Illinois Rut
Contributors to this thread:Illinois
From: RobbieWo
08-Oct-17
Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum, I'm from Southern Illinois live in Charleston SC but go back every year for gun season. This year I'm able to make an extra trip for bow hunting. Trying to time out perfect time to leave. I'm currently planning to leave November 1-4. Any thoughts about timing for rut??? Thanks and I look forward for your feedback and hunting reports!!
From: whitetail24
09-Oct-17
Nov. 7-10; four days you can count on being good every year
From: Franzen
09-Oct-17
Same general time frame each year. If you used to hunt here, plan on it being no different now. whitetail24 has some pretty good days imo.
From: jswan41
19-Oct-17
I know Wisconsin has a facebook rut report page does Illinois have one?
From: deerhunter72
19-Oct-17
A few days before and after Veterans Day are the peak. I read an article several years back with stats that proved more big deer killed on Veterans Day than any other in Illinois. I don't think much has changed.
From: Dusktildawn
20-Oct-17
11/11 is definitely thr premier day for Booner's BUT.....we need cooler weather to help increase daytime activity. Last yr we had a couple cool morings that week followed by warm,rainy,windy weather which slowed was detrimental to the rutting activity durig legal hours (atleast in central Il) ...keep at it and good luck.
From: BOHUNTER09
25-Oct-17
I have killed more good bucks on November 10 and 11 than any other days
From: Dusktildawn
25-Oct-17
Famn job keeping me out of the woods. Wondering if anyone has seen an increase in activity with cooler weather? Shoot straight and good luck
From: Heavyhorns
26-Oct-17
Anyone hunting Shawnee around Metropolis or Vienna and if so how is it looking so far?
From: sureshot
28-Oct-17
10/28.. ..Cooler weather had a few of the bigger deer working scrapes on the field edges mid morning.
From: Deebz
29-Oct-17
My brother texted me today...he was covered up in rutting bucks...1 big guy....said he couldn't get anything to stop long enough for a shot. My wife had our second child yesterday, so my hunting has been super limited this season...hoping to sneak out a couple days this next week with my time off work...we'll see though
From: Franzen
29-Oct-17
Saw 3 bucks cruising this morning. I had that situation last year Deebz... good luck.
From: whitetail24
30-Oct-17
saw 14 different bucks from Saturday to sunday. 12 of the 14 were 2yr olds and under. 1 was a 3 yr old and 1 was an old buck that is probably 8 or 9. Saw the 8-9 yr old Saturday am at 830am. didn't respond to calling. younger bucks were bumpin does in the cut corn. just getting going
From: Markeje
02-Nov-17
1 3.5yo last night. A couple of smaller bucks ones as well. Does still with the fawns in this group.
From: RobbieWo
08-Nov-17
Made my trip last weekend due to work schedule and it was absolutely brutal! Between the weather and the moon it definitely made hunting tough. Saw few deer and hunted hard. Hopefully gun season will be better. What kind of impact has the weather had on the rut. What stage of the rut do you think it will be during gun season???
From: Dusktildawn
08-Nov-17
Depends on where you gun hunt. Up North they are beginning to chase now but down south it should be time next week. October was tough hunting up North for me but I will have 5 all day sits next week and should have some success. I will try to post daily activity and how many deer we are seeing and where. Best of luck this month and hope everybody uses their heads and has a safe firearm season also! Buddy arrowed a nice 8pt and saw 5 other bucks looking yesterday.
From: Franzen
08-Nov-17
I have not seen anything big on the move, but some guys have been seeing some. I've seen 1.5 & 2.5 year olds only. Depends on location, pressure, etc. Buddy arrowed a rather large one (at least 16 points) within the last week, and saw large deer on multiple sits.
From: Tenderfoot
08-Nov-17
Yesterday (8th) I had a 150 class 10 tending a doe and slowly making their way towards me. They bedded down for 1/2 hour 60 yards out. The buck gets up on alert and I thought he had whiffed me. Instead a huge 8 come walking in and the 10 yields without a fight. They all left in a different direction. Great show. By the way the 20 has the longest grunt I ever heard. At least 20 seconds long.
From: Halfrack
09-Nov-17
Saw 5 differnt bucks today. All just kind of cruising. None of them were chasing or seemed to be interested in the grunt call except for a spike. I didnt see my first deer til 820. Going to head back out about one to the same spot. Hope this cold weather will keep them moving and maybe get the rut moving in my area......Douglas county
From: Lawdog
12-Nov-17
Either the rut has not yet begun or it’s yhe worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve been out all day for a week with perfect weather and the action has been pretty bad. Does are still with yearlings, very few mature bucks out and little to no chasing. I’m in Shelby County. Anyone else seeing the same?
From: Split Toes
12-Nov-17
i have seen 2 bucks chasing does all week but i think its just cuz they were young bucks. . Ive seen alot more buck activity when im driving for work i work all over southern illinois soil testing for farmers. still havent seen any big ones or them chasing. Mainly younger bucks but alone. Does still with yearlings and grouped up. Where i hunt in marion county the camera videos are showing the does still grouped up but im getting more bucks than last week. All have been at night time with one small one during the day. i dont think its started here yet or at alot of places in southern ill.
From: Edge Hunter
12-Nov-17
I have said for quite a while I always see the biggest and most bucks the week before and weekend of gun season. I haven't seen anything big yet and only have one on a trail camera and that was last Thursday night. Only little guys walking around like they don't know what's going on. I hunt Wabash and Edwards counties. I have been out every morning and evening that wasn't raining, super windy, or a Sunday afternoon (gotta see my Cowboys and need a break).
From: loose arrow
12-Nov-17
I have been out every day for the last 4 days in 3 different public land places in Oregon, IL and I have not seen any deer at all. The only thing I did see I almost hit...in my car! A buck ran out in front of me Thursday night, if I had been two seconds faster he would have hit the side of my car. The place I hunted this evening still has standing corn nearby, so I think they are still in the corn.
From: djcrockit
13-Nov-17
mostly youngsters in my neck of woods,not many mature deer but that is to be expected 5 yrs out from ehd !
From: loose arrow
13-Nov-17
Out all day in NW Illinois and only saw a small doe this morning, almost got a shot but glad I didn't, it was small. I was just glad to see something while hunting.
From: Split Toes
14-Nov-17
Out working in the fields soil testing in southern il seeing a few more chasing today. Had one chase a doe about 100 yards from me on the 4 wheeler about an hour ago didnt care i was there.
From: Lawdog
14-Nov-17
Finally seeing some chasing here in Shelby County. Had a nice 150” buck and a smaller buck chasing a doe yesterday afternoon and a 130-140” along with another small buck chasing a doe this morning as well. Seems awfully late to finally be seeing it. Good luck out there!
From: petedrummond
14-Nov-17
Was red hot in perry saw a bunch of shooters seems to have fallen off a cliff last two days. Less ducks too.
From: live2hunt88
14-Nov-17
Seen lots of chasing the last couple days in Edgar county
From: Split Toes
16-Nov-17
Well out working today in the fields i seen alot of does grouped up together between mtvernon, thompsonville, and sesser seen one buck with a group of does north of mtvernon just sniffin em out. Good luck to everyone thats gun hunting this weekend. Pulled my cameras yesterday still seeing most bucks at night and all does still grouped together in marion county. Dont know what the deal is. The does havent gone in heat at all in my area of marion county
