Management in Illinois is bad as you say it is in your home state there big dan. Hunters do The managing dude govt jus sells the tags. Go talk to ya boys and chop there fingers off if your that worried about it. There's u a solution. It starts with who is carryin the artillery.
I think he's getting at fewer bucks being shot, particularly the ones that have already shed. It sounds like his aim is to have a better balanced herd, at least in this interview.
Sounds to me like he is offering a solutioin- get some people in office at the DNR that actually give a hoot about the health and quality of the deer herd versus just putting in people looking to make even more money off the deer.
I'm actually having a great day. Went and helped a buddy drag a buck out he shot and am going to watch the Packers with my family.
All you guys saying that it's the hunters faults... Of course it is. You're going to have that. People are going to over consume when given the chance. That's why the state needs to step in and do something about it. This is just like when PA implemented antler restrictions. Guys in PA wanted bigger bucks but most weren't willing to pass on the smaller ones. Now PA is starting to show some really nice bucks from what I understand. Their DNR stepped in and did something about it, because people are going take what they want whenever it's legal. That doesn't mean the DNR just gets to throw their arms up and say "oh well".
Offering up game management changes, tag structures or season structure changes would be offering solutions. Saying the guys in office suck and starting a lynch mob is not.
I believe the blame should be 50/50, but neither side ever wants to admit that they're part of the problem.
The dnr gave out 600,000+ deer tags and has been creating newer and longer seasons to kill more deer. They continually tell hunters that the deer herd is doing great and is almost to desited levels..... so how can you really blame hunters for trying to fill a portion of all those tags? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
I can find mentions of it on Google, but can't seem to find the book. There are two used editions on Amazon, but they state the author is John Calhoun. There are several books and websites on whitetail herd management, but I figure if these two guys got the Illinois herd to what it was in its prime, then any book by them on the subject would be the best resource.
Lets hope EHD isn't a major issue in 2014. I'm not expecting the IDNR to help, and expecting most hunters to lay off the trigger is wishful thinking.
too often we as hunters expect the DNR to " save us from ourselves" since they are the sanctioning body. We are to blame because we assume incorrectly that the DNR goals and objectives are inline with our own. We have forfeited common sense because it's easier to rely on government. 50/50 maybe but the DNR succeeded in their objectives, while we were too self- absorbed to think about what we were doing.
How about a little common sense? Why have we become so reliant on the government to tell us what to think? Why not look and act on what when know though observation and experience. Killing a third of our herd yearly isn't sustainable.
Most IL deer hunters have only really noticed the drop in deer numbers in the past two years. Before that, they saw 'plenty' of deer. They saw the harvest numbers were holding fairly steady and any anomalies were excused off by bad weather, or crops still in the fields. Now, they are starting to question the 'experts' as they should. If it's simply self-regulation, then fire these DNR experts and save the half million dollars.
Common sense? How's this for common sense... I can't control what you shoot. You cant control what I shoot. But guess who can... The DNR!!! That's why THEY need to step in and take control of the situation!
This was my third time reading this article over the past couple weeks, and it hasn't changed each time I read it. I have agree with Dan (which has been uncommon in some threads), as this article seems full of wind. I am an Illinois hunter and also have witnessed the deer herd suffer greatly over the past decade. But it's fluctuations seem little to do with the political policy and more to do with the varying factors of much harsher winters (I grew up in the era where Illinois saw little snow for like a decade), modern farm practices (which completely rape the land of food and nutrients) and an onslaught of coyotes that just didn't exist a decade ago. Not to mention the diseases, sharpshooters, and an increase of hunters with a decrease of land suitable to sustain a good herd. What I stated above is far worse than any politician can foresee or even acknowledge. Higgins paints Calhoun and so and so as the greatest thing since sliced bread.. But he forgets that today's Illinois is far different than those days. Far greater challenges exist. Stop pointing fingers and lets get together and try to solve some issues. Destroying the credibility of others is a easy and cowardly approach when you're the author. The challenge I'd like to see a notable Illinois deer hunter like Higgins take is that of mediator, and of voice of reason and restraint to our politicians. Lynch mobs never accomplish anything. And are never credible.
