Gun season came and went in our neck of the woods ( southern Fulton county ) with very little shooting and excitement. Ive only heard of two deer over 150 being shot. I have also been surfing facebook and its not much different. General topic around here is no one can figure out where all the deer went. In my opinion EHD hit harder than anyone let on. The state and the outfitters aren't going to let everyone no what really happened. Whats the reports around the rest of the state? What did everyone see? Do you think your population is the same as last year? I am hoping that the low population around here is from the EHD and is in pocketed areas. Whats your opinion?
It didn't help that in my area (Grundy County) the dnr shot almost 400 deer after hunting season last year. That was after the shed so bucks and does were both shot. Whatever came to their bait piles. 148 of them were from the land I hunt. Haven't seen crap this year. I don't gun hunt but it's been a bad bow year for most I've talked to.
For myself I didn't really go out. Went some during day on Friday and a little Saturday afternoon. I didn't see anything or hear near as many shots that we usually do around here. We walked draws yesterday afternoon and jumped three and that was all we saw. Also haven't really heard of very many being taken in the area, but haven't talked to many people. Like you though didn't see very much on FB. I'm not sure what's goin on this year, I've seen probably a few less deer but havent been finding any dead deer and haven't heard of any in area. I do think its a lot slower though for sure.
A little over 550 acres on our 2 farms. 8 hunters, only 4 deer. Hands down the worst we've ever had. Several never even saw a deer. I actually had good activity. Saw multiple deer each sit, but no shooter bucks. Cousin killed a 110" 8pt.... Swore up and down he hit a giant, but the shot wasn't good. We found it relatively easy, and it shrunk about 30 inches when we did. Had several pictures of the buck this year.
My gun season (and bow season has been very similar) was slow. I only got in 3 sits. I saw 1 or 2 does each of the first 2 sits and then my last sit on Saturday evening showed 12 does. I passed them all. I haven't had a legitimate shooter buck on trail camera (9 of them out) all season. I can't figure it out. My worst all around deer season ever so far. Dad saw less than 10 deer total in his 4 sits. No kills. My aunt, on a different farm, saw less than 6 on all of her sits. No kills. Biggest deer I know of being shot was a 140" ten point, 140" eight point, and a 125".
I haven't heard much of anything. I didn't go out this first weekend due to not having a buck tag. I hope to get out Wednesday morning. I'll hear then if they did any good on the property I hunt. This year has been odd to say the least. I've had the fewest sightings ever but still have 3 in the freezer. I really thought this weekend was going to be a slaughter fest across the state but so far it doesn't seem to be the case. Still rutting, cold and no rain. Wondering how many counties they will close for the late winter antlerless this year. Things aren't looking good for the IL deer herd, that's for certain.
I live in grundy county tgey did this 3 years ago with the shap shooters taking as many deer as they could . Illinois is the only state that diesnt manage for bigger healthy herds they manage for less car on deer collisions the last couple years thats been one of the biggest fatalities here so thats why also to take out any sick deer my friend is dave wolgast our dnr warden and my father is a state trooper they did it every where not just grundy they took almost 400 deer here and 450 in lasalle county but alot was shot out here i know of 4 bucks and 6 does that where just my friends i dont gun hunt and i seen 4 mire does in the culvers parking lot around lunch time yesterday lol
The state of Illinois gas screwed up deer hunting and the herd like they have screwed up everythingelse
They know that and there relizeing it now its in the new dnr book and in the adventure sports outdoors mag talking all about the sharp shooting and how the heards didnt recoop from it its mest up you basicly have to hunt private land now there making it so you have to poach a good deer now like the 36 pointer poached outta grundy county illinois has the crapiest deer managing program there talking about taking on the iowa laws and deer program but thats just talk in the mags illinois wont do anything now there charging us to use atvs or any off road machines for hunting there saying next year we will need a permit for them all even on private land to help the state gain money .
I agree with everyone that the state has screwed the deer hunting up. Im not going to hold my breath on it getting any better. They will keep issuing tags and trying to get more money. It will change when the out of state hunters see for them selves that the quality is down and quit going to the outfitters. Then and only then will the state worry about changing and then it will be to late. We were hammered with EHD state report says Fulton county has like 50 total turned in. Between Rector and myself we had 17 bucks over 140 and tons of does. ID say we lost over a hundred just in our area. But its heavily outfitted so you wont ever read about it.
I only went out the Friday morning. Heard 5 shots, 3 from the same guy. Drove from Jersey county to champaign county twice and saw one dead buck on the highway. Driving back and forth from champaign to monticello multiple times, I only saw two dead deer. Driving from champaign to the northwest Chicago burbs I saw one dead doe and she was in cook county. Weird. I saw lots of splattered deer in Kansas and Missouri. The mountain lions must have eaten them all in illinois. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Between the ehd and sharp shooters there isnt much left the heards are spreading out whats left of them here in grundy county we have a wildlife area we cant hunt the state owns and there are prob 30 does out every night feeding in the short grass but thats a protected area and like i was saying they manage for less deer on car collisions you said you seen a bunch dead lol see im a dispatcher for the state and its unreal hiw many calls we get for hit deer or fatal accidents from hitting deer the state is cracking down on it especialy in towns that border a major expressway like grundy we have i 80 and i55 but the sharp shooters hit alot of counties in ill and the ehd is worse than last year.
There where no reports of ehd in our county grundy but our neighbor found 3 does and s small 6 point dead from it on his property he had the dnr out and they took the deer and everything but still no reports of it here i think those reports are wrong or not up to date enough as they should be but i know the ehd is bad they had sharp shooters 3 years ago and the past 2 years ehd hit harder than ever before thsts wired its like they shot all the healthy ones and left us the dead ones or ones about to die
I had a buddy that him and family took 7 deer this weekend around Rushville in Schuyler county. Also another buddy and his brother took 3 does this weekend down in the Rend Lake area. I also saw very few dead dear driving from Peoria to Carbondale last weekend. Fortunately for me the car in front of me hit a doe and kept going so I got some backstraps out of it.
My wife's cousin shot a 158 inch Friday night. They were starting to move on Saturday night. I didn't not see any shooters just 1 1/2 year olds
I didn't find any dead deer on my farm this year or last year, but part of me wonders if that's because I have no major water source that the EHD deer tend to die around. With everyone statewide talking about the struggle of the deer herd, it's made me hesitant to even take a deer. I have enough in the freezer to get me by til next season
Much of the same this morning at work. No one got anything and they don't know of anyone that seen much of anything. The numbers and response to those numbers are going to be interesting when they come out.