Back from My Illinois Hunt
10-28-2003, 10:36 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pine Hill Alabama USA
Posts: 1,280
Back from My Illinois Hunt
I just got back in last night from my hunting trip in southern Illinois. We were hunting near the little towns of Olney, Newton, Noble and Ingram. Farm country like you have never seen. Nothing but corn and soybean fields from road to horizen broken up by the occasional stand of hardwood timber. And what gorgeous hardwood timber it was. Giant acorns dropping everywhere. Squirrel Heaven. I must have seen 50 big fox squirrells in the 4 days we hunted. We had the permission of 3 different farmers to hunt their land. I killed a very nice 8 point which I will post a picture of as soon as I have one available. I also saw a huge 12 point, a 4 point, a 6 point, a small basket racked 8 point, 25 turkeys, lots of does and a 10 point that I watched through binoculars about 350 yards out in a soybean field that had a huge rack and looked like he would have went about 260 lbs. Needless to say I had a blast and will return next year. The only thing is we really should have went about 2 weeks later than we did. They hadn' t gotten all the corn harvested and a lot of the deer simply bedded up in the corn fields which made them nearly impossible to hunt. Will post a pic and the details of my deer when I get a photo back.
10-29-2003, 06:34 AM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Jacksonville Fl USA
Posts: 533
RE: Back from My Illinois Hunt
Todd
Isnt Illinois great ! I was born in Danville which is east central Il.... and I grew up looking at all that corn, and deer. I live in Florida now but still go back to Illinois to bow hunt. I am leaving the 7th for about a 10 day hunt...... I cant wait.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it... there is nothing like seeing big Illinois bucks in my opinion.... gotta love it !
10-29-2003, 07:31 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Cary, IL
Posts: 356
RE: Back from My Illinois Hunt
Congrats on getting a buck during your hunt. Hurry up w/the pictures! 
And I hear ya on the corn problem. The property I hunt is the only place left with standing corn on it within 3 square miles. I wish they would get it in already!
And I hear ya on the corn problem. The property I hunt is the only place left with standing corn on it within 3 square miles. I wish they would get it in already!
10-29-2003, 08:21 AM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,862
RE: Back from My Illinois Hunt
JZarr:
I don' t know what your experience has been when hunting standing corn, or if your terrain creates a different situation, but in my years of hunting near standing corn I determined that when the deer create trails through the corn they will not deviate from the trail unless spooked. Therefore, when hunting near standing corn I will setup near an entrance/exit. On a few occasions, I have seen the deer coming by the corn moving.
Several years ago, I had a friend bust a huge 10-pnt. buck by hunting near a standing corn trail. He (friend) was on the ground, one row in, and situated on the side that put the wind in his favor. He said he heard the buck coming and was able to get into a shooting stance before the buck arrived. The buck stopped before exiting the last row, apparently checking the area before leaving the corn. Friend said buck was 15 yards away and standing perfectly broadside. Arrow took out the buck' s entire operational center and he fell within 20-30 yards.
I don' t know what your experience has been when hunting standing corn, or if your terrain creates a different situation, but in my years of hunting near standing corn I determined that when the deer create trails through the corn they will not deviate from the trail unless spooked. Therefore, when hunting near standing corn I will setup near an entrance/exit. On a few occasions, I have seen the deer coming by the corn moving.
Several years ago, I had a friend bust a huge 10-pnt. buck by hunting near a standing corn trail. He (friend) was on the ground, one row in, and situated on the side that put the wind in his favor. He said he heard the buck coming and was able to get into a shooting stance before the buck arrived. The buck stopped before exiting the last row, apparently checking the area before leaving the corn. Friend said buck was 15 yards away and standing perfectly broadside. Arrow took out the buck' s entire operational center and he fell within 20-30 yards.
10-29-2003, 08:35 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Cary, IL
Posts: 356
RE: Back from My Illinois Hunt
c903 - I' ve had good experiences in hunting standing corn when I have a good setup, but the property I hunt on doesn' t much lend itself to that. The " lower" cornfield at the bottom of a wooded ridge is bordered by the thickest creekbottom you' ve ever seen in your life. I' m serious when I say that the briars are so thick that I wouldn' t walk thtrough there without a Kevlar suit on. The few trees that are there aren' t worth putting a stand in. Not to mention that is a key bedding area for the deer so even trying to go in is a big no-no.
Our other cornfield is bordered on one side by an alfalfa field which we don' t have permission to be in, a grassy field on our property, and then woods which we also don' t have permission to be in. The deer that come into and out of the corn are pretty much heading into the woods where I cannot go. So unless I set up a ground blind in a fencerow somewhere there' s not much I can do.
In past years we' ve had a lot better success when the corn is down. That forces the deer to travel through the corridors of our woods more versus staying in the corn or the thick cover adjecent to it.
Everything sounds good on paper, or in this case on the internet. Too bad it' s always a whole different story when you get into the woods.
Our other cornfield is bordered on one side by an alfalfa field which we don' t have permission to be in, a grassy field on our property, and then woods which we also don' t have permission to be in. The deer that come into and out of the corn are pretty much heading into the woods where I cannot go. So unless I set up a ground blind in a fencerow somewhere there' s not much I can do.
In past years we' ve had a lot better success when the corn is down. That forces the deer to travel through the corridors of our woods more versus staying in the corn or the thick cover adjecent to it.
Everything sounds good on paper, or in this case on the internet. Too bad it' s always a whole different story when you get into the woods.