2023 IL Gun Deer Season

[Gellar]

From afar what I see is that the guys who are “serious hunters” are still getting their 2 bucks. It would be interesting to see the breakdown if most of those hunters are getting both bucks during bow season or 1 during gun, 1 during bow.

Is the 43% harvest rate down because of deer herd size or is it because more land is being locked up by outfitters, less residents who would be happy with any antlered buck have access and the nonresidents who are hunting are being picky and not getting opportunities at the size of buck they are searching for.

I suspect it’s many reasons including some that are stated and not stated.

 

[Nick87]

From afar what I see is that the guys who are “serious hunters” are still getting their 2 bucks. It would be interesting to see the breakdown if most of those hunters are getting both bucks during bow season or 1 during gun, 1 during bow.

Is the 43% harvest rate down because of deer herd size or is it because more land is being locked up by outfitters, less residents who would be happy with any antlered buck have access and the nonresidents who are hunting are being picky and not getting opportunities at the size of buck they are searching for.

I suspect it’s many reasons including some that are stated and not stated.

It's several contributing factors imo. Some of which is definitely what you stated.

 

[buckbull]

That totally aligns with what I'm seeing. Are you noticing less deer by you? I can only speak for the northern most counties and southern most. But I would say deer sightings in the last year are down 25% over the last 5 years. And down at least 50% over the last 10. Although that is somewhat skewed up north here due to when they decimated the herd with the cwd shooting. There were several times I would see 10 to 20 deer in a sit. I can't remember a time in the last handful of years where I've seen more than 5 and that is a rare occurrence.

I'm guessing 50-60% less than the high mid 2000s. What is really shocking is the lack of shooting during firearms season. I'd say its down 80%. Of course, bow season now accounts for 50% of the Illinois kill so that certainly accounts for some of the lack of gun season kill. I know my area has had a couple of really bad years of EHD, I mean really bad, that I always attributed the lack of deer too. Just seems when they start to recover well we get hit again. 2013 was particularly bad for EHD in my area.

 

[buckbull]

From afar what I see is that the guys who are “serious hunters” are still getting their 2 bucks. It would be interesting to see the breakdown if most of those hunters are getting both bucks during bow season or 1 during gun, 1 during bow.

Is the 43% harvest rate down because of deer herd size or is it because more land is being locked up by outfitters, less residents who would be happy with any antlered buck have access and the nonresidents who are hunting are being picky and not getting opportunities at the size of buck they are searching for.

I suspect it’s many reasons including some that are stated and not stated.

my area is heavily outfitted so I wonder what that does to the total as well. For sure the number of mature bucks I now see (even with trail cams) when compared to 20 years ago is night and day.

 

[Nick87]

I'm guessing 50-60% less than the high mid 2000s. What is really shocking is the lack of shooting during firearms season. I'd say its down 80%. Of course, bow season now accounts for 50% of the Illinois kill so that certainly accounts for some of the lack of gun season kill. I know my area has had a couple of really bad years of EHD, I mean really bad, that I always attributed the lack of deer too. Just seems when they start to recover well we get hit again. 2013 was particularly bad for EHD in my area.

The number of gunshots now on opening morning is comparable to the second or third day of second season years back imo.

 

[Gellar]

my area is heavily outfitted so I wonder what that does to the total as well. For sure the number of mature bucks I now see (even with trail cams) when compared to 20 years ago is night and day.

It was frustrating when I lived down there when you’d let a 130” buck walk by 4 days in a row only to see an outfitter bragging about how their hunter killed it. It’s hard to fault someone who kills a 130 when it’s the biggest deer they’ve ever seen, but if you want to kill a 160 or bigger you have to let the 130s walk. After 25+ years of outfitters killing every 130” deer on a property the big ones aren’t there.

I'm guessing 50-60% less than the high mid 2000s. What is really shocking is the lack of shooting during firearms season. I'd say it’s down 80%. Of course, bow season now accounts for 50% of the Illinois kill so that certainly accounts for some of the lack of gun season kill. I know my area has had a couple of really bad years of EHD, I mean really bad, that I always attributed the lack of deer too. Just seems when they start to recover well we get hit again. 2013 was particularly bad for EHD in my area.

I think I’ve heard/read it takes 4-5 years to recover from a EHD outbreak. But that’s only if you don’t have anymore outbreaks in those 4-5 years.

 

[antelopedundee]

It was frustrating when I lived down there when you’d let a 130” buck walk by 4 days in a row only to see an outfitter bragging about how their hunter killed it. It’s hard to fault someone who kills a 130 when it’s the biggest deer they’ve ever seen, but if you want to kill a 160 or bigger you have to let the 130s walk. After 25+ years of outfitters killing every 130” deer on a property the big ones aren’t there.

If you don't shoot the 130 the guy over the next hill will.

 

[Gellar]

If you don't shoot the 130 the guy over the next hill will.

And that’s exactly why there’s no 160s

 

[Nick87]

And that’s exactly why there’s no 160s

Yup.

 

[antelopedundee]

And that’s exactly why there’s no 160s

Even if there are 500 hunters willing to let it go there are more than that who won't. I expect that that's one good reason that there are private landowners who restrict hunting, thus giving them time to grow. If you play your cards right you might catch them away from the private land.

 

[Nick87]

Even if there are 500 hunters willing to let it go there are more than that who won't. I expect that that's one good reason that there are private landowners who restrict hunting, thus giving them time to grow. If you play your cards right you might catch them away from the private land.

That's the spirit.

 

[Gellar]

As 200 and 300 acre farms get sold and broke into smaller 40 and 80 acre parcels trophy management will become more and more difficult. It’s easy to say we are letting all 130s go on a 300 acre piece and you will see that deer year after year as it grows. But in an area with small parcels where a deer might live on 2 or 3 different properties it’s going to be harder for every landowner to get on board.

 

[Nick87]

As 200 and 300 acre farms get sold and broke into smaller 40 and 80 acre parcels trophy management will become more and more difficult. It’s easy to say we are letting all 130s go on a 300 acre piece and you will see that deer year after year as it grows. But in an area with small parcels where a deer might live on 2 or 3 different properties it’s going to be harder for every landowner to get on board.

Another side of the coin is some of those smaller pieces don't always allow hunting and provide a safety net for some of those deer that otherwise may have gotten hammered. All it takes is one hot doe to mess that up though.Ymmv