Illinois Opener Tomorrow

[Shleprock]

I saw a big doe and her 2 youngins Fri afternoon.  Lil ones still have lots of spots.  Gonna need mama for a while longer.  Maybe I'll catch up to her later in the season.  Honey do's this morning.  Will be back out this afternoon.

[Fletcher]

Good decision IMO, Shleprock.      Those old does are how the young ones learn to survive.  I've orphaned enough fawns.   :(    Anymore, I'd rather pass the old doe and take the fawn.  A yearling doe (1+ yrs) is in trouble, tho.  If she has a fawn, they will likely be with an older doe and that one will keep the family group going.  

[Ssamac]

Out again this AM and saw nothing at all. Not too surprised since it was a last quarter moon and very bright last night. They were already asleep. I'll try again tomorrow.

sam

[wapiti792]

Put a stalk on 2 great bucks while they were hitting the acorns on the way back to bed this am. Got to 40 yards and got made. Started clucking with a diaphram call like a turkey and the crazy bucks settled down. Got to about 30 yards and started thinking about a shot and got popped by 3 hen turkey that thought I was the real thing...everybody left me with an arrow nocked, a heart-rate about 200, and a smile on my face. Had to work so needless to say the highlight of my day  

[geales]

Went out yesterday. Weather was great. Had a coyote at 15yds but no shot. First coyote I have ever had that close. Lip squeaked but he wasn't interested. Hunting on public ground and someone came strolling along right at last light. I guess that's why its called "public". Still a great day to be in the woods.

[Hoyt]

Saw 2 does opening morning, missed the big one at about 18 steps. Saw doe and yrling second morning, not quiet close enough. Saw 4 does the third morning, missed one at about 12 steps. Saw 6 does the third morning and had one close but couldn't get a shot because I had the can in my hand trying to get two others to come closer.
Saw the biggest doe I've ever seen in my life that morning, about twice as big as the biggest I'd seen before. She wasn't fat, just big frame. Deep chest, big shoulders and big hind quarters.
Didn't see anything this morning. Hunting Shawnee. First time with recurve in 40yrs. Hope I got my misses behind me.

[ranger 3]

Went out this afternoon and saw one small doe at about 40 yards., going out again in the morning.

[Ssamac]

Was back out this AM. Warmer than yesterday but saw noting again. Can it be that I spooked them since last Saturday? I'm going to try the evening again tomorrow. Maybe something's different now that the hunting pressure is on. Saw a bunch day one and two and then they vanished. Haven't let an arrow fly yet. Nice way to spend the AM however. Here's my blind.

 

Good luck guys!!

[Hoyt]

Had a yrling spike (bout 8") and yrling doe come by at 8:30am. Hunted white oak ridge. They were about 12yds. Didn't want to use a tag on the spike and the doe was too small...if I could have hit either one.

[mark land]

Just got back yesterday, had a great hunt but deer movement was slow, stupid deer walking thru cut corn to eat old dried up beans and acorns just starting to fall good.  Shot some does and helped the landowner out, but did not see a shooter buck, can't wait to get back in Nov.

[Hoyt]

Saw one deer this afternoon. 5:45pm it came off the hill down into the white oak creek bottom I was in. Couldn't tell if buck or doe, bout 75yds,
Try again in the morning.

Saw one doe this morning (Thurs.) at 8:30am. She was feeding straight to me..only down wind and across my trail, but she didn't seem to notice anything. Just turned around and feed in the opposite direct at about 40yds.

Saw 3 big gobblers also. Going to start carrying a mouth call.

[Ssamac]

I'll be out again tomorrow AM. Wish me luck
sam

[Mark Normand]

Will be up there oct22, huntn small woodlots owned by a friend. Great deer country, my 4th annual trip.

[bofish-IL]

First time out I had several doe & yearlings at 12 yds feeding on acorns for 30 minutes then a spike and small 6 pointer for about 40 minutes. Those acorns were lip smacking good. I have never heard so much crunching going on. Too early yet.

First time out in Missouri I had a large Bobcat at 10 yds drinking from a creek. I saw a female & cub there last year from the same tree.

[Hoyt]

Saw 3 this morning. A yrling doe at 6:45am and another deer I couldn't make out what kind about the same time. Saw another one in the thick I couldn't tell what about 9:30am. None were close enough for a shot.

Saw some other kind of animal real early. Don't know what it was. It was haulin it so fast I couldn't tell. Bout the size of a bobcat and running too fast for anything else that size, so figure that' probably what it was.

Only buck I've seen this yr was a yrling spike and I've seen deer every morning but one since the season opened.

[Burnsie]

What a beautiful night last night.  A little warm and windy to start with in the afernoon, but by 5:30 the wind layed and it cooled down nicely.  To top it off, I had a pig of a 10 pointer show up.  It was out of range,  but I didn't even know he was around so things are looking up.  Had two small forks sparring in the creek running back and forth like a couple kids splashing in a wading pool.

[Ssamac]

I see you're from Mahomet, Burnsie. That was the first stop I made when I moved to Illinois in 1990. Nice country around there.

I had to work this AM so couldn't go out. Planned on tonight but a friend's 103 year old mother had a stroke and we had to take her to the hospital. Looks like she's going to make it.
I'll get out again early tomorrow AM.

Good luck guys
sam

[Hoyt]

Saw one yrling doe this afternoon at 5:30pm. Probably the same one I saw this morning. She feed on white oaks the whole time I was there. Picked her up again going out with my headlight.

Just talked to a friend and he said driving home late this afternoon he saw about 3 pairs of bucks and does. One buck and one doe together.
I know I've been wondering why I'm seeing so many yrlings with no doe. The doe will run them off when she's getting ready to breed. I thought it's kinda early...don't know what's going on.

[Ssamac]

Not sure but they sure are spooky. Definitely not in rut yet. That's a whole nuther story

sam

[Ssamac]

My matriarch deer came back this AM about the same time 725 but this time she was alone. I could swear she is playing with me. Spooky she was looking into the blind and would not stop looking back. I had a shot at about 20 paces and took it. Perfect shot but she ducked right under it. She was like a fighter dodging a punch. Arrow sailed over her and missed by about an inch at most and away into the timber. She snorted and ran off. I'm going to try again tomorrow night.  

Good luck guys
sam