Illinois hunters

[OptimaAndy]

Whats it like hunitng your state? My wife may have a job oppurtunity in Chicago area. Do you really need your own land to hunt or is there plenty of public land. Any special state rules. Do they allow all kinds of firearms? Whats the seasons?


thanks

 

[hawgslayer]

8)

O/A
I hunted IL for the first time this past season and from what I've seen and read, you need to have your own land or lease land to hunt. I'm sure that if you put in the time you can stop and talk to land owners and find some land to hunt. Theres allot of outfitters that pay big money for land rights and then charge the hunter thru their nose. I lucked out. A friend of my son let me hunt his land this year. It was the first time the land was hunted in 35/40yrs. It's all woods surrounded by crops and has fresh water spring on it. If that didn't come about I was going to hunt leased land. The lease is $1000.00 for the entire deer season. 1 OCT 09 TO JAN 14TH 2010.
Bow season usually starts 1 Oct and goes to the middle of Jan. FIREARM SEASON is the weekend before Thanksgiving, (friday,saturday and sunday) and then again the weekend after Thanksgiving, (thursday friday sat and sunday). The very next weekend 11 , 12 and 13 friday sat and sunday was muzzleloader only season. Then there were two more seasons that unfilled tags were good, DOES ONLY FOR RESIDENCE. The last weekend in Dec and the 15, 16 and 17th of Jan 2010. Weapons, bow, shotgun, pistol and muzzleloader with scopes only. These are the dates from this past season if I remember correctly :? :?: :? Any more questions just ask away or send me a PM. 8)

 

[OptimaAndy]

thanks HS.

What part of the state do you think I would have the best luck on hunting public land. I don't mind doing some hiking to get into back country if i have to. I also like to use streams and rivers to get in beyond where most hunt.

 

[rc67]

There is quite a bit of public land in southern IL (Shawnee National Forest) but for the rest of the state it's very much a case of "few and far between". What little public land we have gets hammered for the most part too. Look at a map and you can easily see just how little public land there is in most of the state. Illinois ranks something like 47th or 48th in the country in the amount of public land. Basically if you don't know someone who will let you hunt, own your own land, or can hunt on family land, etc. then you'll have to get your wallet out to have a place to hunt. Not saying it would be totally impossible to knock on some doors and find a place to hunt but it would be nearly so. It used to be like that but those days are long gone in this state, and a lot of others too.

 

[hawgslayer]

8)

I agree with rc67, down state is your best bet. Anything along the Missippippi, south of I-80 IS OUTFITTER COUNTRY. Good luck and if you need anything else concerning this subject just PM me or ask away :!: :!: