Gonna start rattling this weekend a little.

I hunt IL and Indiana. I feel the OBR is helping in Iniana but the fact that they have such a long gun season does kind of put a hamper on things. Last year it ended up being towards the end of Novemeber and that was great! I wish they could keep it there and maybe more deer might get by. In IL I just think the $ has screwed things up here and I doubt it will ever change.

One other thing to consider was the Government shutdown. There where sites in Illinois that where closed to bow-hunters that limited harvesting opportunities.

Very good point Don. I know a lot of guys that couldn't hunt their spots for a while and had to resort to back up land that wasn't as productive. I bet it catches up quick.

I'm sure the numbers will be down somewhat, EHD did kill a lot of deer. No where like Nebraska though, man, did they get hit hard.

Indiana's one buck rule I bet does help a lot. Everyone is holding out for a good one. I see a lot of positive and negatives for it. Can't make up my mind if I like it or not.

I don't judge B&C number at all. I know of three B&C bucks that were killed last year by me and no one wants to get them entered. You get a county with enough B&C bucks, all the guys that lease and own land see outfitters move in and try to take every available piece of hunting land, which drives of lease prices and area land getting over hunted in the area. I think Indiana people probably do it because they haven't seen the ill effect of outfitters yet. There is an outfitter about a mile away from us and every week you see a new truck there.

We have some giants where I hunt, and last we had a B&C killed on our land. It won't ever be officially scored but still will mean just the same, officially scored or not.

Good News, last report, harvest was down over 13%, this week, its down just 7%.

http://heartland.ehclients.com/image...013_Sheet1.pdf

Another thing to remember about last year is that corn was out very early last year and this year it is coming out a few weeks later. Plus, it sounds like we are going to have a later rut than last year. If we get some good weather over the next few weekends I bet we are even with last years harvest.

B&C Chart
 

Found this. No Indiana has not passed Illinois and likely never will as long as they have 16 day shotgun seasons. However, beats the hell out of Michigan with rifle/2 bucks/long rut season! :)

Really deceptive stats though, because as I mention Iowa is way better quality. Hands down. Stats skewed by much lower hunter numbers.

Where does it compare to the number of bucks harvested in those years... In Illinois you can shoot 2 bucks, so that means there are going to be more bucks shot! Never stated that Indiana put more buck #'s in Boone and Crockett, just that your odd's are better statistically of shooting a Booner in Indiana as opposed to Illinois. What % of bucks taken during those years, were entered in B&C.

Zim you having hunted Iowa, how many wall hangers have you taken from that state?

Here ya go. OBR has been in place for 7 years I believe. Whatever it could do, it has. And IN has not surpassed IL "by leaps and bounds" at least in terms of B&C bucks.

I have taken two wall hangers off Iowa public land. However, I can only draw a tag every 4 years, and most of my trips there were before I knew what I was doing.

Seems like Illinois keeps adding gun days every time we turn around. Haven not sat down and added them up with the late seasons. Also in CWD counties you can use any left over gun tags and hunt the CWD seasons and the two buck limit isnt included in that harvest.

I love bow hunting in Iowa.....

Lets break this down easily...

Illinois...
7 days of firearm hunting... (which includes the first 4 days of Muzzleloader Season)
3 additional days of muzzleloader season.

2 Buck limit, no matter in what way they're harvested! Archery, Firearm, Muzzleloader.

Indiana...
14 day firearm season.
16 day muzzleloader season.

1 buck limit, no matter which way it was harvested, archery, firearm or muzzleloader.

Iowa...
14 day firearm season.
17 day muzzleloader season.

Buck limit?? Until quotas are reached per county? Correct me if I'm wrong!

Which is the most destructive, which do you think is the least destructive? I personally think Indiana has the right idea.. 1 buck and your done! Be content with what you harvest mentality! People are just going to pass smaller bucks!

[quote=Team Radical;4091531]I work in Western Illinois writing management plans on monitoring land easements. I found 30+ dead bucks in Schuyler last year, did not count the does. Although this year I have only found 8. Better than last year but still hard for the deer herd thats for sure![/quote

hi, just wondering where in schuyler ?? I have a farm NE of Rushville by kinderhook rd and have not heard any around me. But I have heard of others in schuyler. THANKS ...