Slow here in Illinois
11-02-2009, 06:49 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 262
Slow here in Illinois
Well guys this Illinois season has been something else so far this year. I go one day without seeing a deer and other hunts i see quite a few. Have been seeing alot of smaller bucks and keep seeing about a 120 but told myself that i was going to shoot nothing under 130. I have pics of 2 really great bucks (pushing 150) and had to pass on one because i wasnt comfortable with the shot. Not much rutting activity in my area yet but im sure its not far off. Have any of you other Illinois guys been having much luck?
11-02-2009, 08:32 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 1,559
I have been shooting a bunch of does, but have yet to see any of "my" big boys from a stand. I am still getting pics of them, but almost all after dark. I figure this starting this week, things should start picking up. I plan on getting away from doe spots now and start hunting my pinch points and bedding areas. What county are you hunting?
11-02-2009, 08:40 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: West Central IL
Posts: 904
been shooting does as well.. saw one of the bucks I'm after while on stand friday night but he circled downwind and wouldnt come in closer than 50yds.. he knew something was up.. all my trail cam pics show them working the scrapes after dark.. I have TONS of pictures of bucks workin the scrapes.. 16 different ones to be exact.. but all after dark.. this standing corn is killin me!
11-02-2009, 09:48 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fulton county IL USA
Posts: 4,271
I have to wonder if you guys are "shooting a bunch of Does" from that same stands that you're NOT seeing bucks out of. If they seem nocturnal... I wonder why??? 
All kidding aside though, it has been slower than normal for this stage of the pre-rut but the weather has been crazy and millions of acres of standing corns in the state certainly isn't helping matters. My best farm is surrouded by 700 acres of corn and it's made things frustrating at best. Did have a 130 class 4x4 bust up a Doe group yesterday and ran them 20 yards past my stand. He was the 4th buck of the morning, but nothing of any size. Scrapes have really been torn up this past week as they prepare for the first Doe to enter Estrus..... any day now.
Good luck to you fellow Illini bowbenders!
All kidding aside though, it has been slower than normal for this stage of the pre-rut but the weather has been crazy and millions of acres of standing corns in the state certainly isn't helping matters. My best farm is surrouded by 700 acres of corn and it's made things frustrating at best. Did have a 130 class 4x4 bust up a Doe group yesterday and ran them 20 yards past my stand. He was the 4th buck of the morning, but nothing of any size. Scrapes have really been torn up this past week as they prepare for the first Doe to enter Estrus..... any day now.
Good luck to you fellow Illini bowbenders!
11-02-2009, 10:53 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Notheast IL
Posts: 1,016
The corn is up and they are hitting thier scapes during the night. My buddy saw a nice 8 just before dark on Sat. and Sun. morning I had a big 6 that I decide to pass on. Funny story...my buddy left his decoy out during the night (he shot a doe and didn't feel like going back to take the decoy down) anyway when he went back in morning his decoy was in pieces. It was probably the 8 he saw that tore it up.
11-02-2009, 01:21 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 297
Being away at college I can only hunt the weekends, and that kills me. I have only seen one shooter so far this year. It has been pretty slow for me. I am pretty excited for this next weekend though! I will be spending the all Saturday and Sunday in the woods.
11-02-2009, 01:27 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Connecticut, Central NY
Posts: 492
I have been shooting a bunch of does, but have yet to see any of "my" big boys from a stand. I am still getting pics of them, but almost all after dark. I figure this starting this week, things should start picking up. I plan on getting away from doe spots now and start hunting my pinch points and bedding areas. What county are you hunting?
11-02-2009, 01:39 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Cenral Illinois
Posts: 3,180
Unlimited does.
Definitely been slower than I expected. I'm off work all this week, but I think I may be a week early. Going out this morning, didn't need any kind of light since the moon was kind enough to show me the way. What a joke. Had a dorky forky come by at about 7:00, he intercepted a couple does that were on their way in and harassed them for a bit, and that was the action for the day. I bailed at 12, just to warm for my taste today.
Definitely been slower than I expected. I'm off work all this week, but I think I may be a week early. Going out this morning, didn't need any kind of light since the moon was kind enough to show me the way. What a joke. Had a dorky forky come by at about 7:00, he intercepted a couple does that were on their way in and harassed them for a bit, and that was the action for the day. I bailed at 12, just to warm for my taste today.
