Illinois Firearm Season 2023

[mallardsx2]

Straight wall cartridges allowed in Illinois will further erode the number of mature bucks going forward. More gun hunters equal more young bucks being shot. The trend was started with crossbows and continues with straight walls. Illinois is looking at short term money increases but in the long run it will hurt them. As the number of "trophy" bucks decline over time (due to crossbows and straight walls), hunters will look for other states to start hunting

I couldn’t agree more. Crossbows have pretty much tanked every single archery season I have been a part of nationwide. It absolutely crushed the older age class of deer in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Thank god Colorado and Iowa still don’t allow them.


Regarding their silly (and almost impossible to enforce) straight wall, single shot rule, the amount of guys sitting in the treestand with an ar-15 in 350 legend with a fully loaded magazine will be baffling no doubt. Then, when they walk out, or see someone coming, they will simply put the loaded magazine in their back pocket and place the dummy magazine in their gun.The older age class of bucks will suffer for sure.

IMO, The amount of gun hunters won’t change as there is a limited amount of tags per season as it is. What will change is the amount of SUCCESSFUL gun hunters.

 

[bucktail bob]

I live in Illinois and have no reason to retool over to any straight wall case firearm.

The 2 bolt action slug guns I own are way to accurate and I really don’t see an advantage.

I definitely would be looking at a straight wall case rifle if I didn’t own a bolt action slug gun.

And BTW there are no more big bucks in Illinois….stay home



I’ll stay away from the politics.

 

[Big7]

How many of you will be trying out Illinois new firearm law next season for whitetail deer? For those with bolt guns (of the allowed caliber) I have read you'll need to leave the magazine at home and have to put one bullet at a time into the chamber. I currently have a bolt action .350 Legend but am considering a standard single shot to keep from fumbling with loading ammunition without a magazine.

Hard to beat an H&R / NEF for the money if you can find one in a legal caliber.

I know mine isn't legal there but it's AWESOME in .243 Winchester. It's my hog and coyote rig.

 

[Big7]

Straight wall cartridges allowed in Illinois will further erode the number of mature bucks going forward. More gun hunters equal more young bucks being shot. The trend was started with crossbows and continues with straight walls. Illinois is looking at short term money increases but in the long run it will hurt them. As the number of "trophy" bucks decline over time (due to crossbows and straight walls), hunters will look for other states to start hunting

I'm going to respectively disagree.

Their DNR knows how to meet management needs. IMO

Further, it wouldn't be fair to limit opportunity to just a few that bow hunt.

A limit should be a limit. Period. Shouldn't matter if it's a rock or hand grenade.

 

[gma1320]

I've never hunted Illinois, and I'm not sure I ever will. But I do have a slug gun that is capable of 300 yard shots if need be. What is the advantages of the rifle I've the slug gun, other than the rifle bullet casing is not effected by weather the was a slug can be?

 

[NUTT]

I've never hunted Illinois, and I'm not sure I ever will. But I do have a slug gun that is capable of 300 yard shots if need be. What is the advantages of the rifle I've the slug gun, other than the rifle bullet casing is not effected by weather the was a slug can be?

Which one you got? That’s impressive if it’s reliable and accurate.

 

[gma1320]

Which one you got? That’s impressive if it’s reliable and accurate.

CVA hunter 20 gauge shooting hornady sst slugs. The Remington accutip shoot purdy good to, but not as well as the hornady.

Edit: this got me curious about the energy the slug carried at that yardage. I don't know that I would ever encounter a scenario that i would shoot 300 yards. Even though it shoots about a 3 inch group at 300 yard, upon paying more attention to the downrange energy of the slug, I don't believe I would try to shoot a a deer that fat. It looses a lot of energy out that far.

 

[Jim Boyd]

CVA hunter 20 gauge shooting hornady sst slugs. The Remington accutip shoot purdy good to, but not as well as the hornady.

Edit: this got me curious about the energy the slug carried at that yardage. I don't know that I would ever encounter a scenario that i would shoot 300 yards. Even though it shoots about a 3 inch group at 300 yard, upon paying more attention to the downrange energy of the slug, I don't believe I would try to shoot a a deer that fat. It looses a lot of energy out that far.

If you have a slug gun that shoots MOA at 300 yards, don’t ever let it get away from you!!!!

 

[gma1320]

If you have a slug gun that shoots MOA at 300 yards, don’t ever let it get away from you!!!!

My son loves it too. I had to buy him a rifle so I could get my gun back. It shoots way better than I imagined it would. I didn't believe it when the gun store told. I get 1.5 inch groups at 150 yards. And generally 2 of the shots are touching.

 

[basshappy]

Regarding their silly (and almost impossible to enforce) straight wall, single shot rule, the amount of guys sitting in the treestand with an ar-15 in 350 legend with a fully loaded magazine will be baffling no doubt. Then, when they walk out, or see someone coming, they will simply put the loaded magazine in their back pocket and place the dummy magazine in their gun.

The law reads you may not have on your person, or easily accessible to you, or anywhere near you a mutli-round capacity magazine. If you do goodbye license hello fines. I believe they will be checking for this every opportunity. But I keep coming back to "one round is all you need".

 

[mallardsx2]

The law reads you may not have on your person, or easily accessible to you, or anywhere near you a mutli-round capacity magazine. If you do goodbye license hello fines. I believe they will be checking for this every opportunity. But I keep coming back to "one round is all you need".

I am well aware of what the law says. But let’s be honest, do you think they will pat you down to see if you have a mag in your boot or in your back pocket? Let’s be honest, this is a ridiculous and almost impossible rule to enforce.

Honestly, I can’t believe they are allowing anything I other than pure single shot rifles.

 

[basshappy]

I am well aware of what the law says. But let’s be honest, do you think they will pat you down to see if you have a mag in your boot or in your back pocket? Let’s be honest, this is a ridiculous and almost impossible rule to enforce.

Honestly, I can’t believe they are allowing anything I other than pure single shot rifles.

I absolutely do believe some hunters will be checked and some will lose their license for stupidity. Low hanging fruit.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I absolutely do believe some hunters will be checked and some will lose their license for stupidity. Low hanging fruit.

Again, in 12+ years hunting up there, I have never seen a game warden truck so surely have not been checked.

Illinois is broke, the cesspool that is Chicago basically drains the state dry. Broke states have to peel off costs where they can, soooo.

Here is what I do not get. Why worry about the regs or whether or not they are silly, are enforceable, on and on.

Idiots - local and out of state - will do stupid things. Stupid people MAY get stupid prizes.

My guess is most of the enforcement will occur on public ground.

I am building a 350 L bolt gun, leaving the mag behind troubles me not in the least. I do not even have any immediate plans to hunt in Illinois with rifle - but that requirement - silly or not - troubles me not in the least.

In my limited knowledge of the debate - here is what I think - straight wall cartridges in Illinois fall in a few categories:

- generates money for state
- allows Illinois to keep pace with other Midwest states - which is also aimed at revenue generation
- some stupid people will get stupid prizes
- and… lastly - it gives some people who are not even impacted or exposed to Illinois regulations something to whine and moan about

Beyond those points:

- 350 L is good for the gun and ammo industry (which helps sportsmen)
- 350 L gives shooters and reloaders another cartridge to experiment with and have fun with

Law enforcement will still have a full plate:

- trespassing
- hunting out of season
- hunting w/o license
- hunting and alcohol
- hunting and drugs
- night hunting
- squabbles about property lines
- shooting deer with non legal cartridges
- tracking disputes across property lines

Do you really think that an extra cartridge is gonna generate THAT much excitement?

We will have data in years to come that will highlight the impacts of sw cartridges.

In the meantime, all the wailing and gnashing of teeth will solve nothing.

 

[livetohunt]

I absolutely do believe some hunters will be checked and some will lose their license for stupidity. Low hanging fruit.

In West Central Illinois (and probably all of Illinois), the Conservations Officers are really short staffed. They cover 2-3 counties. They stay so busy responding to trespassing and other violations; they don't have time to actually go look for violations on their own. Unfortunately, game laws are broken without much chance of getting caught.

 

[DAVE]

The majority of Illinois hunters already own muzzle loaders capable of 2-3 hundred yard shots and accurate rifled slug guns. I don't think straight wall cartridges will increase the kill at all.

 

[Jim Boyd]

The majority of Illinois hunters already own muzzle loaders capable of 2-3 hundred yard shots and accurate rifled slug guns. I don't think straight wall cartridges will increase the kill at all.

What it possibly could do, however, is give some hunters more confidence to get out and hunt.

Maybe.

 

[ILbowhntr]

Please don’t plan on any AR platform rifles in deer seasons. They’re trying like holly heck to ban “assault” rifles and any high capacity rifles. Guess my Marlin 60 will have to be turned in.
Oops, I forgot they ALL burnt up with my camper a couple years back.

 

[livetohunt]

What it possibly could do, however, is give some hunters more confidence to get out and hunt.

Maybe.

I think that is exactly what it will do. More hunters will go out and hunt with a rifle now. My farmer just told me his son bought a rifle so he can start hunting with it. He previously never hunted. Also, besides more young bucks getting shot, more will be wounded by hunters trying to stretch the range out too far.

 

[HavocLover]

Poor poor pitiful Illinois. What’s next? They don’t limit your rifle calibers at all? Any rifle caliber will work? Then make a rifle season that stretches from mid October to mid January?! Ohhhh….. waitttt…

 

[Gator89]

I'd venture to say IL is more red than GA is... they have Chicago to compete with... GA has ATL, Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Augusta, Albany. I'm sure theres others I'm missing.

I think this rifle season is just merely keeping up with times. Over the last few years straight walled calibers have become super popular. I think IL as a whole is just evolving with times but also trying to keep it 'sporting' hence the whole single shot thing.

I don't think itll change much. Your out of state hunters are still only gonna be able to go once a year at 1-1.5 weeks time. They'll still likely opt to go during peak rut which is still archery. Your gun seasons are going to stay the same. Its not like they extended the season or anything. Merely broadened your choice of weapons.... from the research I've read up on.

I see some pretty clear similaritres.