Lanse couche couche

Yep, the days of simply knocking on a few doors and quickly lining up hunting ground are coming to a close everywhere. the whole system of leasing ground and/or operation of hunting clubs and outfitters has spread into Illininois. It hasn't take completely over, but it is getting bad. You can't fault landowners for taking the money if someone wants to lease their land either. Its their land and their business and it is not their job to provide hunting ground to people. I realized 6 or 7 years ago that the only way to go is to buy your own land. But its hard to convince some folks that is the case.

rogerstv

Interesting read fellas.

I don't think numbers are down. I just think the deer are good at avoiding humans and once the gun toting hunters hit the woods, the deer split to places where there are no humans. It is doesn't help that the rut winds down.

Youth hunters aren't to blame for sure. I heard very few shots that entire weekend. I don't even take my kids, but they get landowner tags. It is the same for me and the youth turkey, which is usually cold, rainy, sh1tty weather.

Personally, I would like to see the gun weekends combined. Give them nine days to get in and GET out. That way the deer aren't heavily pressured basically for an entire month. I don't understand why they break it for Thanksgiving anyway. Or, I could live with the gun hunters getting December. Can u tell I prefer to bow hunt?

I don't see this state changing anything unless it equates to more money. No way. Check stations aren't the answer. They cost money. Nothing against the principle behind them or students getting an understanding, they just cost money to operate. I called in two deer this year that were cut up and in the freezer. They could have easily gone unchecked.

Lanse couche couche

I think that folks in Illinois, especially the younger generation, are starting to get a bit spoiled. In the 1970s, a person could sit in their stand for days and not even see a doe. By the early 2000s, the population had reached the point where if you go rabbit hunting you will see far more deer than rabbits and it is easy pickings on bucks. So, one season that is a little off for some folks in some areas will probably seem bad.

salukipv1

That's crazy to hear, why were deer #s so low just 40yrs ago?

I mean we've been farming for hundreds of years in the US haven't we?

I think my cousin was apart of IL's first deer season, or at least one of the early ones, he says to this day how it was a "buck only" tag.

fluncuations in harvest #s from year to year don't bother me, I remember a few years back the 1st gun season was what seemed to be prime rut where we were hunting, and I think that year was a record harvest year. Other years are just randomly better or worse I think.

Down&OutHunting

All we can do is hope it gets better. It has two ways to go either get better or get way worse...Seems like all of Southern Illinois is going to hell, not just the deer hunting..Siu may be closing its doors in the spring if they dont get there priorities straight so im kinda freakin about that, just wish i could finish up down there before they possibly shut it down.

Lanse couche couche

Saluki,

Deer were almost wiped out in Illinois by the early 20th century. If i recall they were very rare in many areas until they started restocking them in the 1950s. Then it was another decade or so until there were enough deer to justify a buck only season. When i was coming up in Richland County in the early 1970s, it was still somewhat unusual to see deer and success rates were pretty low. Wasn't until the late 1970s and early 1980s that the population really started to take off. By the early 2000s it had simply become amazing at how many you see wherever you go. Lots of folks nowdays are accustomed to driving down the road dodging deer, seeing a dozen at a time out on the edge of fields, or being able to pass on all sorts of does and small bucks before deciding to shoot one. That's very different from 35 years ago and 35 years ago was very different from 70 years ago. That's why it is always a subjective perspective in terms of whether the deer numbers are great, loousy, or somewhere in between.

Cornelius08

According to lanse, no state has too few deer anywhere, and all concerns are null and void.

ryanhill

i live in pike county the leading county in numbers and kills in the state so im not complianing about numbers just that outfitters have made the 130 inch 3 years old a mature deer and when they have alot of the ground in the area leased out alot of the bucks dont get to reach the level they were getting to a few years ago . and we are runing into alot of outfitters goin out of business couse they completly burn out there ground . i used to guide hunts and ive seen it alot in my area . im not worried about numbers not were i live , but the pressure that is being put on the deer

rogerstv

Living in Pike and watching all of the B.S. unless you're profiting from can't be fun. I remember when we got permits every other year.

Cougar Mag

Without reading all of the posts here are my complaints:

Too many gun seasons
Season is too long(archery and gun)
State government is only interested in gaining more money(unlimited doe permits for archery is stupid)

Illinois has gone from one of the best managed deer hunting states to one of the worst in the last 10 years. At least our neighbor to the east(Indiana) has the wherewithall to decide county-by-county of how many deer should be taken by individuals. If you want to not use your tags, poach, etc. then most parts of Illinois is fair game as we have far too many game wardens covering far too many areas.

Plain and simple, Illinois politicians tell the DNR how to run things.