shawnee28

As hard as it is to believe, I've never seen any mountians( at 37) and I have a chance to go to IL. with my friend and boss to hunt family land. He is not a hunter but is wanting to learn so he'll be no help in explainning the differences. Here in Alabama we've tought our deer verry well how to look up to add to the challange. Most of my hunting is close quarter, clear-cut grown over, and Bayu swamp. Get me geared up!!! One thing I I do most is hunt from a climber.

Rory/MO

well i have helped my dad scout some spots in illinois, and driven through just about the whole state to visit family, hunting, fishing, or baseball. it is mostly flat, a few rolling hills here and there. lots and lots of agriculturalfields. some giants there.

shawnee28

I'll get the details soon but type camo and most needed gear is a big guess. I use mostly Mossey Oak Breakup, 30-06 150gr sighted in at 2" high- 100yrds. I'm comfortable up to 350yrds but I live in a climber.

Rory/MO

well in illinois its narrowed down to muzzleloader, bow, or shotgun. no high powered rifles

but really any camo will work ok. just be sure to be fairly high up in a tree

Robert L E

Illinois can get cold, being a Southerner you may not have a clue. Find out when you will be hunting, if it is in December in Northern IL you need to be prepared for some pretty brutal conditons. It could be a balmy 50 or -5. Minus 5 and sitting in a tree stand is difficult for natives. If you have not experienced cold I suspect you will want to stay on the ground. If you will be hunting in Southern Illinois it will be quite a bit warmer but it will still be much much colder than you are used to in Alabama.

I like insulated work bib overalls with the full length leg zippers. The zippers can be opened so you cool off when you walk, it is bad news if you start sweating in cold weather. Get them big enough to fit over your pants and a couple of pairs of long underwear.

Get good boots with plenty of insulation, again big enough for a couple pairs of socks underneath.

I like wearing a lot of layers on my upper body. I wear a turtleneck, wool shirt, hooded sweat shirt, and field jacket with lining. The field jacket and sweatshirt get zipped open when I am walking to keep from sweating.

I wear an insulated hat with ear flaps and a scarf too, along with the hood on the sweatshirt, and you will need good gloves.

I sat out at minus four in Iowa for three hours without moving and I needed every bit of that clothing to be able to stay in the field. I still was cold the whole time except while walking.

Most of the time it will not be nearly so cold, but if it is.........

I think Illinois has a blaze orange requirement during the gun seasons, camo is not too relevant.

For a gun you will need a muzzle loader or a slug gun. You may already have an 870 and can get a barrel with rifle sights fairly reasonably. Ask what ranges you will be shooting at and then decide smooth, rifled, or muzzel loader, and scope or iron sights.

If you hunt from the ground you will want a stool to sit on. You cannot sit on ice or snow.

As I said, ask the land owners a lot of questions.

Bob

DUMB BASS

Illinois... Mountains... HA!!!!

IL highest point: Illinois
Charles Mound - 1,235 feet

AL Highest Point:Alabama
Cheaha Mountain - 2,407 feet

You win!!!

All was well covered above... be prepared for all weather... down here in S. IL on Friday the high is gonna be 10 w/ below 0 wind chills, but it was 50 earlier this week.

No camo style Flo Orange, must be solid orange head, chest and back.

This weekend is the last of the season, antlerless only.

Robert L E

DUMB_BASS- I kind of choked over "mountains" too but ya gotta be charitable. If they drive up your way, I figure they could be going through the Smokies and that those are the mountains he was talking about. If they do drive and Shawnee28 has not been out of his area, I think it will be a great trip. When you fly you do not get a feel for the country or how big it really is.

If the trip comes off I would like to hear about it and the impressions of a visitor to corn country.

I forgot to say the most important thing- We who have lived and hunted in cold weather have figured out when to give it up with respect to the cold. I know the difference between being uncomfortable cold and damaging cold. I have not been so cold that I was in great pain for a long long time. The problem for a visitor is that sometimes you do not know that you let yourself get too cold until you feel it when you warm up.

As I said, it probably will not be sub zero (but it could) but will be average and be about 20 or so in the mornings and 10 is common. This is the hunting temperature I like best if not too windy. Shawnee28 may never have been out in anything like that though and I suspect may want heavier clothes than we natives would wear. I would read up on hunting in the cold and then there may be no problems because of preparedness.

Mud and rain are the things most likely to keep me from hunting or bring me in early. The cold just may cause me to still hunt more. The physical activity helps keep you warm. No matter how cold it is though, the hike in or out can cause you to get too warm and sweat. The clothes need to be vented while you are hiking.

Bob

Simp

Good info Robert. Another thing that I just realized is that he says he likes to hunt from a climber. If he's going to experience cold like he hasn't experienced before he better be very careful with a climber. Getting up the tree will be relatively easy because he'll still be warm. Getting down is where he'll need to be extremely careful.

Once he's been sitting out in the cold for a few hours he'll definitely start to cool down without really being aware of just how cold he really is. Once he starts moving around trying to descend the tree it's gonna hit him like a ton of bricks and make his hands and fingers feel as if they're not there. Not a good combination when you're 25 feet up a tree. Just something to think about. Simp

Lanse couche couche

Depends quite a bit on which part of the state since parts of the state are almost as far north asWisconsin or Michiganwhile others are further south than parts of kentucky and Virginia. Big difference in terms of weather and overall conditions between hunting a creek bottom in southern Illinois and wide open fields in the northern part.

DUMB BASS

Sorry if I came across as smug.. it was unintentional, I was just amused that the word Mountains and Illinois were in the same sentence. LOL

This comin from a guy who grew up in PA mtns then moved to Montana Mtns, and Now live in the land where our highest point is called a "Mound"

Also have driven from IL to the Fla panhandle... no big hills between here and there[] TN has some elevation change I suppose. I agree that driving around the country is fun though... been in 46 of the 50 drivin most of that...