bamajeff

Thinking of going up there for a couple of days? Is there typically heavy activity during that time? Or is the rut completely played out and activity slow? Thanks in advance.

Cougar Mag

At least in my area after xmas activity has slowed. Right now is when you should be here!

hc4runner

Rutting activaty will be slim to none after Christmas but it is still possible to see some rutting bucks at this time as there will be a few young does coming into heat around this time.
Your best bet is to hunt the feeding areas because the big boys will be more interested in putting on some weight and getting ready for the winter than they are about breeding.
I have been hunting up there for about 10 years and that is what I do when I go back up there in the late season, and I have seen some of the biggest bucks that I have ever seen up there this time of year.
Good luck. hc4runner

hunting boy

Where in Southern Illinois are you guys hunting? I live in southern illinois. I hunt buy Creal Springs and Marion and other places in Williamson county.

Hunting Boy

hunting boy

Where in Southern Illinois are you guys hunting? I live in southern illinois. I hunt buy Creal Springs and Marion and other places in Williamson county.

Hunting Boy

hc4runner

huntingboy I hunt in Johnson County around Vienna. Most of my hunting is on private ground, but I have found some good hunting on state land and the Shawnee National Forest.
If the nonresident tags dont go up to $500 next year I plan on doing some hunting in Pope and Williamson counties.
I think that yall resident hunters are trying to get rid of nonresident hunters for good.
If that happens the local businesses(resteraunts,hotels,convenient stores, and most of all TAXIDERMISTS<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>)will lose alot of customers, and it will surely hurt the economy in that area.
If it happens I am sure gonna miss bowhunting IL.<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>

Kid

I will be headed to White County next weekend myself. It is not so much that us Illinois residents don't want non-residents. They should just pay more. There must be a reason you will travel all the way to Illinois just to deer hunt. Surely it is worth something. <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - Kid on 12/14/2002 19:50:37

hc4runner

Kid. First of all I only travel about 100 miles to my hunting grounds in IL. Just take a look at the nonresident tag prices for other states in the Midwest and you will see why $500 is a little ridiculous. Compare to KY. or IA. or even my home state of MO. and you will see what I am talking about.
When I first started hunting in IL. you could buy a nonresident tag over the counter for $120 and now there is quota of a little over 12,000 and the prices are going up to $500.
Whats up with that, I have been on websites like the Illinois Bowhunters Society and all you hear is complaints about nonresidents taking all their trophy bucks.
Well just look in the record books and you will see why the othere states I have mentioned is just as good or better than IL. and they are not trying to price nonresidents out of hunting.
I know some IL. residents who hunt in MO. and if our tags went to $500 for them to hunt here it would go over like a turd in the punchbowl with them.
Anyway I am going to KY. after the season is over and try to find some good land to hunt over there, and if I cant, I will stay home and hunt.

hc4runner
MO. bowhunter

Splitear_Leland

I feel very heavily about this topic because we are starting to get this problem in my area. It isn't that we don't want non-residents, it's the fact on how they hunt Illinois. Most of the guys that hunt from out of state in my area, lease all of the ground they can afford, which makes it hard on the bule collar residents to get permission to hunt ground, that they have hunted all of their lives. Another problem related to non-resident hunters is the growth of outfitters in my area. They do exactly the same leasing that the individual out-of-stater does, except they do it on a much larger scale, much larger. This leaves us with ground that we hunted last year, and every year before, posted, and off limits. The Illinois Bowhunter's Society has been prompted to persuade these permit raises, and I think that the raises do a very good job of eliminating leasing, and outfitters. Not to say all out of staters do it this way. Sorry so long.

Leland Bunting

hc4runner

SplitearLeland. I understand exactly where your coming from, Im blue collar myself.The land I used to hunt up there is now a huntclub and I didnt even know it had been sold until one summer I went up there to hang some stands and seen the yellow huntclub signs.
Talking about a bad feeling, I nearly had tears in my eyes. I hunted this ground by myself and a couple of friends for about 8 yrs.
I still have some pretty good private land to hunt and I also hunt the Shawnee National Forest. I just like hunting up there.
I dont think raises the tag price for nonresidents is going to solve the problem. If they can afford to pay an outfitter or lease land they can surely pay the $500 for the nonresident tag.
Deer hunting has become big business and we might as well get used to it.
The good ol days when you could knock on a few doors and gain access to prime hunting land is all but over. Its sad but its true.
<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>