn it" as in you would no longer be able to just buy 2 buck tags right away and go hunt and shoot two bucks. It would require someone to shoot a doe before they could buy a 2nd buck tag. So guys could no longer shoot 2 bucks and be done for the season, now in order to shoot two bucks they'd have to harvest at least 1 doe. Also alot of guys would taken a buck and take a doe and never take that 2nd buck. Ideally I think a doe is taken for every buck, this would at least bring the ration down to 2:1, instead of 2:0, and ideally closer to like 1.5:1 since not everyone who would shoot a doe would take 2 bucks, some guys would probably even take a doe and not even shoot 1 buck, but would buy a 2nd buck tag still to have the chance at taking 2.

And to answer your question, you can buy 2 buck tags right away in IL, alot of guys do buy 1, and will buy a 2nd once they fill their buck, or both tags, but it's not required for you to shoot a buck and/or doe to get your 2nd buck tag.

Earn a 2nd buck would simply require a guy to harvest a doe and call it in/check it before they could get a 2nd buck tag.

Personally I like this idea because then we're still a 2 buck state, as opposed to other states with 1 buck limits, as well it would help bring the buck/doe ration in check closer to 1:1