Il deerseason changes

[bowtough]

Get this,I heard news over the weekend that Ill is going to a 16 day gun season either 07 or 08 not sure which,and also a high powered rifle season is going to be allowed! If this is true, I don't see how this will be good for anyone,longterm I think it will hurt gun hunters as well,due to the large numbers of breeder bucks that will be taken. Also I beleive this will lead to more illegal taking of trophy bucks since we now have the call in harvest check! Once again greed is ruining our world!  

[Ian johnson]

[oddan]

This rumor started last season. I do not think it will ever happen. I do think crossbows will become leagal for everyone in about 5 years though. A long gun seasson is why Missouri does not have as many big deer. If they went to a 3 day season instead of a 9 or 11 day,Missouri would have more big deer than Il. Also there is not enough public access in Il to support that # of hunters, and the state has to relize that in 2 years thte pupulation would be so bad folks would quite hunting here.

[Tom Leemans]

Yes, I was upset to see the crossgun for anyone 62 yrs. and older. My dad's neighbor got one and he's done more cussing about "bow" hunting than I've ever heard. Mostly about what it has cost him to become accurate with it. I don't like being anywhere near where someone is hunting with one of those things. They are akin to being in the woods with a rifle hunter IMO.

Maybe we need to re-think about a special early/late season trad archery only season. This was visited upon in the early days of ATHA and didn't get too far. (Big tent theory, etc.) I figure what the heck, we got a special season for everyone else. There is an established history of increased equipment sales reflecting the available seasons. (Muzzle loader, wheelbows, cross guns, etc.)

Let's get some people interested in stickbows! Folks will do what it takes to get more hunting time. May as well show them how much fun it is to shoot sticks. Case in point...I watched Michael Waddell kill a deer with his Hoyt recurve. I haven't seen him that happy about killing a deer in a long time. He was like a kid again! Let's challenge the TV folks to try stickbows. I think I'll send a few e-mails.

Your thoughts anyone?

[oddan]

Tom,, I agree with you on getting more people intrested in stickbows. The problem for most is it takes a LOT more practice, killing range is decreased, and there is no advantage to it. Most guys want instant sucsess and just want to kill abig one to show off. They have forgot or never knew the thrill of the hunt. When ANY deer walks by my stand in range I feel like I have won.I don't have to shoot everything that walks by or prove anything to anyone. As far as crossbows go they are not for me in any way, but if it means a 62 year old man thats worked hard his whole life and thats the only way he can hunt, I am all for him hunting. The way my body is going I may have to someday. If my father was still living it would thrill me to death to have him hunt with me even he carried a crossbow.  Out Door Dan

[Jason Jelinek]

Does Illinois have a lottery system for sections of the state for deer gun (limiting the number of bucks and does taken in each unit)?  That seems to me the only way to allow a longer gun season and keep the number of bucks high enough.  It makes people mad that they can't shoot a buck every year, but for some they might as well shoot a doe than a spike or fork.

Jason

[Tom Leemans]

For all links to the regs, go here.  ILDNR  

For the record, I thought we had a system that was just fine for the crossbow use. I have no problem with someone using one, if the situation warranted it, but I personally know 4 guys who went and bought one, because it was "easier" to just point a red dot sight at the deer and pull the trigger. They are all perfectly capable of pulling a bow, especially a wheelbow.

I understand that there's no "advantage" to trad equipment, and your killing range is decreased. None of us were crack shots when we picked up a longbow or recurve, but we practiced until we became proficient.

Lazy people exist everywhere you go. Sloppy hunters exist everywhere you go. With the wheelbows increasing the killing range, I see more and more people taking longer and riskier shots, just because their bow will spit an arrow out fast enough to do it. You can't tell those people anything. I wish to appeal to the others who are looking for the challenge. Nothing grows if you don't plant the seed.

[themarmot]

i think anyone should be to use a crossbow during firearm season and handicap hunters and senior citizens during archery season.i dont know how many crossbow haters have actually shot one they are not the ultimate killing machine that everybody thinks they are.youll get more effective killing range from any decent compound. a crossbow is good at best to about 25yds. the bolts they use loose energy extremely fast. any thing they gets hunters out there that normally couldnt hunt is a good thing.we hunt traditional cause we enjoy the challenge.everybody doesnt see things the same way .hunters should unite as are huntings rights are constantly being assalted by peta etc...

[Tom Leemans]

themarmot - Yes, I think that it would be o.k. to use a crossbow during gun season, or use one if you are unable to draw a "regular" bow. Efficient hunting weapon? Maybe, if you can dial it in, it could be an efficient short range weapon. The common misconception by Joe ad Jane public is that they are as accurate as a rifle. It's got a stock, sights, and a trigger right? Dangerous weapon? In the hands of someone who doesn't realize the potential for missing what they're aiming at; yes indeed. My older friend that bought his new crossbow this season, shot at two deer with it. He said it's almost impossible for him to track the bolt as it flies. He thinks he hit one small buck in the neck after lining up the crosshairs behind the shoulder. (He has since switched to a red dot sight, thinking it'd be easier) He did see that bolt that hit the deer in the neck, and said it was because it flew really funny. He never found the deer. He shot at another buck and was sure he totally missed it. He never found the bolt at the time. He found the deer's carcass several weeks later. The hide had one small hole in the side. There was never a blood trail, only tracks mixed with other tracks. The deer traveled about 200 yards, laid in the tall grass and died. Possibly a mechanical BH failure upon impact.

I really didn't want this to turn into a crossbow thread. I just wanted to promote trad hunting and point out that hunting regs are heavily influenced by $$$ from manufacturers, even though it may be indirectly. Ask Ohio residents what they think about the whole x-gun issue. Ask them if they feel it has hurt bowhunting in general. We could start the bow season earlier or extend it further. There's no need to extend the gun season in the name of harvesting does. Give out bonus doe tags to archery hunters.

As far as how hunting is portrayed, look at hunting shows on TV. THAT is what PETA sees as hunting. (in general) Write to the folks who put these shows on. Tell them you don't like how they are portraying hunting. I do. If every hunting show was like Primal Dreams, we'd be much better represented. In the mean time, join SCI or something so $ can be fought with $ in the political arena.

[waknstak IL]

Man, I hope that isn't fact. It wouldn't surprise me though it all seems to be about the money with the DNR these days.