scotty mann

I agree also with cougar mag! It is a buisness and all businesses have a risk involved.The job of an outfitter is'nt just to sit back and take in hunters and collect money,they also have to try to manage the deer herds in there area and make sure the right food resources are available for them.When it comes right down to it! the state will do what it wants to do.

TwoBlade

I wasn't snoozing....I know I dialed 500 times that day. I got through on my cell phone at 11:30, and was put on hold. 15 minutes later, I lost the connection and that was it. Got through again at 10:15 p.m. and got the recording. The other three guys in the group got tags. It took us 3 years to find some people to lease hunting rights. We found a couple older farmers that were willing if we helped them out cleaning up their property and paid for the hunting rights/lease. Now I have paid for two leases that I don't even get to hunt. Poor planning huh? What a joke that system is. It makes me sick and the more I think about it, the more pi$$ed I get.

Don K

I think a mail in lottery would be much better than the current system. Everyone would have the same chance as the other. Iowa has a great system in place that Illinois should look into.

Twoblade, i would think that you would be able to sub-lease that place with no problem.

bwhunter501

i see your point, and i dont see why they dont do that because thats what they do for us residents. i just think it would be alot easier.

TwoBlade

Don,
I can't sub-lease. We are the only four guys they will allow on their property. An old man farmer and his sister's place next to each other. We don't want to approach them about allowing others in. They had a bad experience with a hunting club years ago and that is why they were hesitant in the first place. I am SOL and will probably bow-hunt in Northern Missouri on public ground this year.

And YES to the drawing....why don't they do that? This calling in in one day was rediculous.

Cougar Mag

twoblade, sorry about your misfortune. I absolutely agree that a lottery should take place for non-resident applicants.

s. il. hntr

man is deer hunting so horrible everywhere except il.

Cougar Mag

No I don't think it is. Its just that its mentioned in most every deer hunting magazine. For example, as good as Pike County may be, its a fact Pike holds a good deer population. But I seriously doubt if Pike has any more big bucks than many other areas of Illinois or other states.

Wolfhound76

We've got some pretty big bucks here, but most of them live on nonhuntable properties.[&o]