Hard to give up private property I know so well, but might submit an app for this. Unpressured deer in high density, big bucks out there https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/IRAP/Pages/Lake-Springfield-Archery-Deer.aspx
Why would they specify an age of being born after 1980? Especially when they are encouraging to donate the deer meat through meat processing plant...
This article is probably the only thing I could ever read that would make me think “Crap, I don’t live in Illinois”.
It was a law that was passed years ago requiring hunters to take the hunter safety training class hosted by DNR in order to get their hunting license/permits. Those born before 1980 were exempted. I took mine anyway.
And that's why I'm reluctant. Even donating deer is $50 or more. They're definitely wanting a lot of LC's to partake
You have to pay $50 to donate a deer? Around here, the urban hunts offer free donations, all the hunter has to do is field dress and remove entrails. Each hunter starts with two tags, first deer is a mandatory donation, all others may be kept or donated at hunters discretion after the first deer. Once the first two tags are filled, a new tag is issued, fill it, get another; unlimited tags until the hunt quota is filled. The urban tags do not count against regular tags issued with the normal state license.
The processors here to do it for free with the urban hunt program. Must be where the cost savings come from.
I used to donate a lot of deer. Then VA starting making the hunter pay $40. Nope. Not doing it. I'm not sure if it has been changed back to being free.
I process my own deer to save money. If I won’t pay to have a deer processed for myself I sure won’t pay to give one away. I’ll process it myself and give it to folks I know who need it. I do it all the time.
Exactly, been doing it since a kid. Then again I have a hard time paying for anything I can do or figure out.
Same here, but I've noticed as I get older that there are rare occasions where I prefer paying someone to do a thing that I could do. Deer processing isn't one of them. If I paid to have my deer processed and the average cost is, say, $70 (what I paid the last time I had one processed) I'd have paid $910 last year. I wouldn't have been sure I got the deer I actually killed, I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much meat from them, I would have no idea who all had touched my venison and most importantly, my dogs wouldn't have gotten all those smoked leg bones to munch on.
That’s some coin, but you also kill bakers dozens! I’m big on knowing I’m getting my deer meat and how it’s handled. I remember as a kid and seeing a barrel of ground meat at the butchers and my dad saying “that’s why we process our own deer” we used to swing by and see the bucks that were killed opening day of gun season. I’m sure there are good processing out there but until I’m not able to I’m gonna do my own. Mine and my parents pups also get the leg bones, they love em !
I have a feeling they will "randomly draw" hunters based on their previous seasons harvest numbers. My best season was 6 about 11-12 years ago. Since then have fallen into antler porn thinking. I doubt I get drawn, but for a 10-15 minute drive I'll try. Have a few friends that will gladly butcher one themselves.
I'm just glad you can choose your season, probably won't get drawn anyhow. First season would be best no doubt, but could be mid 80's as well. 3rd season could be fairly cold and have a lull in hunter activity for a month and a half. I chose based on the rut. I could only do 6 days regardless. Oct. 21st-23rd and 29th-31st .
