At last look this program has been scrapped.

NR archery tags sold out in one day for 2004. Total cost of permits(2 tags) and hunting license runs about $275. Cap was around 15,600 this year but, a group of outfitters operating in Illinois have filed a lawsuit in Federal court challenging the DNR's authority to place caps on non-resident bowhunters. So time will tell if this will change. I am not sure about NR firearm deer hunting. There is more public land in southern Illinois than in other parts. Some of the smaller public land sites scattered throughout Ill. can be good producers but its tough.

Buck Huntin Girl.........don't overlook Indiana's deer herd. With that 1 buck per season limit I look for Indiana to produce more than their average share of big bucks. Personally, I am going to hunt Indiana as well as Illinois in 2005. There is a great new 8,000 acre public land site that just recently opened not far from me over in Indiana. It was just recently opened to firearms for the first time this season!! Good luck in your search.

www.accessil.org according to the site it still seems to be up and running??

I tell you what. Shawnee National forest down here in southern Illinois is huge. Get a boat and go up or down stream on the big muddy river and find yourself a spot away from everyone else. That is what my friend's dad does and he has a 190" giant on the wall.

We don't have any bucks in Illinois. Sent them all to Iowa.

The truth is there are pretty good bucks in almost area's of the state. Thank the farmers, they're the ones feeding them. That is what you want to do if you're looking for a nice buck, hunt the small woodlots next to farm land. The limited public lands are far too pressured to produce anything of any quality. To have a real chance at a good Illinois buck you have to do either of 3 things over here; 1) lease or buy land. Be carefull it can get very expensive. 2) Use an outfitter. Too darn expensive. 3) Get permission from a farmer. It's tough to get it out of them since they are well aware of how much their land is worth to lease but some farmers will still allow it. You just have to know somebody who knows them.
Your best way is to call the local agriculture co-op to see if they know anybody who would be willing or speak to a farm real estate agent. For a small fee (about $100) either one will hook you up with a farmer with too many deer. Look for farm land near major rivers and adjacent to large woodlots of at least 300 to 800 acres. Those are the areas that produce the real big bucks.
My last recomendation is to learn to archery hunt. The season is much less pressured, significantly longer and the deer are a lot less tense.
Get the land, get the tags, then scout it out big time. Early to mid-november is the hottest time of the year.

Hunting season is over in Indiana? We still have about a month left....still some muzzleloader and late archery..which includes crossbows. Don't be a weekend warrior and hunt during the "firearms" season...get out there late December/early January when the deer are easy to pattern...when it's COLD out...and when you can ice fish late morning/early afternoon.


About small deer??? Eh...depends on where you hunt, I guess. Anything south of Ft. Wayne it seems the deer get smaller...but up around the Michigan boarder...200+ class deer are taken every year.