Seems like everyone today is interested in deer management. How many permits are issued? How many NR permits sold? What’s the states management plan? How do they decide how many permits are issued per county? What’s the age structure of the harvest? Can the state manage for quality? Seems to be lots of questions that nobody can ever get the answers to. Many people think we shouldn’t even have to ask.

I ran across this section in the IL Wildlife Code:

(520 ILCS 5/1.11) (from Ch. 61, par. 1.11)
Sec. 1.11. The Department shall, in order to educate the citizens of this State in the modern trends of conservation, disseminate conservation information and the provisions of this Act through the mediums of lectures, motion pictures, photographs, pictures, exhibits, radio, news items, pamphlets and other media the Department may deem suitable for this purpose.

The Department may publish, periodically, a bulletin or magazine containing information concerning the work of the Department, the conservation and propagation of wildlife, hunting and fishing, and any such other information as the Department deems to be of general or special interest to sportsmen and others affected by any law administered by the Department. A reasonable charge may be made for each copy of such publication. All funds derived from the sale of such publication shall be deposited in the Wildlife and Fish fund in the State Treasury.
(Source: P.A. 81‑382.)

So, is the Department living up to its duty?

This is the first time in several years that I can remember the ad rules being out before the current hunting season is even over. Several years they strung out well into the spring and would barely get passed in time for the new season. I’m assuming the main reason for getting these pushed through soon this year is the proposed price increases that line the new rules. With gun deer permits going up and the application period taking place in April, the DNR had to get these moving quickly this year.

Here’s some “highlights” (not including site-specific changes):

Firearm Deer Hunting – Resident permit prices going from $15 to $25. Anterless permits going from $15 to $17.50. Non-resident E/S gun permits stay at $300, but antlerless permits raise from $15 to $25. Application dates are also more defined.

Muzzleloader Deer Hunting – Again, resident prices going from $15 to $25. NR permits increasing from $250 to $300, and $15 to $25 for antlerless.

Archery Deer Hunting – No price increase for residents (we already have to pay $25 minimum for a combo permit). NR permit prices increase from $400 to $410, and antlerless from $15 to $25. NR landowners also see a $10 increase. Now here’s the big change… NR’s may only apply for one permit during the “lottery” period. But starting this year, NR’s may get a 2nd NR archery permit after the initial lottery. This allows the DNR to sell more of those 25,000 permits. I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened. At $410, how many NR’s will actually get a 2nd archery permit?

Youth Deer Hunting – Only change here is… NR youth are now allowed to take part in the youth deer season. Prices remain the same, so NR youth will also enjoy the same $10 permit prices as resident youth.

This will most likely be it for the ad rule changes for this year. Ad rules take a long time to get implemented, and they’re only filed once a year.

The public comment period for these 4 ad rules will expire on February 7th. Follow this link to a list of all the proposed ad rules.

http://dnr.state.il.us/legal/rule-status.htm

In case you haven’t heard…

The main building of the fairgrounds and half the front parking lot have been sold to a J I Case implement dealer. This will have no effect on the Classic in 2010, but it will in 2011. By then, the new owner will have converted half the building and half the parking lot to his needs.

As a result, we don’t know yet where the 2011 Classic will be. It might be in Bloomington; it might not. The fairgrounds won’t have enough interior space any more, and we’re not moving anything into tents.

The 2011 location will be announced at the 2010 Classic. We’re looking at a couple of options.

Any guesses as to where it may be headed next???

Even the home page of the DNR quotes this as their mission statement:

“To manage, conserve and protect Illinois’ natural, recreational and cultural resources, further the public’s understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promote the education, science and public safety of Illinois’ natural resources for present and future generations.”

One word that keeps popping up is “manage.”

Now, I understand that’s a complex task. You have people to manage as well. Everyone has an opinion. Just look at these blogs and comments. You’ll see a lot of different opinions just from within the hunter segment. I’ve said numerous times, I certainly don’t envy the biologists responsible for managing the actual resource itself.

But one thing that concerns me is the tone with which the DNR’s message sometimes gets delivered. Marshall McLuhan once coined the phrase, “The medium is the message.” A quick visit to Wikipedia shows the following definition of the phrase as “the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a … relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.” In other words, HOW you say something is just as important as what you say.

Take, for example, the recent visit by Gov. Quinn (and a political entourage) to a well-known (and vocal) outfitter and Pike County Farm Bureau president’s outfitting business. Whatever message DNR Director Marc Miller and Quinn were trying to get across, was immediately lost (with most hunters anyway) as soon as we heard about HOW it was presented. It doesn’t matter that the past 15 governors probably didn’t even know that we had deer in downstate IL. When I hear Quinn talking about the importance/future of deer hunting during a staged media/political event at an outfitter’s place in Pike County, I really can’t take him seriously. If anyone thinks the future of deer hunting rides on the backs of those who profit from it (or those who can afford it), then we’re sure to face a doomed future.

I guess I’m not real clear on what the actual message was supposed to say. Was it that money and tourism, via deer hunting, are vital to the area’s economy? If so, then focus on that and keep the DNR’s mission out of it. Bring in the tourism people for that. But to even suggest that this media event had anything to do with preserving a hunting heritage for future generations, that message gets lost as soon as you invite your listeners to the doorsteps of the very type of business that has resulted in both the loss of recreational opportunity and the mismanagement of the resource that the DNR is supposed to protect.

According to the DNR’s own statistics, Pike County is far behind the rest of the state in taking enough does to keep the herd balanced. So far behind, that in just a few weeks hunters can buy unlimited doe permits over the counter and shoot all they want for more than a week. In all the DNR published data and measurement metrics, Pike County ranks in the top 5 counties in the state for overpopulation. State biologists have even admitted to losing control of the deer population in those areas. It’s no coincidence that it’s also the area most controlled by outfitters.

Another goal of Marc Miller’s was to improve hunter access. It was a topic of one of the Conservation Congress’s three committees. Yet, outfitters (and land leasing) have done more to destroy resident hunter access in areas like Pike County than any other factor. Again, any message gets lost as soon as I see the DNR and politicians staging an event like this and acting as if everything is just peachy.

I guess I just don’t get it. Why do you hold a media event about deer hunting with a sector of the outdoor community that mismanages the natural resource and negatively impacts one of the DNR Director’s main goals of increasing hunter access? The “message” was apparently supposed to focus on the economic impact of the deer hunting business. The manner in which it was presented sends the message to a lot of hunters, that no matter how screwed up the management practices are in WC-IL… no matter how many hunters lose access to hunting profiteers… it all takes a back seat because the tourism money is more important than the goals of the DNR.

That’s the same message I’ve heard for the last 15 years.

At some point, the goals/duties of the DNR need to take priority over making a few dollars from our natural resource.

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!