Illinois
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: NockOut386
25-Jan-17
If you could take off work for 10 days at any point in November to chase white tails in Illinois what dates would you choose? I am trying to plan a hunt for this November and would just like some input from you guys.
Thanks!
From: orionsbrother
25-Jan-17
Oct 30th- Nov 8th
Slide it a couple of days either way depending on weather
From: Woods Walker
25-Jan-17
X2 orion. Also a big factor here in the Land Of Corruption is the progress of the corn harvest. Obviously you have no control over that, but the more corn that's harvested the better.
From: brianhood
25-Jan-17
I have some friends who hunted west central Illinois for nearly 20 years before they gave up their leases a couple years ago. THEIR best results on big bucks were the week leading up to the start of first gun season.
From: Lee
25-Jan-17
What Orion's brother said
From: skull
25-Jan-17
November 5 to the 15th that's your prime time ... I have been to Illinois quite a few times I will be in Adams County this year again , which county you're going to be hunting
From: joehunter
25-Jan-17
NOV. 9 Was kill day for us. Surround that day on each side and you will be in the action.
From: Ollie
25-Jan-17
I hunt southeast Iowa which should be very similar to Illinois. I consider November 12 to be the best day of the year and try to hunt around that date.
From: bowhunter55
25-Jan-17
One of the boyz from Illinois here and anywhere from last week of Oct. till 1st orange army season. More specifically, last week of Oct and 1st week of Nov.
From: woodguy65
25-Jan-17
Nov 2nd thru Nov 13th.
From: orionsbrother
25-Jan-17
Our best kill days have been Nov 3rd-5th, but we've seen some pretty stellar movement starting right before Halloween. Given normal weather patterns and assuming normal corn harvest, I don't think you can go wrong randomly picking any ten days between Oct 29th and Nov 13th.
I'd just look at whichever ten days within that timeframe fit your schedule most easily.
Hope you have a great hunt. Post pictures.
From: ACB
25-Jan-17
1st to the 15th pick ten days in this time frame , but be warned Illinois is not what it once was they have sold there deer out last few years .
From: Zbone
25-Jan-17
10 days - Nov 2nd - 11th...
From: Shaft
25-Jan-17
My best 3 bucks were all shot on Nov 9th in west central Illinois. The 4 days before or after are all good.
From: The last savage
25-Jan-17
I'm with zbone...We have a lease wcentral Illinois.. Out of last 4 years .3 big bucks have been killed on the 8th....1 on the 9th...........2 nd till 11 th!!
From: The last savage
25-Jan-17
Correct buckkiller... Before I got to the lease I hunted public land.12 or so day and straight..Had several cams out....Got tons of buck pics.....Every single deer at night..... Only saw bucks that came to rattling....
From: Franzen
26-Jan-17
Later the better if you have a good chunk of unpressured private.
From: Woods Walker
26-Jan-17
If you want to see a lot of bucks then go in that early November time slot. If you hunt after the gun seasons then you won't see as many, but the odds of you seeing a BIG one when you see one are better.
We hunt west central Illinois (Brown County), and the biggest bucks we've seen and killed have been in the later part of the season. But you may also see nothing at all. It's hunting!
From: Scooby-doo
26-Jan-17
Nov. 5th through the 15th. Scooby
From: LBshooter
26-Jan-17
depends on where your hunting and is it public land or private? Do you want prerut or rut? Last week of October, first week of November, get alittle of both.
From: XMan
27-Jan-17
X2 Scooby and others. I would hunt Nov 6 - 15 if i were you. My crew saw our big shooters roaming Nov 8-12, those are the gold days!
From: deerhunter72
28-Jan-17
Veterans Day-the 11th-has historically seen more big deer killed than any other day of the year. I read an Illinois study on it once, and my own experience backs it up. The days just before and after are the best. But as others have said, crop harvests and the weather all factor in.