2023 IL Gun Deer Season

[TheGreek]

Who’s headed out this Friday for the opener? @Nick87? @Dave N? @midwesterncrosshair ?@DouglasR?

@Dave N sucks to hear about your access issues. Hope you still get out some this year and knock one down.

I’m making the long trip from NW CO to West Central IL to see if I can get lucky one last time in IL on public. Gonna be a long drive tomorrow but I reckon it’ll be worth it to spend Friday morning in a hardwood stand when the sun comes up while dreaming that a big IL bruiser jumps the fence from the private outfitted property onto the public I’m hunting.

Here’s a few West Central IL bucks from the past few years from the same public spot I’m headed to.

 

[Dave N]

Nope. I get to sleep in this year. Oh well.

 

[Nick87]

Nope will hopefully be hunting Saturday and Sunday though. Good luck on your trip back. Cold front moving in should really help for the opener.

 

[TheGreek]

Nope will hopefully be hunting Saturday and Sunday though. Good luck on your trip back. Cold front moving in should really help for the opener.

I hope you’re right. Good 10 degree temp drop in the low from Thursday to Friday. Fingers crossed a dumb one made it through archery season.

 

[Nick87]

Fingers crossed a dumb one made it through archery season

Yup I'm still alive and kicking.

 

[Dave N]

Good luck to everyone!

 

[Sask hunter]

Good luck!

 

[TheGreek]

I hope you’re right. Good 10 degree temp drop in the low from Thursday to Friday. Fingers crossed a dumb one made it through archery season.

So much for that cold snap. It’s 54 degrees this morning.

 

[buckbull]

57 at my place. In west central illinois as well. Not too optimistic this morning but I think saturday morning should be good.

 

[Nick87]

So much for that cold snap. It’s 54 degrees this morning.

Give it an hour or two two make your way. The temp has dropped about 10 since I left the house for work this morning. It's coming

 

[buckbull]

Big burst of wind hit and temps dropping. Only 2 shots heard so far, slow for everyone.

 

[Dave N]

Almost 9:30 and not a single deer spotted. Oh wait! I'm sitting on the couch waiting for the wife to wake up. Doesn't even feel like deer season.

 

[TheGreek]

Give it an hour or two two make your way. The temp has dropped about 10 since I left the house for work this morning. It's coming

It’s cooling off for sure. Hasn’t helped with the deer movement though. Slow morning. Have heard a fair amount of shots coming from the surrounding private but not as many as some years.

 

[Nick87]

I haven't heard the amount of shots like I used to in years. Not even close.

 

[buckbull]

I only heard 5 shots. 20 years ago we could hear hundreds opening morning. Between the 4 of us, only 1 deer was seen.

 

[Dave N]

Got home hoping someone would post good news. Nope.

 

[buckbull]

Saw just 1 today.

 

[TheGreek]

Got lucky at last light again this year on opening day! Killed this buck outta the same tree on the same ridge at the same time of the day as the buck I killed last year. Only deer I saw all day. And a friendly firefighter from southern IL who was hunting near me even helped me drag him out most of the way!

 

[Nick87]

Got lucky at last light again this year on opening day! Killed this buck outta the same tree on the same ridge at the same time of the day as the buck I killed last year. Only deer I saw all day. And a friendly firefighter from southern IL who was hunting near me even helped me drag him out most of the way!
View attachment 302153

Nice buck.

 

[Dave N]

Got lucky at last light again this year on opening day! Killed this buck outta the same tree on the same ridge at the same time of the day as the buck I killed last year. Only deer I saw all day. And a friendly firefighter from southern IL who was hunting near me even helped me drag him out most of the way!
View attachment 302153