Brand new to hunting so many ????
10-17-2013, 11:22 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: St Charles, IL
Posts: 28
Brand new to hunting so many ????
Ok so I am trying to get into hunting but haveing some issues and finding so much conflicting information its rediculous. So I am on here to put myself out there and to get help in anyway I can.
I am 28M, live in St charles, IL (Kane County) Prior military been out for almost 3 years. And I am picking up hunting because I enjoy the thrill of hunting a target and taking it down. I am a decent shoot (longest confirmed kill was at 1000 meters/1090yards) but depending on who you talk to that may differ in opinion.
I am looking to start with coyote hunting in IL because it is year round. I have selected a 22-250 to use to hunt with. Havent purchesed it yet because havent found the perfect deal/fit yet but leaning towards a savage model that comes with the scope.
Enough about myself now all the stuff I need answered.
A) Where is some areas I can hunt Coyote in IL? The only response I find is where ever you hunt deer and I am new to hunting so I have no locations yet. Willing to drive up to 4 hours for good locations, preferably with places to camp nearby.
B) I keep hearing that in some locations you need a Habitat stamp...What in the world is this?
C) What do you do with a Coyote once it is dead? I have heard 3 things to do with it.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it. The eating thing seems to be the biggest issue. Some peopl say no, some say yes. Need some clarification here with some proof if you can. Unless your proof is you actually eat it yourself. It being weird doesnt bother me, I have eaten maggots in Tawain and rat in China. So weird is fine.
But please give me your take on it all.
D) Since I am fairly close to WI and IN how hard is it to beable to hunt there as well?
E) Oh an is anyone willing to take me out Hunting a couple times just to show me the ropes on calls or skinning or anything. Dont care about driving far. And it doesnt even have to be hunting just skinning or dressing the coyote after the fact will help enough.
F) I am waiting for my hunters safety card thing in the mail as well...do i have to carry this while hunting in IL, or anywhere?
I am sure there will be more questions in the future. Thanks for the help.
I am 28M, live in St charles, IL (Kane County) Prior military been out for almost 3 years. And I am picking up hunting because I enjoy the thrill of hunting a target and taking it down. I am a decent shoot (longest confirmed kill was at 1000 meters/1090yards) but depending on who you talk to that may differ in opinion.
I am looking to start with coyote hunting in IL because it is year round. I have selected a 22-250 to use to hunt with. Havent purchesed it yet because havent found the perfect deal/fit yet but leaning towards a savage model that comes with the scope.
Enough about myself now all the stuff I need answered.
A) Where is some areas I can hunt Coyote in IL? The only response I find is where ever you hunt deer and I am new to hunting so I have no locations yet. Willing to drive up to 4 hours for good locations, preferably with places to camp nearby.
B) I keep hearing that in some locations you need a Habitat stamp...What in the world is this?
C) What do you do with a Coyote once it is dead? I have heard 3 things to do with it.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it. The eating thing seems to be the biggest issue. Some peopl say no, some say yes. Need some clarification here with some proof if you can. Unless your proof is you actually eat it yourself. It being weird doesnt bother me, I have eaten maggots in Tawain and rat in China. So weird is fine.
But please give me your take on it all.
D) Since I am fairly close to WI and IN how hard is it to beable to hunt there as well?
E) Oh an is anyone willing to take me out Hunting a couple times just to show me the ropes on calls or skinning or anything. Dont care about driving far. And it doesnt even have to be hunting just skinning or dressing the coyote after the fact will help enough.
F) I am waiting for my hunters safety card thing in the mail as well...do i have to carry this while hunting in IL, or anywhere?
I am sure there will be more questions in the future. Thanks for the help.
10-19-2013, 12:23 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SE Mn
Posts: 61
I have selected a 22-250 to use to hunt with. Havent purchesed it yet because havent found the perfect deal/fit yet but leaning towards a savage model that comes with the scope.
Enough about myself now all the stuff I need answered.
A) Where is some areas I can hunt Coyote in IL?
Not from your area but for the most part, it's all the same.
Where to hunt? Well, I'd start off with a few visits to some rural farms. Especially ones that raise cattle. You'd be surprised just how many calves fall victim to coyotes when born. Used to be, back in the day, you'd ask a farmer to hunt, maybe even trade some labor for the privilege to hunt his land. Granted, finding a farmer like that is not as easy as it once was but trust me, they are out there. Same thing goes for deer. Several farmers have been approached by hunters already for gun season and those spots are already taken, but many will let you hunt archery and later in the season by muzzle loader. Unless your hunting out west or the great plains, your shots will usually be under 100 yards.
B) I keep hearing that in some locations you need a Habitat stamp...What in the world is this?
Contact your local DNR, dept. of fish and game or what ever its called in your state. They can explain it to you and tell you how it works.
C) What do you do with a Coyote once it is dead? I have heard 3 things to do with it.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it.
I can almost guarantee you, there is a trapping club close to you. Do an internet search for one. Also, contact you local DNR on this topic. They may be able to point you in the right direction. Talk with local gun shops. Some of the old timers will know a few trappers and can give you advice on that.
D) Since I am fairly close to WI and IN how hard is it to beable to hunt there as well?
Not hard at all. I simple out of state lic. is all that is required. Finding a place to due so would be the challenge. Public land would probably be your best best unless you can hook up with a farmer like mentioned above.
E) Oh an is anyone willing to take me out Hunting a couple times just to show me the ropes on calls or skinning or anything. Dont care about driving far. And it doesnt even have to be hunting just skinning or dressing the coyote after the fact will help enough.
If you were closer, I'd be happy to. Something you might consider is joining your local gun club. There will be plenty of people there that are more than willing to show you the ropes and as time goes on, would probably be willing to have you join them on a hunt.
F) I am waiting for my hunters safety card thing in the mail as well...do i have to carry this while hunting in IL, or anywhere?
Not sure on your state. Here, you cant get a lic without it so no need to carry it. Check with your DNR.
I am sure there will be more questions in the future. Thanks for the help.
Enough about myself now all the stuff I need answered.
A) Where is some areas I can hunt Coyote in IL?
Not from your area but for the most part, it's all the same.
Where to hunt? Well, I'd start off with a few visits to some rural farms. Especially ones that raise cattle. You'd be surprised just how many calves fall victim to coyotes when born. Used to be, back in the day, you'd ask a farmer to hunt, maybe even trade some labor for the privilege to hunt his land. Granted, finding a farmer like that is not as easy as it once was but trust me, they are out there. Same thing goes for deer. Several farmers have been approached by hunters already for gun season and those spots are already taken, but many will let you hunt archery and later in the season by muzzle loader. Unless your hunting out west or the great plains, your shots will usually be under 100 yards.
B) I keep hearing that in some locations you need a Habitat stamp...What in the world is this?
Contact your local DNR, dept. of fish and game or what ever its called in your state. They can explain it to you and tell you how it works.
C) What do you do with a Coyote once it is dead? I have heard 3 things to do with it.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it.
I can almost guarantee you, there is a trapping club close to you. Do an internet search for one. Also, contact you local DNR on this topic. They may be able to point you in the right direction. Talk with local gun shops. Some of the old timers will know a few trappers and can give you advice on that.
D) Since I am fairly close to WI and IN how hard is it to beable to hunt there as well?
Not hard at all. I simple out of state lic. is all that is required. Finding a place to due so would be the challenge. Public land would probably be your best best unless you can hook up with a farmer like mentioned above.
E) Oh an is anyone willing to take me out Hunting a couple times just to show me the ropes on calls or skinning or anything. Dont care about driving far. And it doesnt even have to be hunting just skinning or dressing the coyote after the fact will help enough.
If you were closer, I'd be happy to. Something you might consider is joining your local gun club. There will be plenty of people there that are more than willing to show you the ropes and as time goes on, would probably be willing to have you join them on a hunt.
F) I am waiting for my hunters safety card thing in the mail as well...do i have to carry this while hunting in IL, or anywhere?
Not sure on your state. Here, you cant get a lic without it so no need to carry it. Check with your DNR.
I am sure there will be more questions in the future. Thanks for the help.
10-19-2013, 12:48 PM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: St Charles, IL
Posts: 28
Thanks for responding. I Have been doing lots a research andf even got a digest and 2 DVD's on the subject from my DNR. I will be reviewing these later this weekend or maybe into the week to gather more info. As for local gun clubs and trappers so such luck so far. My area is heavily populated with people that just want to shoot guns and dont care for the hunt. I have run into an old timer that does hunt but he hunts in WI,IN,MI,OH,MS. He doesnt like to hunt in IL due to reguations so he goes elsewhere. And he just bowhunts I believe. He offered to take me with so I can shoot the yotes that interfere with his hunting but he goes for weeks at a time hunting which I cant do. Even with all the set backs I am determined to hunt. I want to start with Yotes cuz it has the least restrictions and move up the like to bigger game when i get more skill and equipment aquired.
I agree hunting seems to be a dying sport. It seems people in my age group (20-30) just want to get an AR to blow up targets and thats it. I tried to get a couple friends to start this up with me but they dont have the patience. They got irritated when I spent the time dialing in a scope on my ruger 10/22. They wanted to blow through the 500 rounds of ammo we got and thats it. So frustratings...anyway I digress.
Anywho, any information that help im open for.
I agree hunting seems to be a dying sport. It seems people in my age group (20-30) just want to get an AR to blow up targets and thats it. I tried to get a couple friends to start this up with me but they dont have the patience. They got irritated when I spent the time dialing in a scope on my ruger 10/22. They wanted to blow through the 500 rounds of ammo we got and thats it. So frustratings...anyway I digress.
Anywho, any information that help im open for.
10-22-2013, 10:48 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
Don't let the lack of responses discourage you, there's a great bunch of folks here with a lot of knowledge, so I'd encourage you to hang around and keep asking questions.
The reason you didn't get many responses is because some of the questions you asked are REALLY specific info about certain states, or really vague (like "where to hunt"). When you ask specific questions about where to hunt in a given state, unless someone from that state sees it, you won't likely get an answer. Where to hunt is infinitely open ended, so you don't get many answers for those questions either.
I'd be interested to hear what specifically you're finding that is conflicted. Hunters are people, human beings, and often very opinionated. Many very entrenched in 'old school dogma', and many others are new and don't know the score (but think they do), so it's easy to find conflicting opinions.
There are a lot of different options for 'what to do with coyotes'. On summer depredation control hunts when the fur is worthless, I take the carcass with me and dispose of it properly in a pit on my own property. During the winter when the fur is thick, I either skin them and sell the hides, or sell the whole carcass green. I skin at my fur shed then dispose of the skinned carcass.
I've never heard a furbuyer called a "fur barn". Maybe you're mistakenly understanding the term "fur shed", which is usually a small shed where guys prepare furs for sale, flesh it, stretch it to dry, etc. If you're looking for a furbuyer, there are lots of resources to find them.
Another option would be to find a local trapper and just let him have the carcasses, that way they can deal with the time consuming hide preparation, and you can spend your time hunting instead, and the fur doesn't go to waste.
You couldn't pay me to eat coyote meat on a regular basis. To each their own I guess. I would bet you will NOT find a butcher shop that is interested in taking the meat. For starters, it's a federal mandate that wild game and domestic meat supply are not processed on the same 'lines' i.e. equipment, at the same time, so a small butcher would not legally be able to do so. I'd also be VERY surprised if a typical wild game processor would take in a coyote. Deer and elk are one thing, but 'vermin' are a different story.
If you want to butcher and eat it, go right ahead. What you ate a few times as part of a local culture while you were overseas is very different than butchering and eating coyotes on a regular basis. I have eaten coyote meat a few times, won't eat it again, and I can't even imagine eating the volume of coyote meat that I'd put down in a year...
The reason you didn't get many responses is because some of the questions you asked are REALLY specific info about certain states, or really vague (like "where to hunt"). When you ask specific questions about where to hunt in a given state, unless someone from that state sees it, you won't likely get an answer. Where to hunt is infinitely open ended, so you don't get many answers for those questions either.
C) What do you do with a Coyote once it is dead? I have heard 3 things to do with it.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it. The eating thing seems to be the biggest issue. Some peopl say no, some say yes. Need some clarification here with some proof if you can. Unless your proof is you actually eat it yourself. It being weird doesnt bother me, I have eaten maggots in Tawain and rat in China. So weird is fine.
1) Just toss it in the truck and sell it to a fur barn. Looked up fur barn and find no such thing.
2) Skin on site and sell the pelts. Cant seem to find anything near me to buy them. But Ill drive where ever to sell them, no biggy
3) Field dress, skin to sell pelt, then give carcass to butcher to prep and eat it. The eating thing seems to be the biggest issue. Some peopl say no, some say yes. Need some clarification here with some proof if you can. Unless your proof is you actually eat it yourself. It being weird doesnt bother me, I have eaten maggots in Tawain and rat in China. So weird is fine.
I've never heard a furbuyer called a "fur barn". Maybe you're mistakenly understanding the term "fur shed", which is usually a small shed where guys prepare furs for sale, flesh it, stretch it to dry, etc. If you're looking for a furbuyer, there are lots of resources to find them.
Another option would be to find a local trapper and just let him have the carcasses, that way they can deal with the time consuming hide preparation, and you can spend your time hunting instead, and the fur doesn't go to waste.
You couldn't pay me to eat coyote meat on a regular basis. To each their own I guess. I would bet you will NOT find a butcher shop that is interested in taking the meat. For starters, it's a federal mandate that wild game and domestic meat supply are not processed on the same 'lines' i.e. equipment, at the same time, so a small butcher would not legally be able to do so. I'd also be VERY surprised if a typical wild game processor would take in a coyote. Deer and elk are one thing, but 'vermin' are a different story.
If you want to butcher and eat it, go right ahead. What you ate a few times as part of a local culture while you were overseas is very different than butchering and eating coyotes on a regular basis. I have eaten coyote meat a few times, won't eat it again, and I can't even imagine eating the volume of coyote meat that I'd put down in a year...
10-22-2013, 11:54 AM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: St Charles, IL
Posts: 28
Thanks for the response nomercy448,
I live in suburbia, which i hate so much so having a fur shed is out of the question. I asked the hunter that hunts in other states and he was firm that a "furbarn" was a location that you can drop of a dead animal non field dressed or skinned and they will pay you for it. I havent been able to get in touch with any hunting/trapping groups out here considering you have to travel 2-3 hours before you get to anywhere that does those activities regularly. Hence why I am on the net trying to pull together resources to start this up. Saying that I did find a game processor near me that processes all sort of weird meats that said they never have done Yote but are willing to give it a try. They will butcher it or make snack sticks or jerky out of it. They process deer, feral swine, bison, buffalo, alligator, ostritch and some other stuff as well. They do have a website as well if anyone wants it. I was shocked to find this place 15min from the house when you have to travel so far to hunt. We are the lowest zone for hunting (deer) in the state us being 100 deer killed in the zone next lowest being 2000. huge difference. Anyway. Just want to try the Yote once to say I did. If all else fails I have some locals saying that they will gladly pay for the meat to eat if i dont want it. And that is one of the conflicting info I have got. In some countries dog is a highly sought dish but just about every american will say no or never try it. From the reasearch I have done they carry less diseases then deer, just as gamey maybe a little tougher meat. Other then that it is like every other carnivour you eat (bear ,alligator, croc). I guess I will just find out when I get one.
I do have a question for those who do hunt Yote. I will be buying the savage arms 11/111 trophy hunter xp in 22-250 caliber but cant decide on the scope. it comes with either a nikon 3x9 BDC with the range finder built in or a bushnell 4x12 standard cross hairs. Its only a $50 difference just seeing which whould be a better option. And I just got my hunter safety card in the mail so I will be getting my hunting permit in the next week.
I live in suburbia, which i hate so much so having a fur shed is out of the question. I asked the hunter that hunts in other states and he was firm that a "furbarn" was a location that you can drop of a dead animal non field dressed or skinned and they will pay you for it. I havent been able to get in touch with any hunting/trapping groups out here considering you have to travel 2-3 hours before you get to anywhere that does those activities regularly. Hence why I am on the net trying to pull together resources to start this up. Saying that I did find a game processor near me that processes all sort of weird meats that said they never have done Yote but are willing to give it a try. They will butcher it or make snack sticks or jerky out of it. They process deer, feral swine, bison, buffalo, alligator, ostritch and some other stuff as well. They do have a website as well if anyone wants it. I was shocked to find this place 15min from the house when you have to travel so far to hunt. We are the lowest zone for hunting (deer) in the state us being 100 deer killed in the zone next lowest being 2000. huge difference. Anyway. Just want to try the Yote once to say I did. If all else fails I have some locals saying that they will gladly pay for the meat to eat if i dont want it. And that is one of the conflicting info I have got. In some countries dog is a highly sought dish but just about every american will say no or never try it. From the reasearch I have done they carry less diseases then deer, just as gamey maybe a little tougher meat. Other then that it is like every other carnivour you eat (bear ,alligator, croc). I guess I will just find out when I get one.
I do have a question for those who do hunt Yote. I will be buying the savage arms 11/111 trophy hunter xp in 22-250 caliber but cant decide on the scope. it comes with either a nikon 3x9 BDC with the range finder built in or a bushnell 4x12 standard cross hairs. Its only a $50 difference just seeing which whould be a better option. And I just got my hunter safety card in the mail so I will be getting my hunting permit in the next week.
10-22-2013, 04:36 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
Here's one option for you to sell your furs:
The Odell Fur Auction (produced by ITA) will be held Jan 11, 2014. Contact Mike Gragert for more information at (618) 637-9061. This auction is about 80miles from you in St. Charles. They only take skinned hides, no carcasses.
(Keep in mind, a fur hunter should have a fur shed, or at least a deep freeze in their garage to store pelts frozen until sale, unless you are going to go through all of the legwork to flesh, salt, and stretch the hides. So waiting until January is only a problem for patience.)
I would also be 100% confident that Mike or anyone else at the Illinois Trapping Association would be able to point you in the right direction to find a local trapper or caller that you could give your hides to if you don't want to sell them at auction yourself.
The North Central Illinois Fur Takers Chapter is based out of Marengo, which is ~30mi from you. They'd also be a great resource for you. Contact Irv Schrimmer (815) 923-2229. Again, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction for a local buyer, or other hunters.
If you have someone willing to buy the meat from you, I'd jump on it. BUT, keep in mind, in most states, it is illegal to sell game meat. Those other countries that like eating dogs can keep it. I have a lot better things available to eat. Beef rectum is a delicacy in some countries too, but I'm not jumping on that one either.
How many deer are harvested in a given area has absolutely nothing to do with how many hunters live there. Most cities, especially their suburbs, have very healthy populations of hunters. It makes sense then, in that case, that processors would be closer to the population centers where there are more hunters that don't have room to butcher the game themselves.
You'd be amazed at how many coyote hunters there likely are in the Chicago area. Predator calling has become all the rage in recent years, especially with hunters that live in urban and suburban areas because they can travel out and have instant gratification much moreso than traditional big game hunting.
You'd also be surprised at how far you have to travel to find coyote hunters. I worked in Rochelle back in 2008 and called coyotes with some of the local guys there between Rochelle and DeKalb, which would be about 30min to an hour from you.
Pick one, flip a coin, can't go wrong, both are decent scopes, neither is really better than the other. The 4-12x40mm Bushnell will have higher magnification than the 3-9x40mm Nikon, which is nice for longer range shots on coyotes, but not really necessary. The BDC would not interest me.
The Savage is a good choice. You'll be very happy with it. The 1:12" twist should treat you very well with 50-55grn bullets which are great for coyotes. Look into the Hornady V-max, seldom doesn't shoot well in most rifles, and is fantastic on coyotes.
The Odell Fur Auction (produced by ITA) will be held Jan 11, 2014. Contact Mike Gragert for more information at (618) 637-9061. This auction is about 80miles from you in St. Charles. They only take skinned hides, no carcasses.
(Keep in mind, a fur hunter should have a fur shed, or at least a deep freeze in their garage to store pelts frozen until sale, unless you are going to go through all of the legwork to flesh, salt, and stretch the hides. So waiting until January is only a problem for patience.)
I would also be 100% confident that Mike or anyone else at the Illinois Trapping Association would be able to point you in the right direction to find a local trapper or caller that you could give your hides to if you don't want to sell them at auction yourself.
The North Central Illinois Fur Takers Chapter is based out of Marengo, which is ~30mi from you. They'd also be a great resource for you. Contact Irv Schrimmer (815) 923-2229. Again, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction for a local buyer, or other hunters.
If you have someone willing to buy the meat from you, I'd jump on it. BUT, keep in mind, in most states, it is illegal to sell game meat. Those other countries that like eating dogs can keep it. I have a lot better things available to eat. Beef rectum is a delicacy in some countries too, but I'm not jumping on that one either.
You'd be amazed at how many coyote hunters there likely are in the Chicago area. Predator calling has become all the rage in recent years, especially with hunters that live in urban and suburban areas because they can travel out and have instant gratification much moreso than traditional big game hunting.
You'd also be surprised at how far you have to travel to find coyote hunters. I worked in Rochelle back in 2008 and called coyotes with some of the local guys there between Rochelle and DeKalb, which would be about 30min to an hour from you.
The Savage is a good choice. You'll be very happy with it. The 1:12" twist should treat you very well with 50-55grn bullets which are great for coyotes. Look into the Hornady V-max, seldom doesn't shoot well in most rifles, and is fantastic on coyotes.
10-22-2013, 11:54 PM
#8
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: St Charles, IL
Posts: 28
So my first response is "HOLY CRAP". I have been looking for information like this for weeks and can't seem to find it anywhere. And if I read your tag right your from Kansas and it took you a matter of hours to pour the info out. I am very appreciative and will be using this info to good use.
I didn't realize Coyote hunting was the current "rage". I actually picked coyote hunting for some very simple reasons. One being that it is open season all year round. So I don't have to wait any particular time to hunt them. Two, it has the least amount of restrictions, so as a learning hunter it is easier for me to do without worry of breaking rules/laws. Untill I get to know hunting better I want to stick with something easier. Three, in my state furbearers are the only game you can shoot with a rifle. In my state deer is muzzleloader,handgun,bow,shotgun only. And none of those really appeal to me. Which is why some of my earlier questions were about hunting in other states so I would beable to rifle hunt deer.
I have no problem with patience waiting to sell the furs. I probably will deep freeze them to sell unless someone at those numbers has a better setup. Ill just have hit them up and see what happens.
I did forget to ask one question. You mentioned selling the whoel carcass green.....what does green mean when you say this becuase you used it several times and im still learning the lingo.
Again thanks for the help
I didn't realize Coyote hunting was the current "rage". I actually picked coyote hunting for some very simple reasons. One being that it is open season all year round. So I don't have to wait any particular time to hunt them. Two, it has the least amount of restrictions, so as a learning hunter it is easier for me to do without worry of breaking rules/laws. Untill I get to know hunting better I want to stick with something easier. Three, in my state furbearers are the only game you can shoot with a rifle. In my state deer is muzzleloader,handgun,bow,shotgun only. And none of those really appeal to me. Which is why some of my earlier questions were about hunting in other states so I would beable to rifle hunt deer.
I have no problem with patience waiting to sell the furs. I probably will deep freeze them to sell unless someone at those numbers has a better setup. Ill just have hit them up and see what happens.
I did forget to ask one question. You mentioned selling the whoel carcass green.....what does green mean when you say this becuase you used it several times and im still learning the lingo.
Again thanks for the help
10-23-2013, 08:14 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
I just googled "Illinois Fur Buyers":
Here's a link from the Illinois DNR that's a list of SEVERAL furbuyers in Illinois, complete with phone numbers to contact them:
Illinois DNR Fur 2012-2013 Fur Buyer List
Here's another link to a buyer that has a weekly schedule at many locations around IL:
Groenewold Fur & Wool Buying Route & Schedule
"Green pelts" is a pretty common term for fresh skins that have not been prepped. Just skinned off the carcass, not fleshed, salted, stretched at all yet. I usually prefer to sell green if I can, fleshing, salting, stretching and drying takes time and elbow grease, and only gains a few bucks per fur usually. Considering my volume, I'd rather spend my time fur hunting than furhandling.
10-23-2013, 08:27 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,903
The bad part about hunting in other states is that it's expensive. Many states also have a draw for deer tags, so it's hit or miss whether you get in or not. Some states also have restricted seasons for non-residents, or only allow certain weapons.
Spend some time running the google machine: look up "Wisconsin hunting regulations" or "Indiana hunting regulations" and you'll find links directly to their state DNR (not all states call it the Department of Natural Resources, Kansas for example calls it Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism). You'll be able to find hunting regs, non-resident license and tag requirements and prices, and contact info if you have any questions.
I hunt in other states a lot, it's a really unique and rewarding experience to be able to hunt different terrain. It's amazing to see how the same species behaves in different regions of the country, and how you have to adapt your hunting techniques and strategies to be successful.