Illinois Hunting Journal 2012

[4khorn]

I think the season is close enough to get this journal up and going again! I can't believe the season is less than 14 days away. Once again, it has snuck up on me and I find myself scrambling to get ready. The bow is shooting good and I got a couple stands up at the end of August. I just hope there are some deer running around the property I hunt this year. As many of you are aware, EHD has been hitting us hard in Illinois. I had the misfortune of finding a stud buck dead in a creek a mere 60 yards from one of my stands. After a call to the local conservation officer for a tag and to report the find I brought it home with me. Its a real shame and not the way I wanted to bring a buck of that caliber home with me. I still have some hope for the season tho and my goal is to harvest atleast 2 deer. Time will tell if I am successful or not.

How is everyone else doing? Are you ready? Anyone else find and possible EHD kills?

Good luck this season. May it be full of great memories and successes. Most of all be safe!!

Here is a picture of the buck I found.

2012-09-11 EHD Kill.jpg (29.41 KiB) Viewed 1669 times

[bobow]

Good luck to all and to all a good night....well you get the drift

[bobow]

Corn & beans are getting harvested in my immediate area in N IL. Anything going on in the rest of the state?

[Woods Walker]

I'm just a little east of you and while I haven't seen any beans being harvested yet I have seen corn. Not combined but chopped so I'm guessing for silage. I think a lot of corn will be chopped this year because there's not much actual grain to combine.

[Deebz]

They are combining corn like crazy over here by the IL/IN state line. I'm pumped that the corn will be out, but I'm also not looking forward to the farmers having all that time to plow the fields under before it freezes hard.

Picked up a new crossbow for my wife last night and saw a TON of deer out moving just before sunset with the opened up fields and cold snap... I'm getting excited for sure

[4khorn]

2 days away! I'm getting my clothes washed up and hung to dry today. I also practiced with my new Summit Viper a bit. It is my first climbing stand so it will take some getting used to. If anyone has any tips or tricks they want to share please do. What is everyone's plans for next week? Gonna make it out? I am planning on hunting in the afternoon on opening day. Hope to see some action! Good luck everyone!

[bobow]

If I can get out at all it will be at least the weekend at the earliest....bummer.

I hope all that can get out does well and stays safe.

[kellory]

I too, will miss the opener. Today was ours. and I will need to work a side job tomorrow, to pay for a later hunt. That,.... and borrow a vehicle. We do what we must.

[Woods Walker]

As you all know I'm a groundhunter who likes to "git in there amongst 'em", so I usually like to wait a week or two until some of the leaves have come off the trees and undergrowth. No sense in busting deer that you can't see out of the very areas that you want to hunt them in when the rut starts.

I guess you could say that's part of the "patience" that you need to stillhunt!

[Deebz]

I'll be out saturday morning with the wife unless it's pouring down rain... then maybe it'll just be me! My little bros went out this morning back home. My youngest (who just got out of the Army last spring) saw a big bodied forkhorn... I hope he gets a deer this year. He hasn't been able to hunt for the last 4 seasons...