Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Hope y'all werent snoozin! Ill sold out of NR archery tags around 10PM central tim Saturday night! WOW 14 hours and they're all Gone!

Got mine though:D;)

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

thank god that im an IL residenti can walk right in and be out in 5 minutes with my archery tags[8D]

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Man....I tried for 30 hours and never got a dial tone, just busy!!!!! This will be the 1st time in 7 or 8 years I haven't gotten to hunt in Illinois!:(

I finally got a answering machine after church saying, they were sold out!! 15,000 permits .......dang....how many folks did they have answering the phones?!?!?!?![>:]

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

stroker,

was there any way to try to reserve tags in advance???

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

I wonder if I can still apply for a gun permit? Anybody know?:eek:

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

870....no they were only availible over the phone starting this past Sat. morning at 8:00 a.m..:(

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Stroker, Yes you can get a shotgun or muzzleloader permit. It's a bit complex. They have 3 or 4 draws then daily draws. I think they go by county permits for private land, and special permits for public lands. This was my plan if I did not get an archery tag. But I did get one. I know where I'd have been muzzleloading if need be. Public land. Look for anything left on the antler restricted properties. Anything. Call the ILDNR to find out exactly how it works. In my opinion most NR don't even realize how good some of these left over tags are. They get overlooked to where you can get one right up to the last day which is in November I think.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

NR can apply for shotgun and muzzleloading tags now. The draw is about August 14th or so. Applications are available through the IDNR website either by download or phone call.

Good luck!

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Thanks guys, I guess I'll try for a shotgun tag now. Don't seem right to use a gun in Ill. though.;)

The hunting I have is great up there, but that isn't what I'll miss the most, I'll miss the great time I have bowhunting with a super guy in Ill. Man....I'm still sick!![:'(]

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

I wouldn't waste your time with Illinois!:D

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

I love wasting my time there!

No big deal. Just have to understand the trend and take action. I pounded the phone line two-fisted, cell and landline, until getting through at 1:30 PM. Looking forward to my two special draw public land hunt properties this fall. Pre-rut in WC Illinois, then peak rut NE Illinois. Early birds got the worms this year. Good luck to all.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

As I understand it , the outfitters in Ill. are responsible for the quick sell out of the permits, cause they can buy up to 6 permits per phone call, so you know all their family and friends were busy on the phone Saturday. I guess they have to protect their investment in the business. Don't mean I have to like it....I wish they make it to where only the person doing the hunting can purchase a permit, to make it fair for all the rest of the country who want to hunt there.[>:]

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

As far as the early bird goes, I was dailing the # 10 minutes before 8:00 and it was already busy....never got a dial tone the rest of the day using 2 cell phones and a landline at the same time. I guess the Lord has other plans for me this year, as far as my hunting out of state.;)

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

The Outfitters where not responsible for the quick sell. They could buy 6 at a time last year also. The quick sale was because they increased the amount of operators to handle the calls thus they sold out faster because there was more people getting the phones.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Not exactly DonK, Last year they sold out in 5 days and you could get through pretty easily any day after the first day. Our club was still taking a few hunters that week and we checked daily on the numbers left and had no problem getting through. Obviously people took last years sellout seriously but there HAD to be substantial increased demand.

It sounds like something will need to change...I am hearing that a lot of noise is being made in Springfield. One outfitter I know lost 45 of his 200 hunters. We've heard of another who will be bankrupted over this.

I'm glad all the hunters in our little club were dilligent and/or lucky.:D We only lost one hunter out of 44 and quite frankly he only called for about 20 minutes, left for work, and then called a bit Saturday night, gave up again and called Sunday morning and got shut out.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

"We've heard of another who will be bankrupted over this. "


Sounds to me like they didnt plan. How does Outfitters in other states do it when they have a much lower cap then Illinois? They survive so they must plan ahead. Lots of Outfitters work in draw only states and they must be doing ok.

IMO, the only way to tell how much of a demand there really is, is to have a mail in lottery system in place. You then would know exactly how many people where applying.

Let them scream in Springfield all they want. I hope the cap stays where it is for everyones sake Non-resident and resident hunters.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Truthfully it's about time the outfitters were thinned out. Here in Pike there are so many outfitters leasing ground, us little guys have little chance of finding places to hunt. We could probably lose half the outfitters and still have more than neccissary. I don't hate em, but as someone who's lost hunting ground to em, I'm happy to see em having some trouble.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

I dont know if thats the truth about outfitters can buy 6 permits. As I took it, it was a call in deal that had to be done by the non-residents.That's what it says in the outfitter rules and regulations guidelines anyway? If it is different I'd like to know about it.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

Why does it have to change? The state does not subsidize outfitters and the state shouldn't!! Outfitting is a business for making money, plain and simple. Making game animal laws and quotas are the states business, not making sure each outfitter is allotted enough permits for hunters!

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

yes i agree 100% with cougar mag like he said its a business its win or lose, and i think its for the best that they cut down on NR tags but thats just my opinoin.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

man is deer hunting so horrible everywhere except il.:eek:

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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.

RE: Illinois NR archery tags sold out!
 

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