Illinois youth season
 

I may be taking my niece out for Illinois' youth season on the 27th and 28th. I've never hunted this early. We've got birds, and I know where they'll be. I plan on getting her in a blind in a field that they'll hit soon after flydown.

Anybody around here hunted the youth season? I was wondering how the birds work this early. Call more? Call less? Decoys?

Any ideas would be appreciated. I'd like her first season to be fun for her. Not to mention that I'd love to hear some spittin' and drummin' to get me fired up for when I get to hit the woods!

rw

I've been hunting the last few Youth Seasons here in the North Zone with my Daughter. This season both of my Sons will also be hunting, they're 9 & 10, and I'm really excited about getting them out for a chance at their first birds.

I've found that the birds will generally still be traveling in pretty good sized flocks and the old Toms can be henned up tight this early. I've found that we've had to hunt the birds more like DEER than anything else. Meaning that good scouting and then setting up a blind in well selected travel routes and then its just a matter of waiting. With a decent decoy set-up, a comfortable blind and some decent callin', you can get some pretty respectable birds to come in and check ya out... especially later in the morning. We've been fortunate to tag some respectable sized birds in the 22 to 24# range the last few seasons and I hope the trend continues.

The biggest advantage for us, in our area, is that we get to beat the hunting pressure. The only thing I've found that we've had to really make adjustments for is the COLD weather that we've had to hunt in during these early hunts! One season we had was 40 degree highs but it poured rain both days of the hunt! A couple of those seasons we had to deal with temps in the 20's..... ended up packing along a small portable buddy heater to keep the kids comfortable. Last year we were flooded out the first day but got a break with a clear cold day the second and were able to fill the tag we had. I would say that the weather will be your biggest challenge.

Best of luck to ya and THANKS for doing you part and taking a kid hunting and passing along the tradition!

Never know what the weather will be like. Heck, I remember wearing coveralls one day on a 4th season hunt! April 23rd I think.

We'll try to be where they want to be. Hopefully we at least get to see some strutting and hear a few gobbles. That will keep her out there.

rw

Went out Saturday morning to listen for birds and heard 4. I was pretty suprised. I hunted the youth season with a youngster a couple years ago and the birds were easier to call that weekend then they were the first regular season. If we get some good warm weather that weekend it should be pretty good hunting.

Lunger, are you familiar with the Chauncy Marsh area on the Birds-Chauncy blacktop off of Rt 1? It's only about 10 min from my house. I've gotten a permit for that place the last couple of years for a backup squirrel woods. I know the place must be crawling with turkeys, but the roads into it flood out every spring. I bet if a person put a little boat in at the road and paddled back to the timber that you could really get on the birds. I'm not sure but I think part of that land is in Crawford County. The main chunk is part of Lawrence.

rw

Yes sir! It's a special permit draw area if I'm not mistaken. I know my dad hunted it years ago with a buddy that got drawn for there. He said the place was loaded with birds.