According to the Illinois DNR, hunters killed a preliminary total of 74,191 deer during the seven-day firearm deer season (first season was Nov. 22-24, second season was Dec. 5-8). Compare that to the 2012 when hunters shot 99,546 deer during the two gun hunts.
What caused the big harvest drop? This article speculates that recent outbreaks of EHD the last two summers were worse than thought, and that coyotes are taking a measurable toll on the state’s herd (something we have been monitoring big time on the blog, plus we did a full BIG DEER TV episode on coyote-deer predation last year). But the story goes on to imply that the DNR might be mismanaging the deer herd by permitting too much doe hunting, etc.
What do you Illinois hunters have to say?
I hunt Illinois every year for a month with gun and bow. In our particular area where we hunt along the Mississippi a trapper came in and within a three mile area trapped 108 coyotes. They were obviously out of hand and showed up on our camera’s often. Between the coyotes, EHD, flooding and a liberal doe policy the herd has been hit pretty good.
very well said Dean…..
Yes, my county here in Indiana has yet to turn up any EHD losses, and if it was going to it should have two summers ago (as counties north of me got hit hard). Here the Indiana DNR has sought to reduce the herd by legal hunting, and I believe that their goals have been met here. Over 95% of hunters I’ve talked to are reporting numbers are way down where they’re at; very few hunters are seeing big numbers of the past. I’m hearing rumors (unconfirmed as of yet) that the IDNR is going to drop antlerless limits, and back off of the depredation permits allowed in the future. I honestly believe our state’s aggressive antlerless policy has gotten the herd down to acceptable (and in some spots unacceptable, according to concerned hunters in those areas) levels. My personal opinion is that the IDNR has gotten the herds to proper levels in some areas and it’s probably time to back off a bit on antlerless harvests; at least for the next couple seasons. The good news is that whitetails are fast breeders and can re-populate areas very quickly. Recruitment should be good in areas where numbers have been knocked back (wether by EHD, or hunting); now I feel it’s time for area hunters to do their part and knock down some of the predator (namely coyotes) numbers to keep recruitment solid. I know for a fact that this area is chocked full of coyotes. This is the first year where I’ve gotten multiple coyote images on trail cameras. Time to get the .270 barking.
Well I’ll be in Illinois next month to help thin out the coyote herd :) Or give it a good try anyways
the truth of the matter is the IDNR has been on a deer herd reduction crusade spurred by parties with financial loss attributed to crop loss and vehicle collision loss. We the hunters have been extremeley efficient in doing this with all the available tags, then we get hit with 2 years back to back with EHD/Bluetongue or even some mistery disease and they say it killed a few thousand (truth is 99% of those found dead weren’t reported – when I asked farmers why they said ” I’m not #$%$ around with the DNR and wasting my time with it, not important to their goals”) Also a phone in check system often gets unutilized as the raise in tag fees have spurred some hunters to have a poor attitude toward the state and it’s call in system and even to buy another tag opposed to re-using one (this is a terrible mind set by the way, helps no one, but it’s common) so you have a handful of ways that deer are dying and the state recongizes next to none of them because their “system” of counting doesn’t show them. Pretty simple…..the good ole days of Illinois deer hunting may be gone if we don’t all get on the same page and back off a bit
I’m interested to hear what the IL hunters have to say. Sounds similar to how the deer are being managed in my area.
You shouldn’t feel alone in Illinois.Speaking from Indiana, our situation looks to be much like Illinois. I don’t blame the coyotes (although I don’t cut them any slack) or IDNR (though adjustments to the deer harvest does need to be made), but the ehd isn’t gone yet. People think that just because they don’t find the 10 to 15 dead deer by water that the Ehd is gone.They couldn’t bve farther from the truth. It is still around, though the good rains we had last year should keep the herds from bunching up as much at water holes, deer are still falling to the disease. It just isn’t as obvious with the numbers down.
I looked @ the Illinois DNR’s website and for the first 94 days, the harvest numbers between 2012 (190,000 total deer) and 2013 (167,000 total deer) the difference is 23,000 deer (or 12% less) for this season to this point.
Illinois (like many mid-western states) has embarked on a herd reduction plan and it appears to be working. To that, add in EHD, coyotes, and lousy weather during the gun season and it would explain some of the lower totals.
I know there are many Illinois hunters that aren’t thrilled with the plan (and the resulting lower herd numbers), but that’s the goal in many of these states.