Illinois Hunting Journal 2012

[4khorn]

I have not been out for 10 days now. I keep finding reasons not to go. It's hot, its raining, wife needs something on the honey do list checked off, grass is tall, leaves need raked...I am hoping to go Friday afternoon. Hopefully an enjoyable hunt will get my hunting pilot light lit again. Oh that was today's excuse...furnace quit and repair man is coming today.

[Deebz]

I didn't hunt last sat afternoon in lieu of hitting up the rainbow trout stocked in Kickapoo State Park.

I have to ask, how are those trout as far as eating goes? I used to do a lot of trout fishing in Mich. and some years, in some steams, in the spring of the year they used to stock trout. Their meat was on the whitish side and did not have the good taste of the true pink meated wild ones. The planted trout were easy to catch. They used to have one of their fins partially clipped and were easy to identify, those I would release to hopfully grow up.
Good luck with those bucks your getting on camera.

They really are tasty, as far as I know. I guess I've never been anywhere with native populations of trout to compare them to, but I can't complain. I usually just remove all the entrail, stuff them with some stove top, wrap them in foil with some lemon and butter and either grill them or bake them in the oven. I did fillet a couple of the bigger ones (they ran about 14-18 inches this year) and they had a pinkish tint. I have seen some real monsters come out of that lake... it's old strip mines that are spring fed, so they can find pockets of deep cold water to survive in...

[bobow]

I went out this PM hoping to catch something moving before the front came through. As you know it was windy and it was 72 when I got out there. It clouded up but nothing moving.

As the storm approached and the thunder & lightning started the temp dropped to the upper 40s and I skedaddled (as fast as I can with my arthritis) and got in just before the heavy stuff started.

This was my first time out since the first Saturday. I hope to get out this weekend and things pick up. It looks like the temps will be back to more near the normals this time of year.

I hope everyone gets a chance to get out and has success.

[buckwild]

jepik - sorry about the cast.

It looks like lots of us have had marginal opportunity to make it out this year. I am optimistic!

I did make it out with my 6 year old daughter on Sunday. We set up in an area that has been a great spot to see deer in the past. We did end up seeing deer, but it was a challenge. unfortunately, there was another hunter set up in a stand right where the deer pop into the open from a bedding area. He was right in the middle of what I refer to as "the hot zone". I heard him take a shot around 5pm and then I could see his flashlight moving around in the woods to the west of his stand for the rest of daylight. We actually did see two does show up in the open from "the hot zone". When I saw them they were looking in his direction to the west. They quickly went back into cover as our new friend popped out of the woods and walked along the edge of the opening right back through "the hot zone" on his way back to get another flashlight, which brought him right past our ground blind. At that point the gig was up so my daughter and I got out of the blind and talked to him for a bit.

After hunting public land for over a decade, I have learned that it is vital to prevent the deer from learning that they are being hunted. I always hunt the fringes of the "hot zone" as to not educate the deer. I do my best to not leave any scent behind, and to exit the stand away from the open area where they are likely feeding. Unless the wind is right, I don't go there. This guy blew all that out of the water. He also said that there was another stand right by his. Its a big park. I will probably not be back to that spot this year. Bummer, because I took two deer from within 100 yards of his stand last year.

All that said, we did have a blast. My daughter loved it. I didnt let her know my frustration and I was nice to our stinky new friend. She is already asking when she can go again. Maybe one more time before it gets cold...

[Woods Walker]

Be patient my brothers, be patient! It's 7:30 pm as I write this, and outside it's almost as bright as day even though it's after dark with that big full moon.

And it's not just any old full moon, no sir.......it's the SECOND FULL MOON AFTER THE EQUINOX! That's the one that our Native American brothers called the "Moon Of Madness", and like with most all other things involving the natural world they were NOT wrong! By next weekend it will begin to wane, and with the colder weather predicted for this week morning frosts the hunting WILL begin to pick up quite steadily from here on out. Between the 8th and 10th of November all hell will break loose!

Count on it! Good hunting!

Oh...and POST PICS!!!!

[bobow]

Be patient my brothers, be patient! It's 7:30 pm as I write this, and outside it's almost as bright as day even though it's after dark with that big full moon.

And it's not just any old full moon, no sir.......it's the SECOND FULL MOON AFTER THE EQUINOX! That's the one that our Native American brothers called the "Moon Of Madness", and like with most all other things involving the natural world they were NOT wrong! By next weekend it will begin to wane, and with the colder weather predicted for this week morning frosts the hunting WILL begin to pick up quite steadily from here on out. Between the 8th and 10th of November all hell will break loose!

Count on it! Good hunting!

Oh...and POST PICS!!!!

I was out Friday PM and this PM and nothing moving where I was. I hope to get time to get out more as the moon wanes. I sure would like to end this 3 year drought! The freezer is rather empty.....

[Woods Walker]

Be patient bo, be patient. You can't MAKE it happen. It will happen on it's own, just like it has since God made two different sexes. But happen it will. Fawns in the spring are living proof of that.

[Deebz]

Hunted Sat and Sun afternoon... didn't see a single deer. I'm repeating the same thing you said WW... be patient... This moon was a killer this weekend I think. I actually had a perfectly outlined shadow on the ground in front of me walking out each night... The wife shot a nice big squirrel, which is awesome because I really needed a squirrel tail for a costume to be used in our play... This coming weekend is almost shot for hunting, saturday night and sunday afternoon performances of our fall play.... But I get a 3 day weekend the following week, which has always been the "magic time" in the woods I hunt for the last couple of years....just being patient until then.

[buckwild]

So in the pre-dawn darkness on Sunday morning I got to my stand and it was stolen. I really like the spot so I went back to the truck for the climber. Didnt see any deer until 9:42 when a 2.5 y.o. 8 point came from the east and he was moving with a purpose. He went to the ridge in front of me to the North (N wind). I couldnt see him on the hill so I turned my can call over twice and put it away. Heard footsteps from the opposite side of the ridge (West) and a doe popped out and headed straight for me. So now I'm thinking "now I know why he was moving so quickly. He's out cruising for does and found one." She stopped at exactly 20yds broadside and offered multiple shots, but I wanted to see who would follow. I heard footsteps and a really nice buck was trailing her. He was quite a bit bigger than the 8 pt. She stood there for about 90 seconds and he was about 35 yds behind some brush. I was waiting for her to keep going to bring him in closer, but the wind was inconsistent yesterday and swirled around where she caught a whoof of me. She quickly left with two bucks right behind.

I also found a spot where there were 6-7 does eating acorns in one area that evening. They were there for about the last 1.5 hour before dark. Hope to set up closer and downwind on my next sit. find the does and you'll find the bucks!

[4khorn]

Buckwild, that really sucks about your stand. Was that on public or private ground? Bobow, I'm really pulling for ya! I hope you get a crack at one in the next few weeks.

Last Friday was the first time I ever attempted to use a climber. I got out an hour earlier than I normally would so I would have time to set up and work out the kinks. The woods had been pretty quite the last few times I went out so I was little surprised when I kicked up 4 bedded deer when entered. I got up the tree pretty easily but I forgot to bring pruning shears so I had to twist off a few twigs by hand. I think I was finally settled in by 4pm. Around 5 I glanced behind me and saw a doe fawn browsing. I decided to shoot her with my camera rather than by bow. After she had fed away from me I noticed another deer coming up the creek bottom. I could tell right away that it was a bigger deer so I bow and got ready for a shot. She passed behind a big oak tree and I drew back waiting for her to come out the other side. For some reason she made a 45 degree angle away from me, not providing a shot. I thought I had it in the bag! Oh well, thats just how they are. I saw 2 more does in the field on the way back to the truck for a total of 8 deer seen that night.

Saturday evening proved uneventful. I saw a coyote right at dark.

Sunday evening I decided to take the climber out again, this time on public ground. I went to an area where I had my first deer hunt way back when. I had just gotten settled in when I saw another hunter creeping up the ditch to my right. He eventually noticed me and went the other way. I hope I didn't ruin his hunt... My hunt was rather uneventful as I only caught a glimpse of a deer moving through the brush. I also saw a big turkey, which I think was a first for me while deer hunting.

All in all I had an OK weekend. I wish I could have gotten that doe the first evening but it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe this week it will all come together. Here is a picture of that doe fawn.

doefawnddh.JPG (93.19 KiB) Viewed 448 times