Season Update 2023
Illinois
Just starting a new thread for the season. Looks like the start of the season will be warm. Good luck to everyone and stay safe.
I was out this morning. 2 squirrels. Worked the kinks out of the stand
Lol Looks like I will get lucky on my special public draw hunt period second week of October. Big cold front forecast. About time. Last few years Octobers been scorchers.
I had planned to go opening day, but it was just too hot. Planning on going Thursday evening after work. Good luck to all and stay safe out there!
I don’t know anything about severe weather but this weekend does look promising. I agree it’s been too warm so far.
Went out last night. Still pretty warm, but the deer were moving. Saw 15, but nothing close. Wouldn't have shot if they had been;)
I'm heading. out to John Edger this year I drew a permit for the first time looking forward to it. Have you or anyone else hunted it to let me know what to expect thanks
Thank god dad season is over. Like it’s even needed with all the other entitlements. Seems three months of crossguns isn’t enough.
As for JEPC, the best thing I ever did was abandon that place. But only after 20 lost years. It’s great if you like the challenge of hunting nocturnal bucks, lol. Way too much pressure and now no AR. My negative hunter encounters ended and big buck encounters increased dramatically the day I left there in 2014.
Dad Season?? I guess you mean the Youth season? I totally forgot that it was this past weekend. My kids have aged out of it, but I used to enjoy taking them out in October when they were younger and it wasn't cold. I have no doubt that some dad's took advantage and shot some deer for their kids. What I remember hearing most about it was bow hunters complaining about kids killing nice bucks with guns in Oct.
As mentioned, crossgun inclusion really eliminates the need for this entitlement. The policy is now outdated and should just be ended. One less rule to be abused.
I had the neighbors kids hunting my farm this year. Told them to shoot whatever they wanted. 2 does we’re taken. I’m not complaining at all. It was a nice picture with some nice smiles. It’s just deer we are talking about. There’s plenty out there if you just put time and effort you’ll get one.
Tons of deer where I'm at. Never seen such a crop of fawns.
Zim you are a very selfish person, all your posts are about yourself or complaining. Get a life.
This year was our first youth season with my son. He has went with me the last couple years on many Bow/Gun hunts as a snack eating supporter. At 8 yo I felt he may be a touch to young to deer hunt. We started squirrel hunting this fall with his .410, and surprised me at how fast he learned to sneak, tree ID, and be patient for a good shot. So....I decided to let him deer hunt, Life is short and kids grow fast. On the first night, using a cross bow, he put a perfect shot on a 7 pt. I have killed plenty of deer, and quite a few really good bucks, but this is without a doubt my favorite hunt. I think that youth season is one of the few things that our IDNR gets right with the timing and weapons, anything to get them out there. I would guess that the bad actors are minimal, Our bag limits, season length and weapon choices are so liberal that the people who cheat for youth season do it just to cheat.
Agreed RBBH. Some of my best times in the stand have been when my kids shot deer during the youth season. Those pictures have been popping up in my timeline this week and always brings back good memories. Enjoy the time, it goes quick! Congratulations to you both!
Anyone hunting northwestern IL. I’ve been out to shabbona, Kirkland and castle rock. Seen a ton of deer at Kirkland and shabbona but the pressure there is nuts.
Anyone hunting northwestern IL. I’ve been out to shabbona, Kirkland and castle rock. Seen a ton of deer at Kirkland and shabbona but the pressure there is nuts.
I hunt private land in that area. Most of my buck movement is during the overnight hours. I’m taking a few more days off and I’ll start getting into closer to the rut.
Jmorso, are you saying pressure is high at Shabonna or both Shabonna and Kirkland?
I scouted Kirkland in the spring. Heard the DNR did a lot of culling there and didn’t see a lot that made me want to go back other than one doe group. Glad to hear there’s been a good number of deer out there.
I haven’t been to Shabonna yet but I’m planning on going late season if I can get a couple tags filled at my usual stomping grounds. I have heard there’s a lot of pressure there. Don’t they limit total hunters out there? 25 at a time or something like that?
Youth Link
https://www.themeateater.com/wired-to-hunt/whitetail-hunting/are-we-making-things-too-easy-for-youth-hunters?mibextid=9R9pXO&fbclid=IwAR3l2gE2a0uq2lPciVGepu43FkWsHDDw0HwoEVI9HwDdkq3NVP1nbmWjjLQ_aem_Adz_QwExWGafKagiM8wbYbDrw9c3li0QJXS7bYXjXhb8enZk6t-ovDPgD80-eEvVayI
What’s your point Zim? The article sounds like people like duck hunters are selfish and want the first opportunity to kill a duck. Why are you so selfish?
Times are changing and if you can make it a little easier for a kid to be successful than do it.
awh302, he’s just angry. Always has been. Never seen anything constructive in any of his posts.
Congrats petedrummond, awh & ILbowhtr for attaining official Bowsite tool status by making unprovoked personal attacks on web forums. No faster way to earn your stripes.
I have 3 sons & 3 grandsons. I just don’t happen to believe in liberal entitlements for them. We have too many these days. And they always result in abuse. The day I made my first post about this I met with both the property manager & county CO at the state property I was hunting, and they both wholeheartedly concurred, due to the already 3 1/2 month crossgun season. Who needs two layers of entitlements? Isn’t one enough? How many do you need? All these just further decline the deer herd & quality. Just not necessary. And the article makes further reasons. Why not make personal attacks on the author as well?
Typical Zim, only believes in his own entitlements as an out-of-state lifetime "resident" and as a federal govt. contractor.
