Many shotgun hunters have spent recent weeks dreaming of big bucks during their seven-day season, which lasts through Sunday and reopens Dec. 3-6.

For diehard bowhunters like Chuck Thome Jr., though, there’s a sense of relief in already having a big buck down. Actually, this is a nerve-wracking week for archers who fear the bucks they are hunting will fall to the gun.

That’s one of many reasons Thome was elated last Sunday when he shot a big Fulton County 12-pointer on brother Jim Thome’s farm near Ellisville. The deer — whose wide rack could qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s exclusive record books — met his demise while following a doe.

“I owe it to the doe. That’s the only reason I killed him,” said Chuck Thome, who made a 24-yard shot through a narrow shooting lane that the buck walked past while in close pursuit of a doe.

That’s a fairly common story in November, when whitetail breeding season peaks.

That also made up for a slow bow season for the Thome clan, who have been frustrated by too much standing corn in the area they are hunting. “And it’s going to get tougher once the guns start booming and those bucks head for the corn or for wherever big bucks go,” Thome said.

State deer biologist Paul Shelton echoed those comments, saying he expects standing corn to have an impact on the shotgun season kill total.

“There’s plenty of deer out there and weather conditions should be good, but with all the crops in the field, it’s going to put a little damper on it,” Shelton said. “I don’t look for us to have a record-setting year by any means.”

Through Monday, Illinois farmers had harvested just 52 percent of the corn crop compared to the average of 95 percent for this time of year. Wet weather this week kept most combines in the shed, meaning there will still be ample hiding places for deer.

Last year, with 87 percent of the corn crop harvested, firearm hunters wound up shooting 106,018 deer during the seven-day season — the lowest gun total since 2003.

Corn or no corn, the woods will be busy. Illinois has issued or sold more than 360,000 permits for the firearm season. Hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Anyone planning to visit state parks or other public areas is advised that there may be deer hunters in the woods. So be alert.

Thome may not join the gun-toting crowd, though. Not with his biggest buck ever already in the freezer.

“I prefer shooting them with a bow,” Thome said. “I’m still on cloud nine.”

His buck capped a memorable year that also saw the birth of his first grandson, Gavin James Stephens. “It doesn’t get any better than getting a grandson and a Boone and Crockett buck in the same year,” Thome said.

“Deer hunting is part of our outdoor heritage in Illinois, and we want to encourage all hunters heading to the field this week for the start of the firearm season to make safety their first priority,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Marc Miller.  “Hunters always need to be conscious of firearm and tree stand safety to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunt.” 

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 106,018 deer during the seven-day firearm deer hunting season in 2008.  More than 360,000 permits have been issued to date for the 2009 firearm season. Click here for information on remaining permits.

The legal hunting hours for the firearm deer season are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hunters successful in taking a deer during the firearm season in most counties must register (check in) the deer they harvest by going online at http://www.dnr.state.il.us/vcheck or by phoning 1-866-IL-CHECK (1-866-452-4325).  Hunters using the online or phone-in system must register their harvest by 10 p.m. on the day they take the deer.  It is recommended that hunters using cell phones to register their harvest wait until they are out of the field and have a clear cell phone signal before attempting to make the harvest report phone call.

Firearm deer hunters in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties are reminded to bring their deer to mandatory check stations.  Biologists will be sampling adult deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD), to determine areas of infection and prevalence rates.  The check station locations are listed below (Note:  except for Winnebago County, they are in the same locations as last year):
Boone:  Boone Co. Fairgrounds, located one-half mile north of Rt. 76 and Business Rt. 20, Belvidere

DeKalb:  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona

Grundy:  Gebhard Woods State Park; 401 Ottawa St., Morris

Kane:  Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona

LaSalle:  Buffalo Rock State Park, three miles west of Ottawa on Dee Bennett Rd.

McHenry:  Moraine Hills State Park, McHenry Dam day use area, east of McHenry on
River Road, 2.2 miles south of Rt. 120

Ogle:  Castle Rock State Park, Rt. 2, three miles south of Oregon

Stephenson:  Stephenson Co. Fairgrounds, one mile east of Rt. 26 and Fairgrounds Road, Freeport

Winnebago (NEW LOCATION):  Rock Cut State Park (hunters should utilize the Hwy 173 entrance and follow the signs)

Hunters who participate in the CWD sampling can check the status of their deer through the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/cwd/.  Hunters who provide samples from deer that test positive are notified by the IDNR.

While not believed to be contagious to humans or livestock, chronic wasting disease is known to spread from animal to animal among deer and elk. The disease affects the brain of the infected animal, causing them to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior, lose coordination and eventually die.  Illinois expanded its CWD surveillance effort in 2002 following the discovery of the disease in neighboring Wisconsin.

Click here for more information on Illinois deer hunting regulations changes for 2009-2010.

“I’ve been seeing him chasing does the past couple years and he’s just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” Graber said.

But the big buck didn’t get bigger and bigger by accident. He didn’t get bigger and bigger by running in front of hunters with bows or guns.

And he almost ran right past Graber on Oct. 26, when the Edwardsville bowhunter drew back to shoot at the big 25-point Madison County monster.

Graber had set up near a spot where he knew the buck would typically work. “I knew during the rut he always comes through this little ravine and area where the does are. It’s just like a funnel,” Graber said. “He’s always chasing does through there come the rut.

“So that was the first time I hunted in his spot this year because I didn’t want to take any chances of wearing it out or anything.”

Graber showed up at 2 p.m. carrying a climber stand. He set up near a creek with a good doe trail right underneath his stand. He also set up in the rain and it never stopped raining that evening.

“It was one of those days it was 65 degrees so I wore a light jacket that wasn’t waterfproof. About 5:30 p.m. came and it started to get get chilly and I kept saying 15 more minutes, 15 more minutes,” Graber said. “Then about 5:45 p.m. he came out of the creek where I didn’t expect him to come out.”

The buck was 40 yards away and then turned broadside—walking out at the exact spot where Graber had walked to his stand. “I knew he was on me, so as soon as a I saw him I reached down to pick up my bow,” Graber said. The bow did not come easily, though, and by the time Graber drew back his shot was not so easy.

“All of the sudden I couldn’t pick him up through my sights,” he said. “I could just barely see his body and antlers so I said, ‘I might as well take a shot.’ I was aiming pretty much in the middle of his body.”

But Graber’s shot was deflected, as the arrow hit a tree or limb.

Instead of hitting the middle of the buck’s body, the arrow hit the buck dead center in the ear.

“He dropped and I guess it pretty much paralyzed him somewhat, though his legs were still kicking,” Graber said. “He flipped over and did some snowplowing and then went off a 20-foot cliff into the water and drowned.

“You couldn’t place an arrow any better. It went right in his ear and the broadhead actually broke off. It’s just unbelievable.”

Graber remains stunned by his good fortune.

“I can shoot 40 yards pretty consistently to keep in a 3-4 inch circle. I do a lot of practicing,” he said. “I don’t know what happened or how it happened. It was luck. It was one of those things of being in the right place at the right time.”

Ironically, Graber didn’t know how big the buck proved to be. “He never looked as big as he was. You couldn’t see all the stickers,” said Graber, who has been bowhunting for most of his 35 years. “It looked like a decent 10-12 pointer, but I had no idea he had 25 points.”

In fact, the overall ratio for bowhunters last week was 67.4 percent bucks—bringing the overall season average to 50.6 percent does and 49.4 percent does.

Preliminary archery deer harvest totals through Sunday, Nov. 15, stand at 49,546 as daily harvest rates increased to 1,586 deer per day from last Monday through Friday (compared to 1,153 per day for the previous week). And last weekend showed 2,339 deer per day despite plenty of rain on Sunday. Overall, harvest rates for last week were only slightly off the four-year average.

And while the harvest totals through Sunday are ahead of last year (45,844), archers have slipped behind 2007 (50,462), 2006 (50,396) and 2005 (52,075).

Significant amounts of standing corn remain and with rain in the forecast for much of this week, that may not change much heading into Friday’s start of firearm season.

Top five counties in terms of archery harvest are:

• 1. Pike 2,830
• 2. Fulton 1,424
• 3. Jefferson 1,129
• 4. Adams 1,122
• 5. Peoria 1,053

Here’s a look at the entire state. Illinois_archery_deer_report_11-16-09.pdf

One of those recent bucks went to Brian Koziel of New Lenox (below), who was hunting in Will County and thanks the rut for his success. Koziel actually chased the buck down and got a 25-yard shot. “Only during the rut would this tactic work,” he said. He said the buck green scored at 162 1/2 inches.

On Saturday Marty Fenner was hunting in DeWitt County and shot this 9-pointer with his PSE bow and Muzzy broadheads.

But seldom will you hear about a barefoot and pregnant woman on bed rest who sits in her parents’ living room and shoots a deer.

Kim Knapp of Goodfield laughs when her 2008 firearm deer season is summarized so succinctly. Yet those are the facts. And as another Illinois shotgun season nears, commemorating Knapp’s remarkable hunt seems appropriate.

Since marrying husband Kevin Knapp almost nine years ago, Kim has shot several deer. But the doe she downed last Nov. 22 ranks among the most memorable.

That’s because at the time of last year’s firearm hunt Kim was 7½ months pregnant and under partial bed rest. She was carrying twins and doctors — as well as family members — told Kim she wasn’t allowed to climb into a tree stand, as she normally would.

“She was pretty upset that we wouldn’t let her get outside and hunt,” Kevin said.

But doctors never said anything about hunting out of a recliner. Then again, most places such a plan wouldn’t work very well.

Fortunately for Kim, her parents Jerry and Becky Wyatt of Edwards live on a deer-filled Peoria County farm overlooking Kickapoo Creek. In addition to grassy bottom ground enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Wyatts own timber overlooking the Kickapoo.

That’s where Kim wanted to be last fall instead of sitting in a comfortable chair in her parent’s living room. Her angst only increased as the hours passed. On opening day Kim did not see a deer. Partway through the second day of hunting, with still nary a deer sighting, she called Kevin to give him an earful.

“She was letting me know about it and then all the sudden she told me she had to go because there were deer coming into the yard,” Kevin said.

Sure enough, a doe wandered into range. “My dad had set up a decoy and when she came running into the yard it caught her eye and she stopped,” Kim said.

When the doe walked within 40 yards, Kim got out of her recliner, picked up her 20-gauge shotgun and shot out of the living room window — all the while attired only in a t-shirt and jeans.

“Nobody could believe I shot one,” she said. “They were all outside freezing and I was inside warm and barefoot.”

At first she wasn’t sure her shot had been true, though. “The doe kind of went over a hill and I had no idea if I actually got her. So I had to wait until everybody came in to see,” Kim said.

That’s when she also learned that Kevin had shot a nice 9-point buck moments after she shot her doe.

Three weeks later on Dec. 9, Knapp gave birth to twins Kyler and Kelsey. Kim figures the twins will hear this story plenty of times.

“Probably from everyone,” she said. “And they will grow up in the hunting environment. (Eldest daughter) Katlyn already goes and is itching to get out during shotgun season. It’s in their blood, so they will probably think it’s great. Hopefully.”

This coming weekend, though, the twins will be with babysitters while both parents head to the timber. Kim is glad she won’t have the luxury of a recliner or a heated room this time around.

“People think it’s luxurious when you’re on bed rest, but it really isn’t,” she said. “This year will actually be more relaxing because I’ll have more time to myself.”

The one thing she probably won’t find in the timber is a better story.

“Look at all those ducks,” Doug Oberhelman (pictured above netting a mallard drake) said repeatedly as he wrapped cords and weights around decoys.

Funny, those were the exact words Steve O’Neill of Pekin uttered Tuesday when we hunted the public Spring Lake Bottoms unit. On that rainy, windy morning mallards were flying the Illinois River in impressive numbers until 10 a.m.

So why are waterfowlers frustrated in so many places through two weeks of the Central Zone season? Unfortunately, most spots aren’t holding that many ducks. And where ducks are flocking, conditions have so far favored the birds.

High water creates numerous headaches for hunters. Longer decoy strings. Flooded blinds. Limited access to traditional spots. Perhaps most important is that high water provides ducks with many more safe places to congregate.

For the Rice Pond that’s good news. Club members have bagged more than 500 birds and the club’s Douglas Lake has been holding 20,000 to 40,000 ducks (though Wednesday’s count dipped to 18,150).

“We’ve had a great year so far,” Oberhelman said as we headed out of Chillicothe. I can see why. We shot a limit of 12 mallards by 9:45 a.m. and got to watch Tom
Finch’s 6-year-old Labrador retriever Roxie make several impressive long retrieves.

Seeing dogs like Roxie and like O’Neill’s veteran Hope do their thing is probably the main reason I love duck hunting.

Shooting is fun, though. And smoking barrels have also been the norm at Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area, where the kill total through Wednesday was 540 birds.

That’s a throwback to the good old days for Marshall, once a hotspot that has lately been plagued with too much mud and not enough water. Diehards there deserve some good shoots.

But for most public sites and many private clubs, high water has meant high frustration.

“Things are slow, slow, slow and from what I hear, that’s true most places,” said Mike Resetich, who runs the Donnelley and Lake DePue public areas. “I talk to people all the way down to Grafton and they are not seeing many birds.”

Wednesday’s aerial census bolsters that claim. The count of 182,820 ducks along the Illinois River is well off the 10-year average of 324,795 and the mallard total of 97,325 is woefully behind the 211,859 average.

Compounding the problem is that greenheads are far too savvy.

For instance, few of those mallards we saw at Spring Lake would work our blind, though we scratched down four ducks and one Canada goose.

“You ought to see all the mallards coming in here at night. They’ve just been flooding in before dark,” Spring Lake site manager Stan Weimer said. “But they aren’t here during the day.”

Maybe that explains why Banner Marsh is having what staffer Rick Valois calls “a terrible year,” with fewer than 200 ducks. Or why Woodford is struggling to meet its usual high standards. Or why the Emiquon Preserve is below average despite 69,205 ducks (and an amazing 99,425 coots) in the recent survey.

“The vegetation is a little different this year, so it makes hunting tougher at several sites,” said Doug Blodgett of the Nature Conservancy, which oversees Emiquon.
“With limited habitat, it seems like you chase them out and they come back.

“Now when you chase them out, they go somewhere else and they’re happy as a camper.”

Even spots with respectable totals like Rice Lake (958 ducks for 858 hunters through Wednesday) have been inconsistent.

Many waterfowlers are hoping receding waters will force birds back into traditional refuges and hunting areas. For a little while, anyway, that should help hunting.

But then comes a larger question only time will answer: Will there be enough food in the valley to hold birds when the next migration arrives?

The moon was bright and the wind was blowing out of the south on the morning of Nov. 7, 2009. I was in my stand early and scanning the cut bean field in front of me. I noticed something not right in the cut bean field and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. 

I thought I was looking at a tree top but I could not remember a tree being there. I looked away and back again a few times and still saw the same thing. Finally it was getting close to shooting time and I looked again in that direction, but this time the “tree top” moved. I then saw what every hunter was looking for, a trophy buck.

I watched this buck for a few minutes and decided to grunt at him. I pulled out my grunt call and gave a few grunts. The buck looked in my direction but did not what to come in. I had a Bleat Can with me and decided to bleat at him.

Again he looked my way and took a few steps towards my way but decided to stay where he was. Now the sun was coming over the horizon and I could see why he didn’t come into the grunt and bleat calls. 

He was out tending a doe in the cut bean field. I saw this buck run the doe a bit but not to aggressively. Finally the doe worked her way out of the cut bean field and headed into the grass area with the buck close by her side.

I thought to myself, now the cat and mouse game has begun. The doe wanted to head into the timber but this buck keep heading her off and keep her in the grass area. Finally after 2 ½ hours the doe led this 12-pointer within 23 yards of my stand which I waited for a broadside shot. 

I pulled the bow back and put the pin right behind the front leg. It was all over and well worth the 2½-hour wait.

This buck has an inside spread of 23 3/4 inches, an outside spread of 26 inches and a tip-to-tip spread of 19 1/2 inches.

Jamie Duke of Bloomington is our latest winner. He submitted a story about killing a 12-point Putnam County buck on Halloween.

Winners in the Oct. 26 random drawing were:

Brian Kiel of Taylorville won an Alpha Assault hang-on stand from Lone Wolf.
• Nate Campbell of Beardstown won a set of Lone Wolf climbing sticks.

Winners in the Oct. 12 random drawing were:

• Dustin Tetrault of Mackinaw won an Alpha Assault hang-on stand from Lone Wolf.
• Kathy Long of Morton won a Lone Wolf quiver combo mount.
• Jason DeSotel of Hidalgo won the Night Strike Swivel that offers ultraviolet, blue, red, green and white lights. The blue lights are supposed to be ideal for illuminating blood trails. Night Strike is sold by Cabela’s.

The next drawing will be Nov. 9. So there’s plenty of time between now and then to submit your Big Buck Story and pictures. So far we have received more than 30 entries. Those who submit a story will be eligible for all our drawings this year. In addition to the Nov. 9 drawing, we will give away prizes three other times in November, twice in December and once in January.

Resubmitting a story that you sent in last year does not qualify you for this drawing. So get creative and get hunting.

Basically how it will work is this:

1. You send in a picture and story or video about your big buck from this year or any other year. Submit your story by using this form or by e-mailing a picture and plenty of details to editor@prairiestateoutdors.com.

2. We post your story, pictures and video on our popular Big Buck Stories page, or as a Picture of the Day or even as one of our Tuesday Tales from the Timber.

3. You are entered for a chance to win Lone Wolf tree stands and gear. Drawings will be held every two weeks in October, November, December and January. Scheduled dates are Oct. 12, 26, Nov. 9, 23, Dec. 7, 21 and Jan. 4, 18.

The whole thing is simple. It’s fun. And it’s enjoyable for everyone. So get your pictures and stories and videos together and start submitting stuff.

Last year we gave away nearly $1,700 worth of Lone Wolf gear and this year the total will be closer to $3,000. Prizes this year will include four Alpha Assault hang-on stands (above), 2 Alpha hand climbers, 1 Elite hang-on, 2 Pro series climbing sticks and 1 Lone Wolf quiver combo mount.

We’ve also got a cool new flashlight from Energizer called the Night Strike Swivel that offers ultraviolet, blue, red, green and white lights. The blue lights are supposed to be ideal for illuminating blood trails. Night Strike is sold by Cabela’s.

Winners last year included:

• John Schultz of Peoria Heights
• Mike Howie of Potomac
• Max Letterly of Lincoln
• Jason Waldschmidt of Pontiac
• Jim Mordacq of Springfield

Daily harvest rates were much-improved, with hunters taking 1,153 deer last Monday through Friday. Over the warm weekend, hunters averaged 1,969 deer per day. While solid, those totals are below the average of the previous four years. The overall harvest through Nov. 8 stood at 37,380, compared to previous year totals of 33,923 (2008), 36,748 (2007), 39,090 (2006), and 39,343 (2005).

Top five counties are Pike (2102), Fulton (1075), Jefferson (856), Adams (835), and Peoria (822). Here is the complete statewide report. Archery_deer_report_11-09-09.pdf

The emphasis of archers everywhere has turned increasingly to buck-hunting of late. No surprise then that harvest sex ratios continued to shift toward bucks, with sex ratios for the week at 37.3% does to 62.7% bucks. Overall sex ratios to date are 56.5% does: 43.5% bucks.

Unfortunately, rut activity was better early in the week, before the hot weather arrived.

By last weekend, many hunters were grumbling that deer had gone back to moving best at night or even after dark. Among those was Carl Waggle in Richland County. He writes, “I have 3 P&Y deer coming to this scrape. Lots of bucks chasing does early in the week, but it has slowed with warmer weather.” Below is a picture of one of Waggle’s big bucks, taken on trail-cam at 9:46 p.m.

Even so, for several hunters, the hot weather was no problem. Among the nice bucks harvested were this Macon County 10-pointer shot the morning of Friday, Nov. 6 by Jason Hutchcraft of Decatur.

On Nov. 5, at about 4 p.m., Jim Hastings shot this 12-pointer while hunting over a decoy in an alfalfa field. The buck came to within 12 yards.

Earlier that same day, Bob Gipson Jr. of Taylorville shot this 11-pointer at about 12:45 p.m. He was hunting private ground in Christian County.

Crazy stuff like that is one reason I enjoy talking with Tim Wells, the sometimes controversial but always interesting tele-hunter from Canton. Like his parents Dave and
Rosalie, Wells, 46, is never at a loss for new ventures. If he’s not hunting, he’s usually working some angle.

His latest endeavor is too intriguing to pass unmentioned. Wells recently sold a partial interest in his Relentless Pursuit television show to Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.

One of the highest paid defensive players in the NFL, the 6-foot-6 Allen is also one big reason why the Vikings are 7-1 and being touted as Super Bowl favorites. In addition to making life miserable for quarterbacks, Allen is a passionate hunter. He met Wells through mutual friend Boomer Grigsby (above Allen at left and Wells at right in the picture below) while on a wolf hunt to Ontario last spring.

Afterwards Allen came back with Wells to Canton, where he shot a bison and speared an elk at the Wells clan’s Trophy Ridge Ranch.

“I love to hunt and he loves to hunt. I’m a little crazy and he’s a little crazy, so it worked out,” Allen said in a phone interview last week while he was in Illinois shopping with fiancee Amy Johnson, a Chicago native. “Obviously, I’m comfortable on camera and so is he, so we decided to team up and take Relentless Pursuit to the next level.”

While I’m not very keen on hunting behind high fences, Allen’s spear chuck at an elk from a tree stand was fairly impressive. Even so, I’m glad he does most of his hunting in free-range situations.

“He’s the kind of idiot who will jump out of a tree onto a bear,” Wells said. “He’s a kid in a giant’s body.”

During deer season Allen spends most Monday and Tuesday evenings after football practice in a tree stand. He has a pair of Labrador retrievers that he takes pheasant hunting. He said he really enjoys to hunt predators and bears and, along with Wells, has plans to chase alligators, alligator gar and rattlesnakes in the next
year as they put together 26 shows (half of which will feature Allen).

That means extra work for Wells, who figures it takes three hours of video to produce 18 minutes worth showing on television. Not that he minds traveling to get show footage. One of his adventures this year took him to Alberta, where he shot this massive elk on Sept. 20.

Relentless Pursuit airs on The Sportsman Channel on Tuesdays at 7 a.m., Fridays at 10 p.m. and Saturdays at 5 a.m. and can be seen on Direct TV’s Channel 608.

“There’s going to be some wild hunts and we’re going to be humorous about it,” Allen said. “I watch some hunting shows and you get tired of seeing the same old whispering to the camera. We’re going to be in our loin clothes chasing some things.”

Wells said that’s some of what viewers have come to expect from his show, which has been on the air for the past 15 years. Memorable footage include Wells running toward a brown bear which he shot in the head with an arrow and an equally impressive shot of him taking a bumblebee with his bow.

“We’re a hard-core show,” he said. “I want to be the first guy on video to kill a brown bear with a spear. A lot of Indians tried it, but you don’t see them anymore. So that’s a bad sign.”

Wells also has been experimenting with using throwing stars to hunt and has proven quite adept at taking wild game with a spear. As for blow guns, Wells said he can kill a squirrel from 15 yards. “My son can shoot right through a piece of plywood,” he said.

Allen isn’t so sure. “Tim has a lot more hot air than I do, so he’s probably better than me at that right now. I’ll have to touch up on that.”

“I’m just not that sure about deer,” Balser said.

His suspicions are backed up by scientists who have studied the sensory advantages deer have over hunters. Hence the continuing quest for strategies and camouflage that will tip the odds in hunters’ favor.

Balser’s pants, jacket, hat and mask all have brown, gray and green patterns that resemble the autumn hardwood forests of upstate New York. While he can also sit quietly, the longtime outdoorsman is pretty sure that his human smell is a dead giveaway to wildlife, despite garments meant to conceal that as well.

Researchers studying animal vision and behavior say that prey have certain evolutionary advantages in perception, triggering their decisions to run or hide. Science’s understanding, based on both biological analysis and behavior, isn’t complete, but it supports several hunter theories, including that superior sense of smell, which deer use to communicate, find food and avoid predators.

“The most important thing is to watch the wind. ... Anything downwind doesn’t exist to your nose,” said Dr. Karl Miller, a professor of wildlife ecology and management at the University of Georgia. And while deer probably hear only a little better than people, in the higher frequencies, they have a better sense of unusual sounds and large external ears that help them localize the source, he said.

Scientists say you also have to appear initially to be something that’s not a threat.

That led to modern camouflage, evolving from red and black checked coats that broke up a hunter’s silhouette to clothing patterns that mimic the fields and forests, to raggedy suits that resemble a fluttering leaf and brush pile, to digitally designed clothing meant to fool a deer’s eye into seeing nothing recognizable at all.

“Based on some very preliminary stuff we’ve done, deer don’t see quite as clearly as we do,” said Miller, who is also a hunter. “They don’t see 20/20. That’s not their purpose - to see detail. Their purpose is to see movement.”

That, said Miller, co-author of a 2008 paper on the visual specialization of white-tailed deer, is something they do very well. “They have a harder time identifying an object, but as soon as you move on a deer, it busts you,” he said.

They also see far better than people in dim light and have a larger pupil. Like dogs and horses, they have a reflective layer behind the retina that causes light to hit their photoreceptor rods and cones twice. With big eyes on both sides of their head that don’t constantly move like human eyes, they have a 300-degree field of vision, giving them an advantage in detecting motion even at the periphery, Miller said.

In their 2005 paper in the journal Equine Ophthalmology, researchers Paul Miller and Christopher Murphy identified the vision issue for prey animals, processing a vast amount of information for the important bits that require attention.

“A critical aspect of vision is that an object (a wolf, for example), is identified as separate from its surroundings (dense vegetation),” they wrote. “Because this distinction is so important for survival, animals (including humans) with normal vision, can ‘see’ an object if it differs sufficiently from its surroundings in any one of five different aspects: luminance, motion, texture, binocular disparity (depth), or color.”

Cal Welch estimated he’s seen hundreds of deer in 53 years of hunting and shot at least 20, though not the three that came within 25 feet of him last year during turkey season. “I’ve found that even wearing orange, when you don’t move, the deer don’t see you,” he said.

He’s also found he can raise his rifle or pivot very slowly without alarming the animals. He’d been told early by an old hunter not to wear anything shiny that can reflect light, or blue jeans, which make an unusual noise if they rub against something.

“Basically as hunters we talk to other hunters. Between you and me, there’s a lot of BS that goes around. You really have to sort it out,” Welch said.

There’s scientific support for both points, that deer see shininess in the bright part of the spectrum, and they see color, though in a more limited range than people. They have photo pigments on their cones for blues and yellows, making blue blobs a likely cause for alarm.

“They don’t see as far into the red part of the spectrum as we do, which means they don’t see blaze orange the way that we do,” Miller said.

It’s probably as a less intense color, and there’s probably no reason for hunters to avoid wearing it as a safety measure, since there are often a lot of oranges in the autumn woods, but you need to break it up with a pattern so it does n’t look to a deer like a large, strange blob, he said.

“Animals take inventory. Say you definitely use some kind of mimicry camouflage, it’s something the deer processes,” said Dr. Jay Neitz, professor of vision science at the University of Washington. “It may be the pile of leaves that was not there before.”

Neitz consulted with W.L. Gore & Associates for the gray-and-tan digital camouflage new to the market this year with a large pattern to disguise the symmetry and silhouette of a hunter and a micro pattern meant to make the hunter fade into something unremarkable to deer.

“You want to be able to break up the pattern so whether you’re not moving or you are moving, what the animal sees never turns into a recognizable form,” he said.
If you do that and stay down wind you’ve got a shot.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says hunter participation continued to drop last year in the uplands.

An estimated 29,016 hunters chased pheasants last year while 21,962 hunted quail and 40,077 kicked bushes in pursuit of rabbits.

Harvests were also down: 103,399 pheasants, 151,170 quail and 154,216 rabbits. All were record low totals. Expect more of the same this year. Here’s an an analysis for each upland critter by the DNR.

Pheasants

Says the DNR: “It appears that pheasant numbers will be below or about the same as last year. Hunters that have access to good habitat could still enjoy a successful season. Due to the wet spring, it is likely that some crops may still be in the field during part of the season. This may make hunting more difficult until the crops are harvested.” Here’s the complete DNR report.

Illinois_pheasant_hunting_prospects_2009.pdf

Quail

Says the DNR: “It appears that quail numbers will be about the same as 2008 in Illinois. Breeding populations were unchanged in the primary quail range. Temperatures during the nesting season were below normal but rainfall was above normal. Quail production should have been good except for extremely wet areas. Hunters that have access to good habitat should have a good chance at a successful hunt. Due to the wet spring, it is likely that some crops may still be in the field during part of the season. This may make hunting more difficult until the crops are harvested.” Here’s the complete DNR report.

Illinois_Quail_hunting_prospects_2009.pdf

Rabbits

Says the DNR: “Rabbit numbers will be lower than last year’s levels in southern Illinois and higher in northern Illinois. Temperatures during the breeding season were cool with above average rainfall so production may be lower than average. Due to the wet spring, it is likely that crops may still be in the field during part of the season. This may make hunting more difficult until the crops are harvested.” Here’s the complete DNR report.

Illinois_rabbit_prospects_2009.pdf

Illinois nine-day fall firearm turkey season ended Nov. 1 with a preliminary harvest total of 756 turkeys, continuing a decline in hunter participation and harvest. 

Comparable totals from previous years were 878 (2008), 1,161 (2007), 1,189 (2006) and 1,201 (2005). 

The DNR issued 9,180 permits for the 2009 fall firearm turkey season, including landowner permits. The total number of permits issued for the fall firearm turkey season peaked in 2003, with 11,509 permits issued.The record harvest season was in 2000, with a harvest of 1,715.

Top five counties were JoDaviess (64), Jefferson (52), Wayne (44), Marion (42), and Union (34). 

Forty-five counties were open to the fall firearm season. Below is a complete list of harvest by county.

2009_Fall_Turkey_Harvest.pdf

North Zone hunters who rely on fields have had little or no success because harvest has been so slow. River hunters have fared better, but action has slowed since rivers flooded and ducks have had more areas in which to scatter.

The same is true in the Central Zone, as rising water has scattered ducks and hunting has been slow of late, particularly in traditional Illinois River areas. Plus, the latest duck count is below average, though that may be deceptive since birds have so much water to chose from thanks to recent flooding.

The count in the Illinois River is 178,565 ducks, just under the 10-year average of 185,273. The highest concentration is at the Emiquon Preserve, where 53,140 ducks were counted. The Mississippi River has 111,625 ducks compared to the average of 123,753.

Ducks and geese are also well below average in Central and Southern Illinois

Mallards are lagging behind the average, as has been the norm in recent years.

Here are the complete surveys.

Illinois_River_10-22-09.pdf

Miss._River_10-22-09_.pdf

S._Illinois_waterfowl_10-22-09_.pdf

Hunting for Canada geese has been slowed by the lack of harvested fields. Those hunting over water or who do have pits in picked fields are enjoying some good shooting.

Firing ranges in Joliet, Pontiac, Pawnee, Effingham, Pecatonica and LaSalle will be available to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual program is offered in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources.

Reservations can be made by calling ahead to the state police district offices. Targets will be provided. There’s no charge for use of the range.

Participants must have a valid firearm owner ID card and transport the firearm legally by having it unloaded and in a case.

The public is asked to call one of the ranges listed below before the scheduled date to make a reservation. 

• District 5—Joliet, (815) 726-6377, Ext. 206, Sergeant Chris Garibay
• District 6—Pontiac, (815) 844-1500, Trooper David Diller
• District 9—Pawnee, (217) 786-6278, Trooper Rich Mahan
• District 12—Effingham, (217) 347-2761, M/Sergeant Kelley Hulsey
• District 16—Pecatonica, (815) 239-1152, Ext. 242, M/Sergeant Lisa Ditzler
• District 17—LaSalle, (815) 224-1171, Ext.117, Sergeant Bob Cessna

Both the Illinois House and Senate approved an increase in hunting and fishing license fees during last week’s veto session in Springfield. All that is required for the increases to become law is a signature on Senate Bill 1846 by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Department of Natural Resources Director Marc Miller has pushed for the fee increases—$2 for a fishing license and $5 for a hunting license—to help his agency. The increases are estimated to raise an additional $3.5 million for fish and wildlife conservation.

If Quinn signs the bill, resident fishing licenses will increase from $12.50 to $14.50. A deer permit would go from $15 to $25 and hunting licenses would rise from $7 to $12.

Fee increases would go into effect Jan. 1, 2010.

Here is the text of DNR’s interpretation of Senate Bill 1846.

DNR’s take on Senate Bill 1846

IDNR is committed to improving quality recreational opportunities for its constituents, not only in the coming fiscal year but in years to come. In order to secure the future of the agency and its mission, we are asking our constituents to support us through several fee increases. The agency will diligently protect the integrity of dedicated funds that support the mission of IDNR and protect the supportive intent of the individuals who provide those funds, through hunting and fishing licenses, stamps and other fees. These proposed fees will allow the agency to enhance conservation opportunities, improve quality recreation and make critical hires for the agency, all of which lead to a better overall experience for outdoor enthusiasts.

Migratory Waterfowl Fee (Increase)

The cost of the State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp would increase from $10.00 to $15.00. The increase will be used specifically to improve and maintain state waterfowl areas. Currently, revenue generated from Migratory Waterfowl Stamp fees do not adequately support Waterfowl operations. Requires Legislative action.

FY10 - $111k FY11 - $243k

Deer Hunting Permit Fee (Increase)

The Resident Deer Hunting Permit Fee would increase from $15.00 to $25.00. The fee was last increased approximately 25 years ago. This fee would support an increase in Wildlife management staff.

Would require legislative action and an administrative rule change.

FY10 - $559k FY11 - $1.118M

Hunting, Fishing, and Sportsman Combination License Fee (Increase)

This proposal would increase all resident hunting and fishing licenses by $7.00.

Resident fishing licenses would increase from $12.50 to $14.50.

A Non-resident 10-day fishing license would increase from $12.50 to $19.50 and a non-resident annual fishing license would increase from 24.50 to $31.50

The fishing license fees were last increased over 10 years ago. Fishing license sales support fish and aquatic management throughout Illinois.

Resident hunting license fees would increase from $7.00 to $12.00. Non-Resident annual hunting licenses would increase from $50.00 to $57.00. Non-resident 10-day hunting licenses would increase from $28.00 to $35.00. Resident hunting licenses were last raised in 1974. Revenue generated from this fee increase will fund an increase in Wildlife program staff as funds become available.

Sportsman combination licenses would increase from $18.50 to $25.50. (Only Illinois residents are eligible for a Sportsman license).

Would require Legislative action and an administrative rule change.

FY10 - $548k FY11 - $1.095M

Environmental Consultation Fees (New)

Currently, local units of government and private entities are required, by statue, to complete an environmental consultation review with the IDNR. This proposal would charge a fee of $500.00 to local governments or private entities seeking this consultation.

This fee will help cover the cost of performing these reviews, including supporting staff and the automated EcoCAT web based system that allows users to get results substantially faster. After getting the review results, cities sometimes charge developers for this information that they currently receive for free from the IDNR.

Requires legislative action.

FY10 - $545k FY11 - $1.190M

Office of Water Resources Permit Fees (New)

Create a series of regulatory fees for the IDNR Office of Water Resources ranging from $400.00 to $5,000 specifically for OWR permits and Lake Michigan water allocations. The proposal also creates an annual fee (TBD) for the use of the Chain O’Lakes, to be collected from boaters. These fees will fund permit and water allocation services, flood control and dam safety programs, and operation of the Stratton Lock and Dam.

Requires legislative action.

FY10 - $394k FY11 - $1.140M

Through Nov. 1, bowhunters have taken 27,676 deer. That’s off the pace of 2005 (29,330) and 2006 (27,949) but is ahead of last year’s 24,737 and the 24,168 in 2007.

Daily harvest rates from last Monday through Friday were only 473 deer per day, down significantly from the average weekday harvest of 791 deer per day during the same period in the previous four years. 

Harvest sex ratios continued to shift, with buck harvest exceeding doe harvest for the first time. Sex ratios last week were 52.3 percent bucks to 47.7 percent does. Overall, bowhunters have taken 63.2 percent does.

The top five counties so far are:

• 1. Pike 1,440
• 2. Fulton 753
• 3. Jefferson 677
• 4. Peoria 637
• 5. LaSalle 596

Here’s the overall county-by-county harvest to date.

Illinois_archery_deer_totals_11-02-09.pdf

He’d still be climbing trees, waiting for the rut to kick in and dreaming of an encounter with a 29-point buck.

But this has been a very unusual archery season. Cold. Wet. And wild.

Big bucks started falling with amazing regularity across the Midwest in mid-September and the trophy watch has continued ever since. Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio have already produced world-class bucks. Illinois is right there too, with four confirmed monster whitetails that should top 200 inches.

The biggest of those may well be Campbell’s 29-pointer, which he shot on Oct. 10 in McDonough County. Most years, Oct. 10 falls during a period bowhunters call “the dreaded October lull.” After moving early in the month, bucks get wise to hunters and typically go nocturnal during the warmer days of early October.

This year the warmer days never really materialized and the “lull” did not kick in until later in October. That was fine with Campbell, 22, who is in his fourth year of bowhunting. A recent graduate of Western Illinois who studied natural resources and parks and recreation, Campbell had scouted what he viewed as a promising spot. The area included plenty of acorns, water and tall grass and brush for bedding areas.

So on Oct. 5, he set a climber stand, cut some shooting lanes and backed out. Little did he know what would happen when he returned the evening of Oct. 10.

“That deer had never been seen before,” he said. “I’ve got trail-camera pictures of a deer from last year that’s similar, but I don’t think it was him.”

No matter. He was in a good spot. A very good spot. After two hours of waiting on Oct. 10, Campbell saw a big buck approach him along a deer trail.

“I quickly noticed the drop tine on his left side,” Campbell said.

Without much time to get nervous and only a narrow, 10-inch lane to shoot through, he quickly launched an arrow that hit the deer farther back than Campbell would have liked.

“From the look of the shot I thought I had gut-shot the buck and would never find him,” Campbell said. “I soon became overwhelmed with anger and disappointment.”

Campbell had to live with his unease all night after opting to back out of the area and return the next morning, so as not to spook the buck. That decision, like his earlier choice of a hunting spot, proved wise.

The next morning Campbell returned with his father and three friends. They quickly found a blood trail, then briefly lost the trail before splitting up and discovering the buck 200 yards away. Only then did he have time to admire the huge non-typical rack, which includes 35 points (six that are under 1 inch) and is expected to net more than 230 inches.

“I have never seen a celebration like the one that took place among five grown men,” Campbell said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”

For Campbell, yes. But maybe not for all archers this season. The rut is still coming. Who knows what other monsters lurk in the woods of Illinois waiting to be discovered.

This is my first year of archery hunting. Let me tell you my opening day story. 

The day started out in my tree stand in the rain and a fierce wind. After two hours I hadn’t seen any deer and the rain was coming down hard. I decided I best move my truck to another location so I could get out if need be, as I didn’t necessarily want to camp out till spring. 

After doing that, the rain was still coming down hard, so I took a two-hour nap in our hunting shack (old trailer). Upon awakening, the rain had subsided so I headed out and got in a tree stand on one of our three food plots. Three hours later, I had sighted no deer and the rain again started coming down with intensity. 

It was only 5 p.m. but the sky was very threatening and the thunder kept getting closer. I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, so I got out of my tree stand and headed for camp. I entered another of our food plots and three deer were standing there looking at me. After they bolted, I continued down the path to our third food plot and there were four deer feeding. They promptly waved their flags at me, so I continued on towards camp, resigned to my deerless opening day. 

As I continued on the path, cussing the rain blowing strongly in my face, I thought I saw movement about 40 yards ahead. Utilizing my woodsman-like skills acquired over many decades afield, I stealthily (a lumbering elephant wouldn’t have made any noise on that rain-soaked ground) crept forward and made sure that I was approaching from a direction that the deer wouldn’t wind me (I continued the direction the path took me, actually). 

I readied my crossbow and as this huge doe stepped out, I summoned up all my hand-eye coordination skills ( I put the scope crosshairs behind her shoulder) and let the arrow fly.  It was a good hit I thought to myself. 

I waited 45 minutes then began the trailing process. She had run into a thicket so dense a grizzly would have been proud to call it home. I entered this floral nightmare on my hands and knees and discovered there was almost no light in that overgrowth. After 40 yards or so, I spotted blood with my flashlight and began weaving my way to and fro through the thorns and sticktights.

Suddenly the heavy blood trail stopped. I circled around trying to cut the trail again. As I was doing this, my flashlight got caught in some dense vegetation and it was pulled from my hand.Try as I might, I could not find my light. 

So, there I was ... it’s totally dark, there is a nasty thunderstorm now in the process, a pack of coyotes were howling and barking very close by and I had no idea where I was. I sat down in the pouring rain and prayed for a merciful death. After a few moments of that, I suddenly realized that coyotes were no threat as I was much too old and tough for them to want to eat.

As for all the electricity in the sky, well being an old fisheries biologist who had fished with electricity for years, I figured that all the times I had been jolted and not killed in the boat, that I really had nothing to fear from lightning either. 

Then my survival skills really kicked in and I assessed what I had on my person that would allow me to get myself out of this predicament. So I called my son-in-law on my cell phone for help. He and his uncle arrived about an hour later on a four-wheeler with an extra flashlight for me.

Then, with a light, with all my years of training in reading the landscape, I found my deer (my son-in-law found her after I got lost a second time). She was a matriarch doe (huge body, very long snout, worn down teeth).  After I pulled her out to the path (my son-in-law and his uncle hauled her out as I had no clue which way was which in that thicket), we took photos and my first time ever day of archery deer hunting adventure was over at 9 p.m.
As described above, only my sharply honed deer hunting skills and vast knowledge of the outdoors allowed me to harvest this trophy matriarch doe and survive the rigors of Mother Nature and the unforgiving landscape I was in.

Recent rains are raising the anxiety level for waterfowlers heading into Saturday’s Central Zone season opener.

A wet weekend pushed the Illinois River to flood stage in places and could impact hunting blinds along the river. As of Tuesday, the Illinois River was predicted to crest on Thursday at 15.3 feet in Havana.

The late harvest has also impacted Canada goose hunters with pits in standing corn and bean fields that are usually picked by the time waterfowl season starts.

As a result, many waterfowlers are hoping we finally see an extended period of dry skies. Barring that there could be major impacts on the upcoming 60-day duck season — particularly downstream of Peoria.

“This is definitely going to cause us some problems,” Anderson Lake site manager Ed Oest said. “And if we get any more rains we could be in real trouble.”

Barring more rain, Oest said most blinds at Anderson will still be accessible, though fitting boats into boat hides might be difficult. There’s a good chance the area’s
West Point Walk-in might also be closed if water is overtopping the access road to that popular spot.

At Rice Lake hunters who did not build floating blinds will probably be cursing their decision on opening day. And all hunters there have been allowed to pick up decoys so they don’t float off into the brush.

The Sanganois Conservation Area has implemented “river rules” for the opener, meaning hunters can hunt anywhere on the site (except for the refuges) without having to go to blind sites. There is no check-in or check-out.

“It’s a big disappointment. We were expecting a really good season and we had a lot of ducks and a lot of feed,” site manager Doug Jallas said. “I just went out and ordered a boat blind and if I had a few I could sure sell them right now.”

While upland locations are not in danger of flooding, the rains have slowed farmers to a crawl and are making access difficult. Snakeden Hollow had standing corn around most of the eight hunting pits on the site’s east side, though combines were running Tuesday.

At Double T hunters can chose from two water holes and four other stakes that have been set in temporary locations due to standing crops.

Low-lying private locations will also be impacted.

“We put out decoys on Sunday and I’m sure they’ll be scattered all over,” said Tim Presley, who hunts at the Lockport Club near Lacon. “But we’ve got a lot of ducks in right now and a lot of green-winged teal.

“And we’ve got a lot of natural feed that should be good, so long as we don’t get five inches of water on top of this.”

Numbers from last weekend’s youth hunt would seem to back up the strong duck numbers.

At Woodford, 38 youngsters shot 108 ducks and six geese for an impressive 2.84 ducks per hunter. Marshall was nearly as strong at 2.62 dph after 29 youngsters shot 76 ducks and two geese.

Youth weekend results were mixed downstream, as rising water seemed to scatter ducks.

In the teal-friendly Spring Lake area, for instance, 47 youngsters shot just 35 ducks and nine geese. “I haven’t seen teal or sprigs in the bottoms like I had hoped,” site
manager Stan Weimer said. “It’s disappointing right now.”

At Rice Lake, 77 youth hunters shot 104 ducks and two geese. Banner had 22 hunters combine for 12 ducks and eight geese, while Anderson Lake saw 66 hunters and 28 ducks and Sanganois had 109 youngsters and 129 ducks.

But true to form, archers have been shooting more bucks of late as the rut approaches. Sex ratios during the past week were 60.2 percent does to 39.8 percent bucks according to biologist Paul Shelton. Over the previous three weeks the ratio had been 69.3 percent does and 30.7 percent bucks. Overall so far, the ratio is 67.5 percent does to 32.5 percent bucks.

Through Sunday, Oct. 25 the preliminary harvest estimate was at 21,754 deer. That’s the second best on record and ranks behind only the 2006 harvest of 21,883 through this period. Last year bowhunters were at 17,875 through Oct. 25, in 2007 the count was 16,065 and in 2005 it was 21,610.

Writes Shelton: “Temperatures have been great, but a continuing pattern of rain every few days occasionally dampens hunter participation (last Thursday was a good example) and frustrates crop harvest by farmers.”

The top five counties so far are:

• 1. Pike (1,073)
• 2. Fulton (571)
• 3. Jefferson (565)
• 4. Peoria (500)
• 5. LaSalle (470)

Here’s a complete county-by-county harvest count through Oct. 25.

Archery_deer_report_10-26-09.pdf

What we do know is duck numbers are good for our 13th consecutive 60-day duck season, which starts Saturday and runs through Dec. 29 in the Central Zone. The breeding population of 42 million ducks was fourth highest on record since 1955. And birds have already arrived, with an above-average total of 148,700 counted last week along the Illinois River.

This year the daily bag limit of six ducks includes four mallards (two hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, two scaup (entire season), one canvasback (entire season), one black duck and one pintail (entire season). Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Canada goose numbers are not as encouraging in Canada, where nesting success was minimal. Local honkers fared much better. Longer seasons the last two years produced a record harvest in 2008 and a near-record in 2007. So opportunity will be there during an 85-day Central Zone season that runs Saturday to Nov. 15 and then Nov. 24 to Jan. 31.

One other certainty is that Glasford American Legion Post 35 will have a hearty hunter’s breakfast Saturday from 4-11 a.m. Stop by. Even if you don’t see birds, you can be certain to eat well on opening day.

Emiquon an oasis

Bass are not the only critters that love The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve. In the latest aerial surveys of waterfowl, Emiquon’s 48,210 ducks was tops in the state (as was the count of 59,270 coots).

No wonder hunters like Caleb Kaufman of Washington (pictured above) are drawn to the site. Hunting at Emiquon will be allowed Saturdays, Tuesdays and
Thursdays. Drawings are at 5:15 a.m. at the small shed near the boat ramp, east of Illinois Route 97/78. Last year there were 11 stakes.

There is no charge to hunt, but persons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Also, hunters are limited to trolling motors only and may not have gas motors on their boats.

Fishing is not allowed during hunting hours. To learn more call (309) 547-2700 or 547-2730.

Hide in style

The economic slowdown impacted manufacturing across the country and Bradley Services Inc. of Morton was no exception. Rather than idle its welders and fabricators, the company decided building goose pits and duck blinds might be one way to keep busy.

So was born Bradley Blinds, whose custom-fabricated steel goose pits and duck blinds are completely waterproof and can be submerged in water or buried in dirt. Unlike wooden pits, Bradley Blinds can even be moved if you change hunting locations.

“We use only the highest-grade steel and all our welders are certified,” said Brad Belser, who has so far sold blinds in Illinois and South Dakota. “And we can custom-build blinds to your specifications.”

Learn more at bradleyblinds.com or call (309) 231-1449.

Carving as recreation

Butch Louck needed a diversion in 2003 while coming off surgery. Since he enjoys duck hunting and working with wood and lives in the Illinois River Valley, it only made sense the Germantown Hills resident began carving decoys.

A self-taught carver, he obtained reference books off the Internet and has since completed a dozen decoys including a pair of full-bodied wood ducks. His goal is to carve all 52 species in the Mississippi Flyway.

While Louck has had more time since retiring from Caterpillar Co. in February, he is still meticulous. Louck estimates he has a minimum of 200 hours of work in each bird. He doesn’t sell birds, but one of his mallards will be auctioned off March 6 at a Waterfowl USA banquet in Davenport, Iowa.

Even with all that effort, he says “You just cannot duplicate Mother Nature no matter how hard you try. My eyes have really opened up since I started carving birds.”

Waterfowlers speak

Here are comments from Peoria-area waterfowlers heading into start of the Central Zone season.

Gary Deweese, Hopedale

Years waterfowling: 4
Hunting spot: Tazewell County goose pit
Quotable: “I’m taking my 16-year-old daughter (Hailey) on the youth hunt. Then hopefully we’ll do pretty good on geese. A lot of guys aren’t going to be able to hunt early because fields aren’t picked. But we’re in with a seed-corn distributor, the field is picked and I’ve been seeing lots of geese.”

Butch Louck, Germantown Hills

Years waterfowling: 50
Hunting spot: Princeton (Iowa) Wildlife Area
Quotable: “I grew up in Iowa and about five years ago I started going back with my son Buddy. In order to get a good spot you need to get there early and you can be on the water at midnight. So we sleep in (our boat blind) a lot. The season started last weekend and we shot 16 birds.”

Rick Miller, Brimfield

Years waterfowling: 14
Hunting spot: Blind 29 at Rice Lake
Quotable: “I think it’s going to be an average year. There’s not much food (in hunting areas) and the farmers are late picking. They’ll still be in the field at Thanksgiving and I think it’s going to freeze up early. So where I’m at I want to get out there are much as I can early in the season.”

Les ‘Sonny’ Taylor, Bartonville

Years waterfowling: 63
Hunting spot: “Wherever I can beg, borrow, steal or poach.”
Quotable: “The 1950s were my best years and the best of all was 1955 on Quiver Creek. Chautauqua and Duck Island had a million ducks between them and when it got cold, Quiver Creek got hot. Those birds traded back and forth and we had some great shoots.”

Every piece of the puzzle comes together leaving you to believe you know the answer. But in reality, you know you really don’t, because the show still has another 20 minutes to go before it ends. Each show has a different plot but the methods used are the basis and the foundation for discovery and ultimately, the answer.

The techniques and methods used in locating big bucks should also carry identical rewards. But not every hunter will treat the search of a mature monster with the same respect they deserve. Too often, mature bucks are thrown into the same category as “deer” and hunted as such.

For a whitetail hunter to fulfill a dream of harvesting a set of antlers large enough (by their standards) to qualify as a wall hanger, they must first and foremost properly identify their target animal. In most cases, their “target animal” will be the mature whitetail buck; not a doe, not a fawn, not a yearling but a mature hog-of-a buck. Hunting for a bruiser buck by tracking “deer” in general is like “hoping” you will find retirement by not planning for it.

Yes, something miraculous could happen. But in reality, odds are not in your favor. Hunting bad-boy bucks should be done consistently and handled like a business. Keep in mind, treating a sport like a business, doesn’t mean you have to remove all of the fun from it. That just means treat it to the point of getting a satisfactory return. In business, if you find something that sells, you then must find a way to sell it over and over again, to create a “reoccurring revenue stream” if you will. If your desire is to have “reoccurring racks” on your wall, the time to focus is now.

Properly identifying a whitetail buck is to recognize that this “deer” is really a whole different animal altogether. A mature whitetail buck is a separate entity!  He’s a recluse, a hermit, mostly unsociable, avoids crowds most of the time and really doesn’t want to be bothered, (OK, he’s a lot like me).

Knowing as much as you can about his habits and the evidence he leaves behind is paramount to your success. One must become a big buck “profiler.” Profiling an animal can happen at different levels. Big bucks and trophy tom turkeys have their own personality, just like humans. Talk to anyone who has spent too much time in the woods hunting and you’ll talk to someone who knows each trophy animal’s individual traits!

I mention “too much time in the woods” because of a turkey guide I once knew who would kick his arms out and physically strut every time he would call! I tried desperately not to laugh at him once in Alabama while we were hunting turkeys but he busted me and asked me “What was so funny?” I just sheepishly said “Nothing” because he was the size of Refrigerator Perry and I didn’t want my skull crushed. He knew every tom we came across and their habits. He was aware of which animal was nervous, which was the meanest, which was the most reclusive and so forth.

Monster bucks can be profiled just the same without having to pick up odd habits like walking on all four limbs and grunting every 40 yards or so!  How do we accomplish that? It’s a three-phase process.
   

The Mindset

Achieving a goal requires the proper mindset. The word “mindset” is defined as “a temporary psychological state.” This state of mind creates a focal point of concentration and understanding. Hunting big bucks and harvesting them over and over again requires you, the hunter, to acquire the mindset of a monster buck.

Putting yourself in that position will open the door to phase one, (out of three phases), that will ultimately have you smiling from ear to ear. The mindset begins with replacing your brain with his. By understanding his basic traits mentioned earlier, you can “profile” his behavior. You can do this at home, in your office AND must be done in the woods. It’s an elementary task. Ask yourself:

• 1. Where would I go if I don’t want to be seen?
• 2. Where can I go, undetected, to get food and water without moving too far?
• 3. Where can I go, undetected, if I get pushed out of this spot?
• 4. Where can I go to smell danger, undetected, before it comes too close?

If you have a difficult time comprehending these questions, then place yourself in his shoes…(hooves):

• 1. Someone is going to really kill me, I must not be found.
• 2. I’m constantly being pursued; I must travel in the darker hours of the day.
• 3. I’m going to lay really low under these downed trees, deep gullies and high ridges because if I’m found, I could die. When I’m really pressured, I’ll travel outside of the timber, where these hunters never go.
• 4. When I get hungry, I must not travel too far.
• 5. I must be able to smell from far away to detect any possible danger.

This phase one profiling alone will uncover physical evidence, by investigating these paces, that most hunters would have passed up many times over. By looking in thick, matted areas, under downed timber, the sides of gullies, etc, all within a close proximity of a reliable source of food and water, a hunter will most likely find a cornucopia of big buck evidence.

These are the places YOU, as a human would go if you were trying to hide from constant danger. As a starting point, I’ve created a formula that I use when scouting new areas. This formula is great for early season bucks.  Whether I use a satellite image, topo map or I’m scouting a new piece of land, I look for water, food and cover/bedding areas all within 200 yards. This is a great starting point and works very well. Use your mindset to pinpoint the exact locations!

The rut has some modifications, more on that later.

Physical Evidence

Phase two consists of finding and locking in on physical evidence. Most of the aforementioned evidence-finding techniques should lock you into some favorite places of the big buck. A monster buck will have his favorite place or places, much like your favorite chair at home. Find this and you’ll find his head on your wall!

Although matted bedding areas close to food sources in inconspicuous places are great to find in the early season, the pre-rut will leave these bedding areas less than desirable for your nose. As the rut closes in, the hocks on the buck’s legs darken and glands generate hormones that flat out stink! It’s a very pungent smell. I often use my nose when scouting these areas and hit the bull’s-eye when I find an area with such aroma.

Repeated bedding with active glands can turn a bed into one nasty nap-time place. They say “A person’s waste is a plumber’s bread and butter,” it’s the same here: What stinks to the lay person, smells like honey to me. Once found, I make sure I never go within 20-30 yards of that area. The set-up is an easy one from that point. Big boy daddy WILL RETURN!

The Harvest

This phase should be the easiest but unfortunately, it isn’t. Why? It’s because the most talked about technique in whitetail hunting, scent control, is over-looked.

Back to phase one: “Where can I go to smell danger, undetected, before it comes too close” is not carried through with YOUR mindset when harvesting. The mindset should always remain with the hunter even after the profiling has been done! Without the mindset, you’re only a human in a whitetail’s living room. Not a good place to be especially when your objective is to bring him home for dinner and to meet the other guests you have hanging on your wall.

With scent control comes playing the wind. Constantly calculating where your scent will travel is a must but two can play this game! Keeping your scent from him is crucial to your camouflage but sending him a sweet smelling present can also be beneficial to finding his location. Depending on the time of the season, buck, doe and even artificial scents can really work a big boy into your shooting range. There are too many strategies to reveal here regarding scent techniques but using them in the correct manner can bring a lovesick buck within range for a quick kiss of death. 

With proper buck profiling, the end result should be a pleasant one. One common misconception is that “This intense scouting stuff takes up way too much time for me.” This statement is something that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It takes very little time to profile a big buck. Like anything else, once you’ve done it several times, it becomes second nature to you. Most hunters spend more time hunting than they do profiling. In fact, the real downside is in most cases, you’ll have your harvest early and you’ll want more time in the timber after the kill.

These three phases are great mental tools and can be of great benefit to all who desire to challenge the upper echelon of whitetail hunting. For those of you who don’t have the disease like I do, to chase antlers, using any well thought out disciplined approach, can only bring you in closer to your goals of harvesting any gender of the whitetail species.

I’ve included some useful footnotes here: Keep in mind during the rut, the 200-yard rule for big bucks isn’t as effective but some of the same ideas are useful, just direct them toward the does. Where the does are, you’ll find Mr. Big.

On another note, most mature bucks will find their home turf during the rut and keep it, despite their desire to travel. When busting a big buck out of his home turf, he’ll come back and in most cases within just a few hours! This will happen ONLY in the rut. His home turf is based on hot does and when he finds them, it will take a ton of pressure to remove him.

Before the rut, if you bust him, he’ll also come back but not as quick. After the rut, kiss him goodbye, as you may never see him again.

I’ll hunt a rutted buck by finding does, finding big scrapes and hunting the scrapes on RAINY and WINDY days! The big boys can’t stand getting their scent covered by leaves or diluted by rainwater, so they’ll come back, in the daytime even if they’re nocturnal and pressured! Yes, they’re very persistent when the rut kicks in!

So now you have it! Are you ready to be a big buck profiler?

That was no shick given warmer temperatures and the predictable arrival of the dreaded mid-October lull.

What did surprise Joyce was the scene he encountered while walking out from his stand in Peoria County near Laura.

“I was passing a corn field that had been too wet to plant and I saw a buck that looked like maybe it was trying to get a doe up,” Joyce said. “But when I got to within 50 yards I saw it was two bucks locked together.”

The 9-point buck in the fight was already dead but a 10-pointer was still living. Joyce put the deer out of its misery and then called conservation police officers for guidance.

“It’s the first time a lot of people around here had seen this,” Joyce said. “I had calls from people all over. Word got out fast.”

Though rare, bucks occasionally lock horns in advance of breeding season in shows of dominance. So far this year hunters have reported four pairs of locked bucks across Illinois, including two in the Peoria area. On Oct. 11 J.P Roth of Morton found 8- and 10-point bucks locked together in Tazewell County.

While Joyce plans to have his bucks mounted by Emken’s Taxidermy of Yates City, he didn’t wind up with any meat for the freezer.

“The coyotes had already tried to eat at the dead buck while the other one was still alive,” he said.

So Joyce donated a portion of the meat to Wildlife Prairie State Park. Incidentally, Prairie Park has 30 deer and numerous donations of freezer-burnt meat. But the park can use more venison to feed its predators.

“Just bring it to the front gate seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” general manager Jeff Rosecrans said.

Despite a recent lull in hunting action which has seen deer moving later in the evening, bowhunters are on a record pace. Through last Sunday Illinois archers had shot 17,408 deer — well ahead of last year’s 12,644 and the highest on record.

The top five counties so far are: 1. Pike 835, 2. Fulton 466, 3. Jefferson 457, 4. Peoria 419, 5. LaSalle 399. Hunters are shooting 69.3 percent does.

All four youngsters in the group shot deer (three on Oct. 10 and one on Oct. 11) and one was an impressive 18-pointer.

Morgan Walk, 12, (pictured above) shot the same 18-pointer that her father, Doug, had trail-cam pictures of and had planned to hunt this year.

“I don’t think she understands how big that is for a first deer kill,” said Denise Walk, her mother. “Everyone was very excited at deer camp last night.”

Other successful hunters were Hannah Walk, 10, with a 4-point buck, Mitchell Hardiek, 10, with a doe and Chelsey Hardiek, 12, with a doe. Chelsey is not pictured since she shot her deer on Sunday.

Hannah’s buck was killed in Fayette County and the other three were killed in Clay County.

The adults who sat with the kids were Doug Walk, Lee Thompson, Paul Hardiek, and Roger Buhnerkempe.