Opening weekend in Central Illinois

[Hoyt]

Second firearm / first muzzleloader season opens Thursday and runs thru Sunday. My rifle and nipple are CLEAN! I spent half of Sunday helping get the combine unstuck twice and the auger wagon unstuck once. There's still corn standing but it's getting cut and the edges are all cut. Now I'll be able to get around easier .

Without all that standing corn there should be more deer in the woods. I oughta see a bunch of 'em this weekend. :wink: :grin:
I'm hoping one of 'em I see will be that biggun'.

With the muzzleloaer season kicking in, I'm allowed to shoot 2 bucks this weekend if I choose to. One with the firearm tag and one with the ML tag. Got tags for 2 does too. I'm going to try and fill a tag this weekend.

Then the next weekend is the 2nd muzzleloader season and I have those days off too. :thumbsup: :grin: :grin: :grin:

I got my old .58 cleaned and will load this afternoon. Missed a good 10pt with real long tines a couple days ago with my bow. Saw another real good buck yesterday morning, but was too far. I'm going to move my climber to where he came through and hunt him in the morning. Got one more buck tag and a doe tag..also have the muzzleloader season too...so I guess I can kill a doe with that either sex tag.

Good luck to you and everybody going.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Good luck to ya Luie. :thumbsup: I hope we get that inch of snow. It sure makes 'em easy to spot.
Man your folks are too strict. Tell 'em you need four days off a year. Opening day, Thurs & Fri of 2nd season AND Fri of the last ML weekend too.

I will be hunting with my traditions kentucky .50 cal caplock. I am bringing my shotgun as backup in case something happens to my ml like last time. This is the only reliable ml I own.

Dang it Luie. You're going to force me to drive all the way over there and show you how to work that other gun. After hunting season is over...

It's not that my parents are strict, it's a rule from the school. I am lucky that I get a day off since they had repealed it for 2 years. I hunted the whole weekend of 1st season and my dad and I are planning on hunting this whole weekend,too. And I am bringing my shotgun so that if something happens to my muzzleloader I can still hunt. If I had another decent muzzleloader I'd bring it in back up instead. But this is not the case, yet. :rotf:

Luie,
I hope you don't plan on having both your .50 and shotgun with you at one time. The Illinois DNR takes exception to 2 guns and one hunter in the field.
Got the fowler clean, dry and ready for tomorrow. Wife and two nephews all tagged in the first season and to show their gratitude for setting them up they all left their deer for me to cut up :haha: :shake: . Old Uncle John has yet to fill a tag...but I am ready!

 

[jethro224]

The Illinois DNR takes exception to 2 guns and one hunter in the field.

Might be your friendly local Conservation Police Officer doesn't know the laws as well as he should. Quoting from the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2009-2010, page 12, right under "Sidearms and Rifle Regulations";

... However, more than one firearm may be possessed by a deer hunter provided it is a lawful gun for that particular season.

I've carried a .44mag alongside my shotgun or my muzzleloader more than once during the firearm season. Also during the antlerless season depending on the permits I'm using. Perfectly legal. You might carry a copy of the regulation book with you if your local CPO has a problem with it. :thumbsup:

Good luck to all my fellow Illinois deer hunters! :hatsoff: I'll be looking for your stories and pics here after the season.

 

[luieb45]

I was saying I was bringing my shotgun because I am going to my grandparent's house to spend the night that night and hunt there in the morning. I was just intending on leaving my shotgun in the house while I go out hunting. I just wanted it to take along in case I wound a deer and my ml breaks so I can take care of the wounded deer.

 

[dbutch]

Wife and two nephews all tagged in the first season and to show their gratitude for setting them up they all left their deer for me to cut up :haha:

Jethro-I thought I was the only member of that club---" Welcome" the dues are cheap...Your a saint!

 

[luieb45]

Wife and two nephews all tagged in the first season and to show their gratitude for setting them up they all left their deer for me to cut up :haha:

Jethro-I thought I was the only member of that club---" Welcome" the dues are cheap...Your a saint!

That's why I like the program that our local meat lockers do. All you do is field dress you're deer and tag it and you take it to the locker sign some papers and donate the deer to the local food shelters. It allows me to kill a lot of deer every year and we only eat 1 a year.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

...I don't mind cutting up deer taken fairly and ethicly. My Dad was a meat cutter and I learned at an early age how to butcher an animal. I see it as part of the process. Scouting, studying the animals, stand locations, shooting all year to improve accuracy and better undersrand your arm... all part of the "process". Learning to utilize all the deer is an ongoing study. Trying to brain tan this year, rendering lard for patch lube, boiling heads for skull mounts, sinew for selfbow backing...all part of the "process".

John

 

[Snow on the Roof]

The Illinois DNR takes exception to 2 guns and one hunter in the field.

Might be your friendly local Conservation Police Officer doesn't know the laws as well as he should. Quoting from the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2009-2010, page 12, right under "Sidearms and Rifle Regulations";

... However, more than one firearm may be possessed by a deer hunter provided it is a lawful gun for that particular season.

I've carried a .44mag alongside my shotgun or my muzzleloader more than once during the firearm season. Also during the antlerless season depending on the permits I'm using. Perfectly legal. You might carry a copy of the regulation book with you if your local CPO has a problem with it. :thumbsup:

Good luck to all my fellow Illinois deer hunters! :hatsoff: I'll be looking for your stories and pics here after the season.

Jethro,
You are correct. I checked the 2009-2010 Ill regs and sure enough just as you stated. :bow: :bow: I presume the regulation, allowing multiple firearms, disallows the carrying of a handgun or rifle not legal for deer ie: my .357 would be legal but not my .45 ACP or the '06 Remington 700. Similarly during the muzzleloading only season only a second ML rifle, fowler or legal ML handgun would be allowed The .357 would not. My apologies to you and to young Luie.

JOHN