Each year, Illinois produces some of the biggest deer in the country. It’s a popular destination for many trophy-minded deer hunters. Blessed with rich soil and crops that seemingly stretch from horizon to horizon, the land of Lincoln can be a deer hunter’s dream. Seasons are offered for shotgun, archery, and muzzleloading segments, and one of the coolest adventures is to bowhunt just prior to the three-day shotgun season. This way, you can use your knowledge gained during the archery season to take two great deer. Realtree offers a deer-hunting summary for each state; here’s their take on Illinois.
Season Dates (2016):
Archery season varies depending on the county. Firearm season is November 18-20 and December 1-4. Muzzleloading-only season is December 9-11. Youth firearm season is October 8-10.These are the dates set when published, please check the state DNR’s website to confirm.
Grade: B
Illinois is a top whitetail state. So why not an A? Keep in mind how each state is graded. It’s not just about big antlers. Illinois has about 836,000 acres of public land, and if you are willing to work, they can be outstanding. But more than 97 percent of the state is privately-owned. When you get a tag and find a place to hunt, the results can be awesome. There’s no denying that Illinois is a cool place to hunt. But there are a lot of hurdles that must be overcome to do it… [continued]
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