Illinois Deer herd

What are everyones opinion on Illinois deer herd. I had good activity on my farm last year. Saw alot of good bucks and harvested a couple bucks over 160. Don't understand the big fuss in Ilinois right now. Share some of you stories maybe help some of us understand what the big deal is. Thanks

The IL deer herd IS NOT as strong as it was up until 2010...or at least the southern IL herd. Although (like most states with rumblings) I hear it daily from folks all over the state. Last year was better than the last 3 though.

Here in southern IL a lot of it goes back to the massive 100 year flooding we had in the spring of 2011. We lost a huge portion of our herd that spring. The floods were not like EHD and keying in on older class deer, it killed everything that couldnt find high ground

The rest of the state is blaming it on unlimited antlerless tags, out of state hunters, late season antlerless seasons, EHD, drought etc. I just received notification from the DNR that some changes have been made to all of these things in selective areas.

BUT I wouldnt trade the herd here for many if any places in the country. Nothing quite like sitting between feeding and bedding in january on high ground and possibly seeing hundreds of deer a day like I did last january

Evidently some areas are experiencing reduced numbers.
I have noticed no changes on my farm in west central Illinois.

Ya everyone likes to point the finger at others. The only thing i saw that hurt illinois last year was the bad weather during shot gun season. But i think some locals like to point the finger at non-resident hunters being the problem with the numbers. Bottom line is know your deer herd on your property and manage it youreself. There are alot more hunters out there being ethical than non-ethical. Dont shoot that young buck just cause you think a neighbor will shoot him. That is the worse excuse i hear people say. MANAGE YOUR HERD AND YOUR NEIGHBORS WILL FOLLOW

ruttinbuck said:

Ya everyone likes to point the finger at others. The only thing i saw that hurt illinois last year was the bad weather during shot gun season. But i think some locals like to point the finger at non-resident hunters being the problem with the numbers. Bottom line is know your deer herd on your property and manage it youreself. There are alot more hunters out there being ethical than non-ethical. Dont shoot that young buck just cause you think a neighbor will shoot him. That is the worse excuse i hear people say. MANAGE YOUR HERD AND YOUR NEIGHBORS WILL FOLLOW

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Its funny when you hear residents complaining about non-res and vice-verse. I can tell you that the majority of residents up here kill massive amounts of young bucks. Most are just like the majority of hunters all over the country that are in it for the basics of hunting and not the horn worship...which is every bit their right.

That being said, I am glad I'm in it for both I love all aspects of hunting AND I love to wrap my hands around the antlers of a beast

I agree with you Jim. I'm in it for both as well and all about eating your kill. I grew up eating deer as a child that was how we survived. That was back when you might have a chance to see let alone kill one or two deer a year. But lets be honest this day and age we have the privilege to let these young deer mature and still put food on the table. Not saying everyone should be a horn chaser. But just manage our wildlife and respect those that do it for the horns and those that do it for survival. Each play a important role in the future of our wildlife. Love your last sentence Jim. I can tell you have a passion for wildlife. Thanks

Looks like IDNR is doing some changes to help the whitetail deer herd in Illinois, "Land of the Giants", according to recent announcements. Let's include a few quotes. For more details, see web links below.



http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/IDNRAnnouncesChangesfor2014-2015DeerHuntingSeasons.aspx


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 22, 2014


IDNR Announces Changes for 2014-2015 Deer Hunting Seasons

Twenty additional counties removed from late-winter season: permits reduced for some counties


"including the removal of 20 additional counties from the late-winter season and a reduction in the number of firearm permits available in some counties"

"Late-Winter Antlerless-Only Deer Hunting Season will be closed in 20 additional counties this year"

"The number of firearm permits has been reduced in some counties. Statewide, the number of either-sex permits is being reduced by 4,925. Antlerless-only permits are being reduced by 6,375. The 11,300 permits amount to a reduction of about 4.1 percent."


AND a few months ago below . . .


http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/IDNRPlanningIllinoisDeerHuntingChangesfor2014-15.aspx


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 13, 2014

IDNR Planning Illinois Deer Hunting Changes for 2014-15

Hunters invited to weigh in through online survey


“The IDNR manages deer by county and state population goals, and as a result of our two-year review we’re making changes for many counties. In these counties our strategy is shifting from deer herd reduction to maintaining or increasing deer populations”

"Data from the 2013-14 Illinois deer hunting seasons will be incorporated into planning for the 2014-15 deer seasons. Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 148,569 deer during all 2013-14 seasons, compared with a total harvest for all seasons of 180,811 in 2012-13. "

"Illinois was among a number of Midwestern and Great Lakes region states in which deer harvest declined in 2013-14, including Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio."

"Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 74,355 deer during the 2013 Illinois Firearm Deer Season (Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8, 2013). Harvest totaled 3,546 deer during the 2013 Illinois Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season (Dec.13-15, 2013), and 3,012 deer during the 2013 Illinois Youth Deer Season (Oct. 12-14, 2013)."

"During the 2013-14 Illinois Archery Deer Season (Oct. 1, 2013-Jan. 19, 2014), hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 57,290 deer, compared with the archery deer harvest of 59,805 in the 2012-13 archery season."

"The 2013-14 Late Winter Antlerless Only and Special CWD deer seasons (Dec. 26-29, 2013 and Jan. 17-19, 2014) had a combined preliminary harvest total for both seasons of 10,366 deer, compared with a harvest of 14,723 deer taken during those seasons in 2012-13."

"Tables with preliminary county harvest totals for all the 2013-14 Illinois deer seasons, as well as comparable figures for the 2012-13 seasons, can be found on the IDNR website at this link:"

http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/IllinoisPreliminaryDeerHarvestTotalsJan2014.pdf

Mature buck sightings were down where I hunt in West Central Illinois. Not only for me, but for everyone I know hunting this area..This applies not only to sightings, but trail camera pictures as well. It seems like last season all the up and coming bucks vanished never to be seen again..Maybe EHD or standing corn. Or a combination of several factors. I still managed to arrow the largest buck I have shot to date, but could not find him...My first loss up there.

Yeah like Jim said deer sightings, especially big buck and fawn, has dramatically gone downhill the last few years. 1st time we got hit was mostly from coyotes, flood came and wiped many of them out, then we got hit with EHD the next couple of years and drought as well and the deer herd has just not had a chance to recover from back to back heavy losses.
We actually stopped shooting does last year as we were just not seeing enough and very few had fawns with them. Saw a few small bucks but not very many mature ones.

I wasn't sure you would get much of a response here in ha. But I guess some folks here get up that way.

Ive been hunting IL since about '98 and wonder why I did not start earlier, but lately it has gone downhill in my area, but still better then anywhere else, well except for the KY land I hunt as well!

A lot of folks from GA. hunt in Illinois. That is why I started this thread. Everything I have read so far was just forums from Midwest hunters and their opinions. So I just want to see what kind of outlook non-residents have on the issue. Mainly because my farm was not hit hard and we had no change I just needed to educate myself on the issues others are having up there. Thanks everyone for any input you have.

I have been hunting Illinois for 15 years and the deer numbers were down the last few years on the farm I hunt. Last year was much better for me as far as big buck sightings and I hope the trend continues.

Deer numbers are down really across most of the US. Not just Illinois. I don't know we will ever see the kind of hunting we had in Illinois in the early 2000s! I had hunts where I saw 3-4 bucks over 150 on one am hunt! I miss those days

markland said:

Ive been hunting IL since about '98 and wonder why I did not start earlier, but lately it has gone downhill in my area, but still better then anywhere else, well except for the KY land I hunt as well!

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If I would have started hunting up here that early, I would not have stayed married so long and def would have moved sooner!

I started in 06 and said screw the drive and moved in 10

As soon as my chidren are grown I'm heading that way. I just love being in the woods. And not having to deal with the city life. Oh ya the hunting is great also. I drive up 7-8 times a year so i have gotten numb to the drive.

ruttinbuck said:

As soon as my chidren are grown I'm heading that way. I just love being in the woods. And not having to deal with the city life. Oh ya the hunting is great also. I drive up 7-8 times a year so i have gotten numb to the drive.

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I just left any and everything I ever cared about and moved

Yeah a town of 448 people, no red lights, only business is an American Legion and the closest gas station is a 32 mile round trip...its nice that this is my only traffic jams these days







Back to the topic of the thread. We have the deer quantities and we have the quality. Its not what it was a handful of years ago, but in general its not what it was all over the country where we hunt nowadays. So its all good

^^^^sweet^^^^

I actually love the drive. Watching the combines cutting the corn on the way up, seeing the arch in the distance right before I veer north to the promise land, and seeing the change in the color of the leaves makes the drive a pretty easy one for me. The locals there can complain all they want. We get excited down here over a 135 inch 10 pt bouncing around the farm. Up there its a different story.

Glad this thread poped up. Me and my brother were thinking of going a trip to Illinois this season. Any recomendations on outfitters since some of you guys are living up there?