Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

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mainebowhunter
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Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jan 23, 2016 8:19 am

Looking to do a late season bowhunt, in Illinois. Never been to the midwest during Dec/January. Place has food and lots of it. I always lean towards January rather than December.

Any thoughts? I know some deer, a few, may lose their horns. But for the most part, they still should be intact.

what say you...


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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Jan 23, 2016 8:29 am

mainebowhunter wrote:Looking to do a late season bowhunt, in Illinois. Never been to the midwest during Dec/January. Place has food and lots of it. I always lean towards January rather than December.

Any thoughts? I know some deer, a few, may lose their horns. But for the most part, they still should be intact.

what say you...


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Kraftd
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Kraftd » Sat Jan 23, 2016 8:54 am

Agreed, if yuou know you have food where you're hunting, much better chance for good (cold and snowy!) late season weather in January.
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Jan 23, 2016 10:02 am

A little recon in January can tell you if you have deer on the property or not. January can be feast or fathom. I don't like to hunt January unless I absolutely know the deer are there. The no till farming has helped with some farms having more than just bare dirt.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby tpetrbok84 » Sat Jan 23, 2016 12:17 pm

There are two late season gun hunts to plan around depending which county you will be hunting. They are CWD/Antlerless Only gun hunts. One is right around New Year's and the 2nd is about two weeks into January and concludes Deer Hunting Season in Illinois. The CWD counties are allowed to shoot bucks if they have unused firearm Either Sex tags so those counties tend to get more pressure from the gun hunters. Some counties have neither CWD or Antlerless gun hunts. Bow hunting is allowed in all counties with blaze orange required. Something to think about......

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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Sat Jan 23, 2016 1:19 pm

Expensive tag...

I would chance that amount of money during rut. Late season can be iffy from my experience in OH. Not the same state but I believe the same circumstances / weather.

Good luck if you go and wave when you drive by S. NH;)

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mainebowhunter
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jan 23, 2016 2:38 pm

Edcyclopedia wrote:Expensive tag...

I would chance that amount of money during rut. Late season can be iffy from my experience in OH. Not the same state but I believe the same circumstances / weather.

Good luck if you go and wave when you drive by S. NH;)

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I spend the rut in KS :)
So this is a way to get out of Maine. Late season urban season in Maine is kind of a joke.

I have a great opportunity that has landed in my plate. My wife is not in love with the idea...lol. KS is a 2 week trip in Nov. Plus, hunting ALL season from sept in Maine.

I know here in Maine, bucks / deer in general are much more on the food in January than in December.
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:07 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:
Edcyclopedia wrote:Expensive tag...

I would chance that amount of money during rut. Late season can be iffy from my experience in OH. Not the same state but I believe the same circumstances / weather.

Good luck if you go and wave when you drive by S. NH;)

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I spend the rut in KS :)
So this is a way to get out of Maine. Late season urban season in Maine is kind of a joke.

I have a great opportunity that has landed in my plate. My wife is not in love with the idea...lol. KS is a 2 week trip in Nov. Plus, hunting ALL season from sept in Maine.

I know here in Maine, bucks / deer in general are much more on the food in January than in December.


By Jan they have to eat or they die.... not so much in early to mid Dec

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mainebowhunter
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jan 23, 2016 3:44 pm

Bucky wrote:
mainebowhunter wrote:
Edcyclopedia wrote:Expensive tag...

By Jan they have to eat or they die.... not so much in early to mid Dec

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Yep. My thoughts exactly. As long as horns stay on.
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby Bigb » Sun Jan 24, 2016 6:51 am

The best luck I've ever had at seeing big bucks (never had a shot at the buck I wanted) is food, food and more food. Actually, standing beans has always been great for us. Some of the biggest bucks I've seen have been in standing beans. Biggest buck I've ever seen was January 10th in beans but just didnt want to come in. 6 inches of snow on the ground and around 20 degrees. That was one of the times I have seen a hot doe in January. Bucks would not leave this fawn alone. The big one came in a little later but for a good hour that doe was being chased around the beans by 3 or 4 smaller bucks.
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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:06 am

If you have a place with food (standing beans specifically) the period from Christmas to the end of season beats the out of October and in some cases November.

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Re: Illinois in January. Is December or January better?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:10 am

jonsimoneau wrote:If you have a place with food (standing beans specifically) the period from Christmas to the end of season beats the out of October and in some cases November.

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The other benefit? It extends my season by another month!! Start in Sept, end in January!! (as far the shooting part of hunting)


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