dougdelite: is still hunting during shotgun season in IL acceptable on public land?

[DouglasR]

So I'm thinking about putting in for shotgun tags in an 1100 acre area that's been described as "pretty busy" during first shotgun season.
I assume the reporting period for hunter trips is aug 1st (opening of squirrel season) to feb 15 (closing of squirrel season).
Maybe even longer if spring turkey is included.
During this time there was 576 hunter trips leading to the harvest of 25 deer (firearm), 19 deer (archery), 137 squirrels, 17 rabbits and 3 turkeys.
When trying to determine the pressure I can expect, I take notice of the 137 squirrels and assume that must lead to a descent amount of hunter trips.
Bag limit is 5 per day so that would take 1 hunter 27 trips of shooting limits.
17 rabbits, so at least a few trips there.
You can assume the 19 archery deer prob took more than one trip per hunter.
so I'm looking at those numbers and comparing them to other areas I've hunted and it just doesn't really seem all that bad.

So this leads me to my question.
Would you guys feel bad about going for a midday walk around the woods during shotgun season?
I guess if I get there and there's blaze orange everywhere, I'll just pick spot and stick to it.
Just wondering what you guys thought would be common sense and common courtesy in a situation like this?
If anyone has any has ever hunted public land in Il during shotgun season and has any insight, that would be awesome!

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[DouglasR]

ps. I just got a computer for the first time in like 10 years and this keyboard is gas.
can't stop posting.
I've got a printer too.
lmk if you guys need anything printed.

 

[ammo]

This sounds similar to public land hunting in Michigan during deer season. If you're accepting that you're giving money to Parks&Wildlife and taking your gun for a walk, then go for it.

By the numbers - if you count both archery and shotgun you're looking at a 7% success rate, however if you're just talking shotgun that goes down to 4%.

For comparison - husband unit and I look deeply at success rate percentages for our elk units and we look for ~20% and above (along with like 20 other factors/detailed spreadsheets/terrain analysis/real nerd level discussions etc).

 

[Mallardsx2]

With all of the drives that would be happening I think it would be kind of silly to even ask the question…

 

[DouglasR]

With all of the drives that would be happening I think it would be kind of silly to even ask the question…

One or more persons
Is still hunting even legal?

 

[Dave N]

Sit yer ass down and let the other guys push them past you.

 

[TheGreek]

@DouglasR Legal shooting time this past year for opening day of IL gun season was 6:24am till 5:14pm.

I’d say you’d be fine to still hunt after 9am till 3pm ish.

As for the legality, it’s not real clear. I’d think you would be legal if you were truly still hunting and trying to sneak up/into range of a deer. If you were walking through the woods noisily, trying to move deer and then shoot them, I’d think you would fall into the definition of driving, even being solo, and that would be illegal.

As for efficacy, moving through the woods can sure be noisy that time of year with all the leaves on the ground. Not sure if you could still hunt effectively. But you could probably sneak into a spot/over a ridge, sit down for 30 min or an hour and then move onto the next spot and hunt your way through some country like that.

 

[DouglasR]

@DouglasR Legal shooting time this past year for opening day of IL gun season was 6:24am till 5:14pm.

I’d say you’d be fine to still hunt after 9am till 3pm ish.

As for the legality, it’s not real clear. I’d think you would be legal if you were truly still hunting and trying to sneak up/into range of a deer. If you were walking through the woods noisily, trying to move deer and then shoot them, I’d think you would fall into the definition of driving, even being solo, and that would be illegal.

As for efficacy, moving through the woods can sure be noisy that time of year with all the leaves on the ground. Not sure if you could still hunt effectively. But you could probably sneak into a spot/over a ridge, sit down for 30 min or an hour and then move onto the next spot and hunt your way through some country like that.

Why can’t I apply for a single either sex tag for a state park as my first choice and a county wide either sex/antlerless combo as my second choice but I can apply for either sex/antlerless combo for 2 County wide tags?

 

[DouglasR]

Like I can do effingham County choice one, jasper choice 2 as either sex and antlerless combos but I can’t do Kickapoo state rec area choice one either sex single tag and effingham county choice 2 either sex and antlerless combo.

But I can do Kickapoo state rec either sex single tag choice one and effingham County either sex single tags choice 2

 

[TheGreek]

Why can’t I apply for a single either sex tag for a state park as my first choice and a county wide either sex/antlerless combo as my second choice but I can apply for either sex/antlerless combo for 2 County wide tags?

I would think you could. Does the IL DNR system not allow you to make those choices on your application?

 

[TheGreek]

Like I can do effingham County choice one, jasper choice 2 as either sex and antlerless combos but I can’t do Kickapoo state rec area choice one either sex single tag and effingham county choice 2 either sex and antlerless combo.

But I can do Kickapoo state rec either sex single tag choice one and effingham County either sex single tags choice 2

Call the permit office at (217) 782-7305 and ask. They are usually pretty helpful.

 

[DouglasR]

I would think you could. Does the IL DNR system not allow you to make those choices on your application?

Yeah, it changes the areas you can select based on if your first choice is a combo tab or not.
I tried calling them and they just told me that’s just the way it is, but I don’t think I was doing a very good job explaining the question.