Out of State

[Richard]

Whats has been your best out of state public land bow hunt?

 

[shdw633]

Illinois. I am heading there this fall and can't wait!!

 

[Flintridge]

Have you hunted any other public land in the Midwest to compare?
A buddy and I are either going to IL or IN pre-rut public. Just trying to decide which one.

 

[shdw633]

Have you hunted any other public land in the Midwest to compare?
A buddy and I are either going to IL or IN pre-rut public. Just trying to decide which one.

Michigan and had better experiences in Illinois, though I will be hunting in both of them again this year.

 

[Flintridge]

Michigan and had better experiences in Illinois, though I will be hunting in both of them again this year.

Is it mainly just less pressure in IL compared to MI? Or the anything else like the number of deer you see?

 

[shdw633]

Is it mainly just less pressure in IL compared to MI? Or the anything else like the number of deer you see?

I see tons of deer in both states but Illinois has a better "attitude" when it comes to big bucks. Michigan is a shoot whatever has calcium on their head frame of mind state, though they are trying to change that, it's still tough for a buck to reach maturity if it has any form of bone on it's head. Alot of that comes from the fact that everyones car has been mangled more than once by hitting a deer so their love for them is not as strong as it is in other states. In Illinois I see as many deer but I see deer with bigger racks in Illinois, that's what keeps me coming back. I thnk public land hunting is different up there because people either have their own land or know someone with land that they can hunt on, when I am in Illinois it is either out of staters or people from Chicago that I usually meet in the woods up there. In Michigan I don't hardly see anyone but there are a ton of public land places to hunt up there in Michigan as well.

 

[mizzippi jb]

Iowa zone 9. Headed back this year.

 

[Kris87]

Iowa zone 9. Headed back this year.

How many points does it normally take to draw in that zone?

 

[DJPineHillFarms]

Utah without a doubt. High country ,public land mule deer have no comparison.

 

[Flintridge]

I see tons of deer in both states but Illinois has a better "attitude" when it comes to big bucks. Michigan is a shoot whatever has calcium on their head frame of mind state, though they are trying to change that, it's still tough for a buck to reach maturity if it has any form of bone on it's head. Alot of that comes from the fact that everyones car has been mangled more than once by hitting a deer so their love for them is not as strong as it is in other states. In Illinois I see as many deer but I see deer with bigger racks in Illinois, that's what keeps me coming back. I thnk public land hunting is different up there because people either have their own land or know someone with land that they can hunt on, when I am in Illinois it is either out of staters or people from Chicago that I usually meet in the woods up there. In Michigan I don't hardly see anyone but there are a ton of public land places to hunt up there in Michigan as well.

That makes sense. Do you hunt in the northern or southern part of IL?

 

[shdw633]

That makes sense. Do you hunt in the northern or southern part of IL?

Southern

 

[mizzippi jb]

How many points does it normally take to draw in that zone?

Generally 2 so every 3rd year. It's in the NE corner, very undulating terrain. Lots of bluffs, draws, it's beautiful. And last time I was there I saw more 170 plus deer between hunting and riding in 1 week than I did in 5 one week trips to west central Illinois

 

[Kris87]

Generally 2 so every 3rd year. It's in the NE corner, very undulating terrain. Lots of bluffs, draws, it's beautiful. And last time I was there I saw more 170 plus deer between hunting and riding in 1 week than I did in 5 one week trips to west central Illinois

You think its worth going there with just 2 points or holding out for zones 5 & 6 with 4 points?

 

[mizzippi jb]

With my situation, it's worth it. Coworker's family lives there, I have 3 farms to hunt, place to stay, and a lot of basically unhunted public land. I'm totally happy if I get to see big deer and get a shot at a 145 or bigger, but there are a bunch of Boone or better deer running aroun too. The folks up there are as good as they come, treat us like family when we roll in. The state record bow buck was killed in that zone a few years ago, if it was any better down south I wouldn't know what to do.

 

[Kris87]

Dudley lives in zone 5 and tells me public land there is not that hard for 130" bucks. I might look at other zones to speed up my situation there.

 

[patcavscout]

When I was stationed in Alaska. Bow hunting for caribou along the Dalton Highway all the way from the Atigun Pass up to Dead Horse. Went out with some great guys a couple times. Got to see a 7 foot grizzly and her year old cubs from 40 yards away on one trip.

 

[Big Andy]

Buffalo county Wisconsin

 

[Jim Thompson]

If I had to choose between southern IL and southern IN, I would choose IL every time. The quantity and quality (overall) is better in IL. I've lived and hunted in both (still live in Indiana and am 15 minutes from Illinois) and while Indiana is good, Illinois kicks it's butt. The public land doesn't seem to get as hammered by locals in Illinois either.

I wouldn't turn either down, but southern Illinois can be some of the finest hunting in the country.

 

[Cwb19]

Southern Ill has thousands of acres of public iand in the Shawnee nat forest with little pressure during bow season

 

[Richard]

Thanks for the input.