Illinois by the numbers

[Doe Shooter]

For perspective, harvest totals history. IMO the good old days were ten years ago. And for those paying big bucks to hunt here, look at the numbers.

Illinois Harvest
Year Total Firearm Archery

2001 152756
2002 159550 104478 51660
2003 168762 105873 57802
2004 190456 116575 63639
2005 201209 123792 66093
2006 196241 114722 64770
2007 199611 117755 64156
2008 188901 106018 64920
2009 189634 99755 64819
2010 182270 98944 63570
2011 181451 97820 61974
2012 180811 99546 59805
2013 148614 74318 57364
2014 145720 76575 56143
2015 155229 86847 56767
2016 79429(firearm)

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

As I posted in an earlier thread. If you can change the kill mongers mentality you can change the herd in your area too. If not our herd will never be the same again because our state will never make the necessary changes in tag disbursements. As long as they keep allowing residents to kill as many deer as they choose this will always be a problem. It is not the trophy hunters and landowners managing their wildlife that is the problem. It is the kill to kill mentality of the rest of them out there just killing deer to kill them. Also, as I posted in a different thread I know of a guy that has killed 20 deer this year so far. Just ridiculous. Things will never be back to where they were with that mentality.

 

[Doe Shooter]

As I posted in an earlier thread. If you can change the kill mongers mentality you can change the herd in your area too. If not our herd will never be the same again because our state will never make the necessary changes in tag disbursements. As long as they keep allowing residents to kill as many deer as they choose this will always be a problem. It is not the trophy hunters and landowners managing their wildlife that is the problem. It is the kill to kill mentality of the rest of them out there just killing deer to kill them. Also, as I posted in a different thread I know of a guy that has killed 20 deer this year so far. Just ridiculous. Things will never be back to where they were with that mentality.

I think there have been some small steps in the right direction. The late winter doe killing season has been cancelled in some counties. I believe gun permits in some areas reduced. I assume the 20 deer guy is using archery equipment. I hunt in two places. Behind the house and a 100 miles north on private ground. From what I have seen stand sitting and camera pics there were not 20 deer to kill even if I used a gun and hunted at night and shot everything .

We took a few and spared the does. Sparing the bucks can come later. I think we need separate buck and doe tags and give the does a break. Just my opinion.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I agree the doe need to be given a pass for a couple of years. We have plenty of deer in comparison to a lot of other areas of the state. We still have more than 20 deer to a farm but we won't before long if we have people like Mr. Chicago coming down and slaughtering 20 deer for no reason what so ever.