I got in my stand a little before 2:00 this afternoon. Long story, but I should have been there sooner. I’d just gotten my safety harness hooked up, hung up my pack, and hung up my bow on a old hook that I didn’t plan on using. I was putting up my E-Z Hanger on the right wide of the tree when a deer caught my eye about 75 yards away. At first glance from the side, he looked a little short on tine length. I thought it was the 2 year old 7 pointer I’ve been seeing. So I went back to screwing in the hanger. He turned to come towards me, and I realized it definitely was not a young buck. He was wider than his ears, and right away I was thinking shooter. Now my dilemma. I was still working on the bow hanger, my bow was on the other side of the tree (still in the bow sling), and this buck wasn’t slowing down.

I gave up on the hanger and stuffed it in my pocket. I turned to my left to grab my bow and start pulling off the sling. 40 yards away and trotting. Three snaps (I was sure he would hear those) and two straps to get the sling off and I hung it up. The buck is now within 20 yards and I still need to nock an arrow. As I’m doing that, I’m still not sure what side of the tree he’s going to go to.  When I see him turn to my right (the worst of the 2 directions), I still need to get the arrow nocked and turn 180 degrees. I start my slow turn while attaching my release. I get maybe halfway around, and it’s over before it even begins. The buck was 10 yards away looking right up at me, for just a split second before he takes 2 giant leaps and is out of range. I saw him long enough to figure him to be about mid 130’s.  He stopped about 75 yards away, looked back my way (I wear he just laughed), and walked off.

Five minutes. That’s all I needed and I would have been ready. Had I not ran through Casey’s to get my Gatorade I would have been there. Had I not went back home for my cell phone I would have been there 5 minutes sooner. Had I not put up some trail markers for Austin on the way to this stand, I would have been there 5 minutes sooner. I can think of all kinds of things that would have bought me an extra 5 minutes and gotten me ready for that buck to come by.

But I didn’t get there in time, and the bucks win again.

Oh well, tomorrow’s another day.

Mancation. Guess that’s new word for those vacation days you take off to hunt/fish. The first day of mine started today, Nov. 11th. I’m off until the 23rd. I think it’s the longest hunting vacation I’ve ever been able to take all at once. We’ll see how many chores show up on my list while I’m out hunting. I already know of one. Doesn’t help matters that my wife’s birthday is November 20th, which coincides with the gun season opener this year.

Change and adapt. What a challenge this season has been. Cold weather early. Rain, rain, and more rain. Standing crops. Then hot weather. For someone who mainly gets to hunt weekends, every weekend was different. Here’s a few pics of what one spot looked like the last weekend of October. In the left corner is a stand that I normally save for November. The day I took this pic, I had ducks swimming under my stand in 4’ of water.

Somewhere off to the right in the photo below, is another stand that I save until the big boys start cruising the creek from one bedding area to another.  This little river shut down one of the main travel corridors that runs through this property.

I finally saw my first shooter of the year as everything (including me) headed for higher ground the weekend before last. Just when my new lake dried up in the bottoms, out came the warm temps and everything just shut down. Now, the corn next to the timber got shelled yesterday and things changed again (along with the weather… again). Of several stands I have up, not one of them is good for an east wind. I’m wondering if the deer are half as confused as I am.

Treestand Safety. I figured I better not start a blog entry with that title, or nobody would read it. But just wanted to remind everyone to be safe out there. My 14 year old son Austin had a close call last weekend, and it sure made us rethink our safety. To make a long story short, Austin was on a step going into a stand (using climbing sticks) and his wet boot slipped off the step about 10 feet up. He came tumbling down about 6 feet and caught a few steps on the way down. One step caught a pocket on his jacket, and left him hanging with his feet about 4 feet off the ground. After I helped him down, we surveyed the damage. One step apparently hit him about mid-thigh (on the inside) and worked it’s way up. It ripped a 12” hole in his camo, his jeans (brand new according to mom), and up to his underwear. How it kept from ripping his “boy parts” I’ll never know. He’s a lucky kid. He’s got a bruise about the size of a football on his leg, along with several others.

At fault was what I consider a design flaw on the sticks. While this brand is made to work on crooked trees, the steps themselves don’t adjust. The steps are made to come out perpendicular to the stick when it’s installed straight. But once the sticks lean with the tree, one side of the steps angles downward. Definitely not safe when you’re dealing with wet boots (which has been hard to avoid this fall). We’ll be looking for a new set of sticks with a better design, or investing in a lifeline to stay attached to the tree while climbing.

Boots. I bought a new pair of boots this year. I normally wouldn’t be on here pushing products, but I had to let you know about these. After years of Rocky (which I’ll never buy again after 2 failures) and LaCrosse (no complaints with AlphaBurleys)… I made the switch to Muck Boots. I bought the Woody Elites, and so far they’re amazing. I’ve never thought of a boot as being comfortable. They’ve always been more of a necessity, and I’ve dealt with the less than perfect fit, and struggling to get them on and off. The Muck boots actually feel good to have on. Easy to get on and off. Cushioned soles. Neoprene uppers that flex. Hopefully they hold up and I get my money’s worth!

Saw a little chasing from younger bucks today. One funny event happened when a doe was being chased hard by a yearling buck, and she jumped in the creek to get away. She swam downstream about 50 yards while the little forky paced back and forth on the bank like a young kid afraid of diving into the pool. When she finally hit the other bank, he charged across to follow her. By the time he got there he was greeted by a 2 year old who joined in the chase. After about 10 minutes, the doe hit the water again to get away from the guys. It didn’t work this time either, as she eventually got out and got chased some more. For all I know they may be in the next county by now.

Back at it tomorrow. Pretty uneventful day except for that little chasing at last light. I guess the rest of us are still in transition mode.

Don’t get me wrong. IDNR needs funds. They need dedicated sources of revenue that can’t be taken away from them. Between budget cuts over the last 8 years, and more that’s sure to come, the department simply can’t survive without additional revenue sources. As a sporstman with a vested interest in the future of the outdoors in IL, I’m more than willing to pay my fair share. I’ve been told that the proposed fees could add $20 million to the IDNR’s coffers.

But will this state’s politicians really allow it to happen?

Technically, there are ways to protect the funds. However, it didn’t stop our past governor from sweeping funds. What made it worse was when our state lawmakers, who wrote the statutes that were supposed to PROTECT those funds, also allowed the funds to be swept. So, could the politicians really keep their hands off this NEW money? Even if funds don’t get swept, the General Assembly could simply vote to reduce the IDNR’s appropriations next year by $20 million, down to about $30 million, which would mean no net gain after the increases. It’s happened before, and I don’t think anyone can guarantee that it won’t happen again. Will any government agency really be allowed to expand while the state sits in a $100 billion budget deficit?

Several years ago, sportsmen were promised by IDNR leadership that the increases in non-resident archery permits were going to be invested into improving hunting access in the state. It never got protected, and the money simply got lumped together with everything else (wildlife and fish fund). More than a decade later, we’re still talking about improving access in IL and we have no more money now than we did before the permit increases.

On a side note, I just got word today that Governor Quinn has just recently swept more money out of dedicated funds. I serve on a local non-profit board of directors (not hunting related). Earlier this year, the organization applied for a tourism grant through funds that were “dedicated” to events celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday. The grant was approved, so this organization proceeded with the expenses, expecting about $93,000 in reimbursements. Now, 90 days after spending the money, we’re told that Quinn has swept this fund, and there’s nothing left to pay out. As you can imagine, a $93,000 non-profit budget deficit is devastating in today’s economy. So, this non-profit that has been in business since 1986 could be faced with closing its doors because of these political games that continue to be played.

So, now I’m torn. While I want nothing more than for IDNR to succeed, I have to remain cautious because of the past actions of our politicians. They just haven’t proven themselves to have our best interest at heart.

As I sat in my stand this morning, I was thinking how I’d never even pulled my bow back on a turkey. I usually see a few throughout the year, but I’ve never had one within bow range. I came close last year, but needed about 10 more yards before they got close enough.  Ten sets of turkey eyes are tough to fool when you’re sitting in a bare tree. It was actually hunting the same stand this morning, with a little more cover.

I had a noisy entrance to my stand after losing my favorite flashlight on my way through the CRP (don’t ask, that’s a different blog by itself). I had no idea there were 8 turkeys roosted within 40 yards of my stand as I bumbled my way in. After sitting by myself in the woods (no deer sightings) in the first 90 minutes of shooting light, the thunderbirds started their descent from the trees. So much for my morning nap.

I like seeing and listening to turkeys in the fall. You get to hear all the sounds the birds make. Cackles. Yelps. Clucks. Purrs. Kee-kee’s. They put on a good show for 15 minutes before this guy made the mistake of leading the group south, instead of north like they started out. As he walked behind a tree at 15 yards, I drew back and was waiting for him as he exited out the other side. At least he was nice enough to stop for me.

So, I finally got my first fall turkey, and my first bird with a bow. My son, now 14, quickly reminded me that I’m still one behind him in the archery turkey kill department.

Not a bad morning. Now I just have to replace my flashlight.

First off, here’s a link to a survey being done about the three areas of focus for CC (access, funding, youth recruitment).

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=d_2fZVx9gzCQ9OpCIlnvZ94g_3d_3d

I wish I could say that each committee will carefully review the results of the survey before making any recommendations. But the truth is, all of the committees will have their proposals wrapped up before the survey results are even revealed. In fact, most of us on the committees didn’t even know that a survey was being done. Nevertheless, there’s some good questions there. Maybe the results will be used somewhere down the road. I do know that the Access committee will continue to meet, even after the CC convention later this month.

As far as this committee, the tone was set from the beginning when the DNR gave its presentation titled “Access - Mission Impossible”. In the presentation, we were told of how many other committees had failed to move any kind of access plan forward. And we were told how many obstacles we’d have to overcome this time around. In a way, it seems like the deck was stacked against us from the beginning.

Just this week, the committee was sent a list of access-related proposals from the last CC in 2003. It seems this same group came up with the same ideas in 2003, but none of the ideas went anywhere. I certainly hope after hundreds of volunteer hours and thousands of miles being driven, that something comes out of the proposals this time around.

Some parts of the committee meetings have been great. I’ve learned about some of the issues affecting other user groups. I’ve learned that navigable water law in IL is a joke. I’ve learned that the trial lawyers are much more powerful than any other lobby in IL (including the IL Farm Bureau) when it comes to landowner liability statutes. My favorite part of the meetings thus far was when an ex-CPO got up in front of the committee and presented numerous issues directed at the DNR. I certainly hope someone was taking notes, and everyone gets to see the minutes of that meeting. But mostly, like any other meeting with a dozen different stakeholder groups involved, it’s tough to get much accomplished with so many different agendas.

One a side note, this is my whole problem with turning over the entire DNR to a commission. This was just one committee with only a dozen different interests. I can only imagine how hunters would become a minority in a game commission, just like we have on these CC committees. In the Quincy meeting, resident bowhunters were berated in a five minute tirade by one group’s representative. In another meeting in Springfield, another group just couldn’t understand how deer hunters have issues with access.

While I’m still trying to keep an open mind, I have to wonder how we can ever accomplish anything with access with so many factors working against us.

Anyway, take the survey and let me know what you think…

I guess it wouldn’t qualify for the books anyway, since it’s behind a fence. And I doubt you’d want to use an expandable head, either. And since I was on a tour, you’d have to consider it a guided hunt.

Sorry, bad jokes.  Hope October 1st gets here fast!

Tomorrow night will find me back in Springfield. I’ve been appointed to the Conservation Congress Access Committee, and our first meeting takes place at DNR headquarters at 5:00. Even though we have a good group of people, the topic itself is sure to be a challenge. Interestingly enough, access has some direct ties to the other two newly formed committees. It’s tough to recuit new hunters into a sport that has become pay-to-play. And it’s tough for the DNR to help with access while it’s broke and facing deep cuts. So, how do you solve one single issue with ties to other problems that also need to be solved?

Here’s some questions that the committee members have been asked to think about for the first meeting:

1) What is your organization doing to improve access?

2) What would oyu like to see happen to improve access?

3) What would it take to improve access?

4) Who can make it happen?

5) How do we know it happened?

So let’s hear how YOU would answer some of these questions. What can we do to fix the access problem? We won’t solve it all in one meeting. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress as we meet with other regions around the state in the next few months.

The second phase of the committee will continue past the October meeting date of Conservation Congress. This group of people will serve as the DNR’s committee on hunting and fishing equipment, and will review and comment on proposed changes to hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations. One goal of the committee will be to get public input on proposed changes. So even if we don’t solve all the access problems in Illinois, I’m hoping we can at least get more people involved in the decisions getting made in the management of our resources.

As most of us knew, the proposed increase in funding for the DNR will face even more scrutiny, with lawmakers trying to somehow balance a swarm of red numbers. The DNR’s proposed 24 percent increase in general fund revenue will be a tough pill to swallow for a state billions of dollars in debt. Recent talk of a 25 percent decrease could put us right back where we started.

Also on the table will be all the proposed new fees hikes. We’ve heard all the proposals. New parking fees. License increases. Boat launch fees. For those of us who have been around the block a time or two, we have to cringe at the thought of exactly how that money fits into the current budget and whether or not politicians can get their hands on it.

According to Marc Miller, DNR Director, all the money from the new fees will stay within the DNR. That’s an easy statement to make. By law, all license and permit fees have to be used by the DNR. What he fails to mention is the fact that the agency risks a “no net gain” when it comes time for lawmakers to balance the state’s overall budget.

A perfect case in point – NR archery deer permits. Millions of dollars have been raised in the past 8-10 years by raising the price and quantity of NR archery deer permits. By my calculations, about $7-8 million additional dollars per year are flowing into the DNR’s bank account since we sold about 12,000 permits at $200 each. Ironically, this windfall all came at a time when the General Assembly was giving the DNR fewer and fewer dollars towards its budget. So technically, all of the NR deer permit fees DO stay within the DNR. But the lawmakers just give the DNR fewer dollars in additional appropriations each year to balance its budget.

Unlike other states, the Illinois DNR relies on money from the general fund to operate. The money collected from user fees isn’t enough to run the agency. The total proposed budget for 2010 was around $276 million. Of that, the agency needs about $62 million appropriated from the general fund. So when the DNR finds “new” sources of revenue, we usually end up with less money being appropriated from the general fund. If you’re balancing the state’s checkbooks, you’ll see that the DNR balance stays the same, but now the general fund goes up because it doesn’t have to support the DNR as much. It’s the same shell game that’s been played for years.

Well, that worry is becoming a reality again.

Here’s a quote from the June 3 edition of the Herald & Review newspaper:

“State Rep. Dan Reitz, a Steeleville Democrat and leader among lawmakers concerned with the outdoors, said any upcoming changes in fees won’t be done separately from the state’s bigger financial plans. ‘It will be more part of the budget if anything happens,’ Reitz said.”

Here we go again.

Rep. Reitz has been a co-chair of the Illinois Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus, a group of lawmakers who are supposed to stand up for the rights of sportsmen. The caucus is supported every year by dozens of outdoor organizations. So why is it that one of IL’s leading legislative outdoor supporters won’t even work to get our DNR back on track?

This means that the proposed fee increases will be looked at as a way to balance the current budget for the DNR, while the excess money (through reduced appropriations) flows back up into the state’s general fund. And there you have a perfectly executed shell game. Until we find dedicated funding sources to fully fund the IDNR budget gap, we’re always going to be subjected to budget cuts from the general fund every time more money is raised. And we’ve got a long way to go to get rid of the $62 million annual handout from lawmakers.

Business/politics as usual.

Here’s what the DNR is proposing for the upcoming season changes. The official proposals haven’t been sent to JCAR for approval yet, so you won’t find anything official in the Illinois Register. They’re just now being sent around for internal DNR review, which takes 10 days. I believe there are a few things that will need tweaked a little, but I don’t look for much to change from this original list.

1) The extended 9-day January season is a reality. The DNR still feels that we need to increase the doe kill. Ironically, when Rep. Phelps introduced his legislation creating the September seasons, hunters were quick to say that the DNR, not politicians, needs to be in charge of deer management. You have to at least give credit to Miller. People said to let the biologists manage. And, like it or not, that’s exactly what Miller’s doing.

This will prove to be a hot topic during the 45-day public comment period. With hunter perception showing an Illinois deer herd on the decline, coupled with neighboring states pulling back on their deer herd estimates and limiting doe harvests, I’m not convinced that now is the time for Illinois to be moving forward with ways to kill more does. A survey sent out in recent weeks shows that DNR is at least thinking about other options, including a September antlerless gun season. If there’s doubt, why are we moving forward with this initiative? Most of these proposals were dreamed up before the widespread EHD outbreak in 2007, and the follow-up reduced harvest in 2008. Why would we not at least take a wait and see approach while exploring these other options?

2) In conjunction with the 9-day antlerless-only gun season in January, archery season will run concurrent along with it. This means that bowhunters will be able to kill does AND antlered bucks the entire 9 days of the late winter season (LWS) on their existing archery permits. This basically adds an additional 3 days to the existing archery season. The only exception will be in counties with a CWD season. Archery season will end like normal, but bows can be used during the CWD season, which is more liberal than the LWS. While I do like adding days to the archery season, I’m not sold on the idea of a combined 9-day season with no check stations. I hate to assume the worst, but cheating WILL happen. Even once is too much.

3) LWS permits will be sold over the counter and will be issued based on a 2-tiered structure depending on the population status in that county. In “Zone A”, the OTC tags will be unlimited. According to DNR, this tier would only include a “handful” of counties. In “Zone B”, the LWS will be no different than it currently is. Each hunter can buy one permit OTC, although leftover gun and ML season tags can be used in each zone.

4) I think there’s still issues to be worked out over this one, but unsold firearm and muzzleloader deer permits will be available over the counter. The existing lotteries will take place as normal. There’s some confusion over when to start it. It will most likely be after some random-daily drawings take place.

5) Youth season permits will now be sold OTC and will NOT be county-specific. Youths will still be limited to one permit. There has never been a county by county limit on these tags, so selling them through the lottery application process made no sense. And since the entire state was opened to youth either-sex hunting a few years ago, this move makes sense.

6) There will be no Sen. Sullivan extra gun day added to the gun season. I pretty much knew this one was dead because this would have required a statute change, and nobody had introduced a bill to change it. I don’t believe DNR had the authority to add the day, assuming other seasons were left alone.

Does any of this sound familiar? Sure it does. These are the original rules that DNR Division of Wildlife presented to the JDTF at their very first meeting. Nothing was added. Not much was changed. Bowhunters and youth were thrown some bonuses that were a bit unexpected.

After the DNR has completed their internal review, the official language will be submitted to JCAR. The public will be able to comment for 45 days, and all the comments get forwarded to JCAR when they meet.

So, let’s hear it.

IBS, IFOR, and DNR will be on hand to testify on the bill with Rep. Hatcher.
So, keep an eye on House Bill 2294.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.
Many thanks to Bruce and Rep. Hatcher for helping move this forward this year!
Stay tuned as we track this bill over the next few months.

By now, we already have a pretty good handle on the best of the best from last year.  We already know who will score first, second or third. It’s just a matter if they show up in Bloomington or not. I don’t think anyone’s “expecting the unexpected” this year.

I kind of miss the days when a big deer would show up at the Classic without anyone having already seen 100 pictures, or having had the score bounced halfway across the world by the time it had been even been caped. Also gone are the times when a world-class trophy comes out of someone’s basement that was killed decades ago that had never been scored, or seen by anyone but the hunter’s buddies. 

I can only imagine what that very first Deer Classic, run by Tim Walmsley in Decatur, must have been like.

I think back to 1993 when Brian Damery killed his monster Macon County buck. A few pictures, from film cameras, had leaked out here and there. But for the most part, when people came to see it, they were seeing it for the first time. Even his North American Whitetail cover didn’t hit newsstands until the following July. There was an official “unveiling” at a local sports show in Decatur. Hundreds of people crowded the aisle to get the first glimpse. Could that even happen today?

Don’t get me wrong. Seeing the images on a computer screen is NOTHING like seeing a world-class set of antlers in person. You just can’t capture the enormity of a big 250-inch non-typical, or the pure elegance of a top-end typical, with a photograph.

I also love the instant connection with sites like PSO. I think Jeff does one heck of a job getting the photos, the stories, and the news out to people before anyone else does. And I’m a P&Y scorer, myself. I like to see the big deer pictures like everyone else. Just like the display this weekend in Bloomington, the deer pics on PSO probably create a lot of traffic for the site.

So that leaves me with a question. How would you handle it if you took a world-class whitetail?

Would you invite everyone to see it, and let dozens of people snap pictures that would be sure to circle the globe within days?

Would you keep it under wraps at first, hoping to build the excitement (or financial benefit) for later? 

Or would it become one of the many bucks that gets killed and never seen (or scored) and hidden away for years.

It’s a tough question…

“Trophy contest entries and their subsequent display are an important part of each expo.  The hunters who enter those trophies deserve to have their trophies measured first and put up for display as quickly as possible.  Everyone wants to see the deer, and the display makes the entire show more exciting”, said Helgeland.

For hunters entering their deer into the contest (and display), not much is changing.  Contest entry is still $15 per head.  They will still receive a 3-day pass to the show.  And all entries will be displayed.  To ensure the heads get displayed in a timely manner, contest entries will be scored before non-contest (score-only) entries.  With over 600 heads being measured by less than 30 official scorers, this makes sure the contest heads get displayed early.

New this year is an early checkout fee for contest-entered heads.  Any entry checked out before noon on Sunday will be charged an additional $10.  According to Helgeland, early checkouts disrupt the measuring process and the necessary wrap-up paperwork on Sunday.  No checkout is allowed from noon-3PM on Sunday, whether the entry is contest or measure-only.

Most of the changes will come to those who only want their deer measured but not entered into the trophy contest and displayed.  The attendees will have to purchase a general admission ticket to the expo, unlike the contest entries that come with a 3-day pass.  The measuring fee will also remain at $15, like in years past. Helgeland says that the same work must be done as with contest entries.

And finally, non-contest entries will be measured only after all contest sentries have been measured.  “There shouldn’t be a problem getting all such trophies measured,” Helgeland said, “but there’s no guarantee.  The measuring crews in the past have been able to do so, although sometimes it has been a crunch to get that done.”

In general, trophies will be accepted from noon Friday, all day Saturday, and until 10:00 am on Sunday.

(520 ILCS 5/1.2g) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.2g)
Sec. 1.2g. “Fur‑bearing mammals” means the following specific species, mink, muskrat, raccoon, striped skunk, weasel, bobcat, opossum, beaver, river otter, badger, red fox, gray fox, and coyote.

and ...

(520 ILCS 5/2.33) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.33)
Sec. 2.33. Prohibitions.
(aa) It is unlawful to use or possess any device that may be used for tree climbing or cutting, while hunting fur‑bearing mammals.

While this law is somewhat obscure (although it is listed in the furbearer’s section on page 24 in the Hunting Digest), it can be (and is) enforced by CPO’s. Even more amazing is that the very next page (page 25) of the Hunting Digest is devoted specifically to “Coyote Hunting in Illinois.” Yet nowhere on that page does it list the restrictions on using “tree climbing or cutting devices” or clarify that tree stands are not to be used. They tell you that you can use any kind of gun (shotguns do need to be plugged and you can only use slugs during the shotgun deer season); you can use electronic calls; you can use dogs; hunt them 24 hours a day at certain times of the year; hunt them year round; you can use bait; you can even use un-reported road killed deer as bait; you can use night vision scopes; and you can use spotlights at night (as long as they’re not “attached” to a vehicle. Just be sure not to shoot one from a tree stand!!!!!

Last year, Illinois Bowhunters Society worked on changing the law. Unfortunately, we got a late start on it, and the DNR suggested we piggyback the language onto another bill that had already been written, that also changing a section of the Wildlife Code. That was the controversial bill that could have created a bobcat and river otter season. Due to the opposition to the other parts of the bill, the coyote legislation didn’t go anywhere.

Last week (after receiving Bruce’s e-mail), I contacted the DNR to see if they would support another try at changing the law. It appears that we’re good to go with DNR’s support; we just need to work out the official wording of the bill to make sure we don’t affect other parts of the Wildlife Code.

I’ll keep you all informed when the bill gets written, so you can write your local lawmakers to ask for their support. Let’s hope we can make it happen this year!

I got a late start in the afternoon and was trying out my new Lone Wolf climber in one of my “hot spots”.  Still not many deer sightings. This 2 year old did stop by for a visit and took a little snooze about 40 yards from me.

No pics from Friday morning, as the rain and wind must have kept the deer holed up, and I wasn’t about to take anything electronic with me in the downpour. I felt like sleeping in, but it wasn’t raining when I left the house. A quick glance at the radar on my BlackBerry looked like it was staying south. Next time, I’ll make sure I look at what direction the rain’s heading! I’m still trying to dry out from this morning’s hunt.
I hope it’s dry this afternoon. I like taking my camera out with me. My family likes looking at the pics every night. I’d rather have my new camera with me, but it’s way too bulky and too expensive for getting banged around a little. In the field I use a Canon S3 IS with a 12x optical zoom with image stabilization. It’s not perfect, but it does OK for snapshots.
Well, time to head out again. Hope everything’s dried out!

Seems like things were just starting to heat up in my area last weekend. I still haven’t seen any chasing, but the older bucks are starting to show up. Austin and I had a half-hour encounter with a big, mature 10-pointer Sunday evening. I passed up numerous broadside opportunities at 30 yards, thinking his girlfriend would bring him in a little closer. I just never felt comfortable with the shot, knowing he was already on full alert. She was just 10 yards away half the time and his 6th sense kept him away. While he never got closer to the doe than 20 yards, it was clear he didn’t want to leave her. After a while, they both decided it was time to move on. We saw them both two more times before light faded.

I did see one thing last weekend I’d never seen before - a 1 1/2-year-old buck, with spots running down his back. It definitely wasn’t a fawn, as his body and rack (8 point basket rack) was too big. But he did have the unmistakable row of faded spots down both sides of his spine, just like a fawn. Austin has now named him Spot.

So now, Austin has names for all the bucks we’ve seen. The big 10-pointer is Dark Tine, because of his right G3 being noticeably darker than the rest of his rack. Then there’s No Brow, a 3.5-year-old 8-pointer who’s nailed us twice in the same stand while sneaking in and standing only 15 yards away. He has a decent 130-inch frame with an 18-inch inside spread and a big body, but virtually nothing for brow tines. And finally, Curly, a 2-3 year old 8-pointer who has beams that curl up on the ends resembling long G3’s.

So, I’m ready to start my vacation. I’ll try to check in on the blog a few times, and hopefully have some pics to share (including me holding a mature buck). Good luck to the rest of you.

1. I’ve seen two different button bucks still with their mommas. When the does get close to estrous, they’ll kick those fawns away.
2. I’m still seeing bachelor groups of bucks. One evening I saw a 2 year old and a 3 year old coming out of a thicket together. A few nights later, the same 2 year old was with 3 other yearling bucks. Won’t be long till they’ll grow less tolerant of each other, and break out on their own to look for hot does.
3. Bucks are still staging until last light. We’ve watched bucks come right to the timber edge and stand almost motionless for 30 minutes. They still have just enough caution left in them to play it safe.
4. Mornings are still pretty slow. All the mature bucks I’ve seen have been in the evenings. In my area, that seems to flip-flop once the rut kicks in. The big boys in my area are getting back to their beds before daylight, leaving only does and some eager young bucks to show themselves early.

But, we’re getting close. I’m seeing more rubs and scrapes showing up every day. I watched a 3 year old 8 pointer make a scrape and “fight” with his licking branch during the last 15 minutes of light. And the young bucks are definitely on the prowl.

I’m not a big believer in the moon phase theory, or any of the other rut predicting tools out there. Seems like the true rut kicks in about the same time here every year, pointing to the assumption that the amount of daylight triggers the rut more than anything. Weather probably plays a factor in how much activity we actually see and how much deer move around, but it probably doesn’t impact the breeding period itself.

Stick around, the fun is just around the corner!

A few years ago, after passing the hunter safety course, I got to share a whole hunting season of firsts with my son Austin. His first turkey, doves, a pheasant, his first shotgun deer. All will forever hold a special place for the both of us.

This year marks the third year of bowhunting for Austin. While he’s been bowhunting with me since he was 3 (from the ground), we’ve been anxiously awaiting that first bow-killed deer.

Unfortunately, Austin set his expectations high. At 12, he already had four turkeys under his belt (two with archery gear). And he’s watched me pass up many smaller bucks, waiting on mature deer. His first buck with a gun was a small 6-pointer. So, he figured he was ready to take his game to the next level.

But I had always reminded him how the game changes when you’re hunting deer with a bow.

Austin’s first year saw little chance for a harvest. His first arrow at an unsuspecting doe went a little high, but the adrenaline rush it provided hooked him for life. A few weeks later he did manage to get a squirrel from our tree stand.

Last year he shot a doe with his bow. Pulling right at 40 pounds and shooting a 2-blade cut on contact head, there was nothing wrong with his setup. But he hit just a little high, resulting in a lost deer. Austin was pretty down about it, but didn’t give up.

This year, sporting a new bow and higher poundage, he was ready for the season. We drove around on Thursday, October 2, to see where the deer were moving. We’d decided to set up along some oaks in the corner of a cornfield. Early season does always frequent the spot.

After setting up our stands and heading out, we drove by the south end of the property. Wouldn’t you know it, there were several does and a bachelor group of bucks feeding in the alfalfa field. Austin was insistent that we change our plans. As usual, I follow his lead.

On the way home, we had “the talk.” No, not that one. This is the one where I told him that he needed to quit putting so much pressure on himself and just shoot a deer and have fun. He didn’t have to shoot a trophy deer for his first bow kill. He just needed to shoot the first deer that walked by and get that first one under his belt.

The next night, we got out early to set up new stands in a fencerow between a CRP draw and the alfalfa field. It’s only about 20 yards wide, but there’s always plenty of sign along the edges and through the trees inside it. A north wind would help us early as the deer moved through, but wouldn’t be good for deer working the field edge.

Like clockwork, the does entered the field about 5:30. Three here, two there, three more coming out of the CRP. Before long, we were covered up in does. Austin had already been poised to draw a few different times, but the does just wouldn’t hit the shooting lanes. If nothing else, at least he was getting used to having deer within bow range.

A group of three yearling bucks started working their way out of the CRP. I kept on eye on them as Austin was watching the nervous does that were straight downwind of us. A few does must have winded us and were stomping. It made the bucks think twice about continuing on their path to the field. Nothing really spooked, but nothing was coming close, either. I thought to myself that this was a pretty cool way to kick off the season.

About sunset, we spotted another yearling buck headed our way out of the CRP. Most of the does had worked their way away from us. We watched him slowly meander through the tall weeds like he had all the time in the world. As the buck stepped into the fencerow about 30 yards away, Austin whispered to me, “Dad, I’m going to shoot him if he gets close enough.”

As the buck jumped a little ditch that runs through the fencerow, Austin was locked in. The deer climbed the short hill just like we’d imagined, and stopped broadside 15 long yards away from the base of our tree. By now, Austin was already at full draw.

In all the excitement, I hadn’t noticed that sunset had passed us by about 15 minutes prior. In the darkened timber, I saw Austin struggling to see through his peep and see his sight pins and the deer’s body. We’ve all been there, and it’s no fun. Especially looking down at your possible first archery buck. As he looked outside the peep, then back inside, then back outside, I was almost ready to tell him to let him walk. Then, in an instant, the arrow was on its way. THWACK!

It caught me off guard, and I didn’t get a look at where the arrow went. The buck crashed through the trees. Austin was shaking so bad that I had to tell him to sit down and try to calm down. He was afraid he’d missed, and said he shouldn’t have taken the shot. He was breathing like he’d just run a mile. I did my best to calm him, saying I heard the arrow hitting trees as he ran back towards the CRP.

By the time we got down from the stands, it was pretty dark. I was pretty sure we wouldn’t find the arrow, but we did go to the spot where he shot. Nothing. We walked a few yards in the direction he ran, and immediately saw good blood high up on some small trees and weeds. Knowing that the hit was probably a little high, but that there was a good blood trail, we backed out to give him some time. We went home for supper, but Austin was so excited that he couldn’t eat a bite. It was probably the longest hour of his life.

When we got back to the woods, we immediately picked up the blood trail. My first thought was high lung considering the tiny, sprayed droplets. Had we been tracking through the timber, it would have been easier. But the high weeds in the CRP made it a lot harder. It didn’t help matters that I had an eager 13 year old and a chorus of coyotes howling nearby.

After a “grueling” 70-yard tracking job (I think it took about 15 minutes), we’d found another first for Austin. His first bow-killed deer was in the books.We all remember our firsts in hunting. It’s probably not the biggest deer we ever kill, but there’s something about the first one. Whether it’s a feeling of relief, of accomplishment, or of anticipation of getting on to No. 2, there’s no feeling like it in the world. Knowing Austin, I think it was a combination of all three. After some high fives and a hug, the perfect hunt had come to a close, except for all the hard work ahead of us.

As we drove home, I could only think about how this memory will stick with him for the rest of his life. I still remember my first deer, and my first buck. And that was over 20 years ago. I made sure he knew that it was an accomplishment to cherish. He picked the spot to hunt. He made the decision on his own to shoot a deer that he was happy with. He helped with the tracking. And he helped drag it back to the truck (although I think he could have pulled a little harder!). Yeah, this one won’t be forgotten for awhile!

Broadheads. I can’t make up my mind on heads from year to year, so I’ve accumulated quite a collection over the years. With all the good reviews on the Rage mechanical head, I’m going to give them a try. A mechanical with a 2-inch cut has the potential to do some major damage. I’ve been happy with the arrow flight so far.  I’m not real crazy about the way they fold up. I never seem to be able to get them to “lock” down. One thing the manufacturer could do is fold all the heads up when they package them. I don’t need to see one head folded, one head half-opened, and one head fully deployed. Since they’re pretty much one-use heads anyway, I’d much rather buy them ready to attach to my arrow. That way they’re already folded. I guess this year I’ll see what all the “rage” is about with these heads.

Octane Bow Quiver. This is the neatest thing I bought this year. Of course, my wife just about had a cow when she found out how much it cost. The 5-arrow quiver is machined aluminum and the broadheads are held in place by a powerful earth magnet in the hood. You just get the broadhead close, and it self-aligns itself to the magnet. No more foam inserts and dull heads from taking them in and out. The only downside is the extra weight from the magnets, but I usually take my quiver off in the stand anyway. The hood is actually short, so some of the longer 3:1 fixed heads and mechanicals (like my Rage’s) may not be fully covered.

Drag-Buddy. I picked up this gadget at Cabela’s in St. Louis this summer (I’m surprised I actually found it nearly three months later). Click here to see the Web site. It’s a rubber-coated handle that fits into a deer’s mouth to assist in dragging. It has a few straps that attach the handle to the deer’s head. It can be used by one person or two, and can be used on does or bucks. And it comes with a hook that goes over a rafter, like an old butcher’s hook.  This lets you hang it up by the attached handle (instead of the antlers or the neck), or it allows you to drag it behind an ATV. It seems like there’s never a good way to drag a doe through the woods. There’s just nothing to grab hold of. Hopefully, the buck I kill this year will have the “handles” already attached and I won’t need to use it!

Camera. I’ve been a photo buff for several years. I don’t even consider myself to be an “amateur” photographer, since that implies that I might know what I’m doing. I just love taking pictures outdoors. After several years of using an ultra-zoom SLR-style compact, I decided to bite the bullet and go all out digital SLR with a new Nikon D300. It’s got way more features than I’ll ever use, but I loved the low-light capabilities of the 12.3MP CMOS sensor. I coupled it with an 18-200 zoom with image stabilization, and I’ve been absolutely amazed at the difference between this and my old Canon S3 IS. The D300 is big enough that I won’t be taking it out to the stand with me that often, but I do plan to use it throughout the season. I sometimes get drafted to be the “camp photographer”, since I’m usually not the one standing in FRONT of the camera with a big buck in my hands. I’ll post some pictures throughout the season as I learn how to use it.

There’s several other little items I just had to have this year, like every year. I guess as long as people like me keep buying it, someone will keep making it.

But maybe the few extra days on the sidelines will give me time to think about a different strategy – safety. A very close call in my hometown last weekend has me thinking a little more about safety. An errant broadhead-tipped arrow from a practicing bowhunter ended up in a very dangerous place. Enough said on that subject, but it’s something that hit home with me.

I’ve shot my share of arrows in my yard. I live in town and own a spare lot next to my house. I always thought I was being safe. I limited the distance on my shots. I never shot broadheads in town. I made sure I had a big target (with a lot of open space behind it), and never shot when others were around. But the truth is, I’ve been playing with fire for several years and I should have known better. The same thing could have happened to me at any time. I’m lucky.

All “accidents” are preventable with a little common sense and some effort.

So keep that in mind when you hit the woods this year. Today’s equipment allows us to be safer than at any time in the past. But none of it will do you any good if you’re not using it. For instance, there’s simply no excuse for not wearing a safety harness when hunting off the ground. They go on in a snap, and they’re hardly noticeable. It amazes me that hunters will spend $1K+ on a new bow and accessories, drive to their spots in a $40K truck with a $10K ATV, but won’t drop $75 on a piece of equipment that could save their life.

Safety. It’s not something that we like to think about. It seems like we’re always in a hurry or looking for the latest shortcut. It’s never a popular subject on websites or message boards. It’s almost an inconvenience sometimes. But a little extra effort and some common sense (along with that safety harness) may allow you to enjoy a few more opening days in the future, even if you do have to spend them sitting behind your desk.

Hunt safe and have a great season.

What is overpopulation? Does it mean the same thing to a hunter as it does an insurance agent? Does a casual wildlife observer think the same thing as a farmer? I’ve seen hunters themselves argue over whether or not a given area is “overpopulated.” Looking at the data that has been presented by the DNR, one would assume that the only way to view deer overpopulation is through data supplied by car/deer collisions.

But if Illinois has one of the best deer herds in the world, why are we letting the insurance companies dictate the management of our great deer herd? The DNR, in an online survey, is asking for our opinion on how best to manage it. Why don’t we have qualified wildlife biologists who can do it themselves so that we can maintain our reputation for quality in IL? We shouldn’t need task forces or public opinion surveys every few years. Our biologists should be telling us what their management plans are, and we should have a way to implement them, as well as a way to penalize those who are profiting from mismanagement.

I live in Macon County. Just a few short years ago, the DNR felt that Macon County was falling behind the rest of the state with their deer population. They proposed a shortened archery season to take the stress off the shrinking deer herd. For 5 years, bowhunters couldn’t shoot a doe the entire month of October in 5 counties in east-central IL. Now here we are just a few years removed from those restrictions, and these counties are already seeing bonus-antlerless permits being issued, a sign that the DNR wants more does killed. With our limited amount of cover, and close proximity of large public hunting lands to Decatur, I’m surprised that our car-deer accidents aren’t high enough to make us an “overpopulated” county.

So the DNR presents its latest case on the overpopulation theory, drawing attention to the number of deer-vehicle accidents (DVA’s) per mile driven. It’s no surprise that the most overpopulated counties in IL are mostly located in the west-central and southern parts of the state. It’s also no surprise that the majority of these counties are under the control of commercial hunting operations.

According to recent statistics from the DNR, there are about 270 licensed outfitters in the state that control 1,004,028 acres (2006 numbers). As a comparison to that million acre number, there’s about 550,000 acres of public hunting land in IL (and shrinking every day that our governor is in office). That’s an average of 3,700 acres per outfitter, and nobody wants to address access issues! The number of hunters who hunt with outfitters went from 8,473 in 2005 to 11,182 in 2006, a 32 percent increase in just one year. Keep in mind, this is only licensed outfitters. It’s estimated by DNR that “at least” another million acres are tied up by non-licensed “outfitters” who were granted an exemption under Ad Rule 640 due to lobbying by the Illinois Farm Bureau. The latter group is made up of outfitters who own their own land and sell weekly hunts and provide outfitting services, but are not required to be licensed; thus, no management plan and no restrictions for these types of outfitters.

In 2005 (the last year the DNR had data), those 8,473 hunters took 2,244 bucks and 2,598 does. The doe number is most likely skewed by the existing late-season antlerless harvest that is done by mostly residents called in to clean up after the typical outfitter client leaves with a trophy buck. Still, that’s not a lot of deer, in total, for a million acres. That equates to one DEER killed for every 207 acres, and one DOE killed for every 386 acres, which still includes inflated numbers for resident-only late-season.

My guess is that as much as 80 percent of the outfitter does are killed in the late-season. I’ve heard people tell of outfitters who won’t allow does to be killed at the end of a person’s hunt, or during certain times of the season (like late-October through mid-November). Look at how high the late-season harvest numbers were in 2007, in the famous “Golden Triangle” of west-central Illinois, after the regular gun season harvest was down double-digit percentages in a lot of those counties. This shows a growing trend to limit access by gun hunters who have typically controlled the deer herd. While the regular gun season harvest continues to decline, the late-winter season continues to rise. This is the exact opposite of the way the DNR wants to manage the herd, yet we still allow it to continue. They’re allowing the most overpopulated county in the state to peak at the worst time of the year, when deer are on the move during the rut. If you want to reduce the car-deer accidents, you have to remove does before the time when they occur. You can’t expect to reduce them by increasing the harvest in January.

A DNR employee reported that one outfitter controlled 6,000 acres, and his clients took 8 bucks and 0 does. Is that sound management? If this is the case, why can’t we impose penalties to those who choose to profit from mismanagement? Under Ad Rule 640 there’s not enough “teeth” in it to do much. While the outfitter regulations do call for management plans, there’s never been a citation for not taking enough does. Yet, the DNR admits that these areas are the most overpopulated!!!

Now we apply this mismanagement to the latest DNR presentation to the Task Force. Below is a slide from DNR’s presentation to the Task Force, looking at the areas that they consider the most overpopulated. It’s only based on car-deer accidents and the number of miles driven. Chicago and northern IL have the most accidents… but they also have more traffic and more miles driven every day. Pike County has a lot more accidents per miles driven.

Below are the top 10 counties where outfitters are located, according to the 2007 data on DNR’s website. I came up with 263 licensed outfitters according to those stats, as opposed to the number quoted from DNR being 270. Listed below is the county, the number of LICENSED outfitters in that county, the percent of all outfitters in that county (Pike has nearly 1 out of 5 of the total outfitters in IL), and the level of overpopulation. The color (at the end) is the level of severity of overpopulation from the map above. Red is the worst, then orange, then yellow, then white.

County….Outfitters….. Percent of total…..Overpopulation Level
Pike….........51….............19.4…...........................Red
Greene….....15…..............5.7…............................Red
Adams….....12…..............4.6…............................Red
Brown…......10…..............3.8….............................Red
Morgan…....10…..............3.8….............................Yellow
Schuyler…....9…..............3.4…............................Red
White…........8…...............3.0…............................Orange
Calhoun….....8…...............3.0…............................Red
Fulton…........8…...............3.0…............................Red
Hancock…....8…...............3.0…............................Orange

Look at how good the counties on the slide line up with the outfitters who are only shooting ON AVERAGE, ONE DOE FOR EVERY 386 ACRES! On the map, there are 17 counties listed in red. Seven of those counties (41 percent) are in the top 10 outfitter counties in the state.

If there’s a problem there, let’s fix it. Let’s not shove poor proposals down the throats of the rest of the state, when those plans aren’t going to do one bit of good in the areas that need the work.

My whole point is, if the overpopulation issue is taking place in counties being controlled by outfitters, why aren’t we addressing THAT issue? Where is the enforcement of any kind of outfitter regulations? And why are landowners exempt from regulation, when they contribute to management problems as much as the licensed outfitters do? The bottom line is, outfitter clients don’t shoot enough does and the locals who would shoot does don’t have the access to do it. Which brings us to another point. Since access is the key in almost every single county where we have overpopulation problems, why does the DNR think it’s “Mission Impossible” to even work on it? Why do we need a DNR if we’re only going to let the insurance companies (through car/deer accident data) manage our deer harvest? Why can’t we get professional biologists to manage the deer herd? What the heck are the biologists doing in Springfield, if all they’re doing is managing the deer herd from insurance statistics and asking the public for better ways to do it? And why are we basing our decisions on insurance statistics that are 2 years old, when the counties with the biggest problems are the ones that were hit the hardest with EHD last year? Wouldn’t that have had an impact?

Those are the questions that need to be answered BEFORE we can come up with a resolution to any perceived overpopulation problem in the rest of the state. Don’t penalize the other 95 counties for the mismanagement that the DNR has allowed to happen in counties that are heavily outfitted. Fix those problems first. Then get a biologically sound management plan in place that focuses on deer management and not simply a reduction in the number of car-deer accidents. And any changes to hunting seasons need to focus on INCREASING hunter opportunity, not taking it from one group to give to another or reducing it altogether.

As for the Task Force proposals themselves, here’s my opinion:

Again, September is the best option. You could open archery season on Sept. 15 like other states do. Or you could open the weekend of gun hunting the last weekend of September before archery opens on October 1st. Either way is not that drastic. Many states have early seasons. The weather is NOT an issue. It’s no hotter October 1st when bowhunting season opens, then it would be the week before when they could have a gun season. I heard from one person that the DNR is afraid to intrude on squirrel hunters during this time. What’s least intrusive, hunting alongside squirrel hunters who have already been in the woods for 8 weeks (season opens August 1st), or kicking out bowhunters for a weekend in an already established season? Why is this so hard to understand? You can accomplish all the management goals by going to a September option, without any of the other problems associated with the proposed October date.

This whole process has been rushed from the beginning, and now the DNR and the Task Force feel we need to panic and implement SOMETHING to say we’ve accomplished a goal. But I don’t think anyone can even agree on the problems, let alone on the solution to it. Why not inject some reason into it, and come up with some good plans to make it work? The way it stands, the proposals are not well thought-out, and in most cases won’t make a difference in the areas we need it. In addition, it drives a wedge in the hunting community by taking opportunities away from one group and giving it to another group.

That’s where the Illinois Hunting Heritage Protection Act comes in.

The Act, passed in 2004 and going into effect Jan. 1, 2005 states that there shall be no net loss of acreage available for hunting on lands owned or managed by the DNR. Here’s an exerpt of the act:

Department land management decisions and actions may not, to the greatest practical extent, result in any net loss of land acreage available for hunting opportunities on Department-managed lands that exists on the effective date of this Act.

By October 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to the General Assembly a written report describing:

      (1) the acreage administered by the Department that has been closed during the previous year to recreational hunting and the reasons for the closures; and
      (2) the acreage administered by the Department that, in order to comply with subsection (c), was opened to recreational hunting to compensate for those acreage closed under paragraph (1).

I’ve already heard reports that some of these sites are saying that hunting programs will stop when the sites close. If that’s the case, then the DNR and Gov. Blagojevich are in violation of the act he signed just a few short years ago.

Here’s a quote from our governor when the bill was passed:

“Recreational hunting is perhaps the most important component of effective wildlife management, and this legislation helps remind us of the importance of our hunting heritage.”

The bill was originally sponsored by Sen. John O. Jones (D-Mt. Vernon) and Rep.William J. Grunloh (D-Effingham). I wonder how they feel about the DNR and the governor playing games with their act? Maybe we should be flooding their offices, and the IL Attorney General’s office, with phone calls.

Click here to file a complaint with Lisa Madigan’s office.

Unless they plan to open new lands to compensate for these losses, they are in violation of the law. It’s time to hold them accountable to the laws they are required to uphold. These political games are getting old.