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Pope County-Shawnee Forest

Am planning a deer hunt next year around Eddyville,Illinois. Was wondering what everyone who has had a chance to hunt public land around there has to say about their experiences both positive and negative. Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

I used to shotgun hunt near there. Positives are free camping, 5 minute walk to stand always tagged out. Negatives for me anyways was the atv guys riding on by every 30 minutes. But hey I was hunting great positive right there.

Did you ever hunt around Crow Knob? Or Sand Cave?

HighLife, Did you ever hunt around Crow Knob? Or Sand Cave?

Up near Horse something lake/pond? About 30 minutes north of eddyville

Maybe One Horse Gap...that sound familiar?

Maybe One Horse Gap...that sound familiar?

yup I'd go up that road and take the first two track left into the woods about a mile in.

i have hunted down in Eddyville for the last 6 years didn't go last year due to work and just haven't seen the much in the last 2 years I was down there I used to be able to let 5 - 10 deer walk passed and know I would still have a chance on getting something the last couple years have not been the same I was lucky to see 5 deer and only seen one small 6 pointer, but I will be back down this year in hopes that it has turned around. where about in Eddyville are you planning on going

Has anyone hunted Shawnee and done some backpacking into the woods? Was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers

watch out for the hidden wells and mineshafts. Almost stepped thru a couple I've done it packed light and camped when I found a good spot for the night. Cool way to see the Shawnee.

Pretty warm yet. Keep an eye for snakes. Shot my first deer there, but haven't deer hunted it since, although I've turkey hunted down there several times. Check with the Forest Service to get specific rules. There are actually a couple Wilderness areas within the Shawnee.

So im kinda thinkin bout doing this hunt in a few weeks. and had the same thing in mind in hunting the wilderness areas and maybe packing in? I go elk hunting outwest every yr like this so I know these wilderness areas are relatively small in comparison to outwest. But my question is for anyone out there that has hunted the wilderness areas in Shawnee is these areas better or would you focus on the public parcels that border private? Im trying to decide if I should go deep into forest or hunt fringes? Thanks Guys!

I used to hunt down that way, haven't been there in a few years. 20-25 years ago it was hot, then EHD hit and from I understand poaching took its toll too. Never was the same from what it was, but what is?

Treetop is correct. Hunting in the Shawnee for years in Pope and Johnson County around the Ozark area. In the 90's you would let deer pass almost every time you were in the stand. Mid/late 90's, EHD hit it REALLY hard one summer. Horse riding guys actually quit going down there that summer because the smell was so bad. The population had still not recovered in 2007 when we quit going down there. Lucky if you would see a half dozen deer all week. We could see more deer at home.

Guys here at home own land and cabins down there and they are still hunting at home. Dad was talking to one of them just a few weeks ago and he said they are still not seeing the deer down there they used to.

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