Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:58 PM CST
Deer season comes in with a 'bang'
By DAVE SHADOW, Hunting and fishing columnist
Not only have I been seeing more deer in the last few days, but also more deer hunters. Both of these things are to be expected since the “rut” is upon us and Illinois firearm deer season commenced a half hour before sunrise this morning, Friday Nov. 21. If you’re nursing your third or fourth cup of coffee and the sun is already visible in the eastern sky, you’re late. That is, if you intended to hunt the starting hours of the season. From the number of vehicles I’ve seen scouting the rural roads in the past few days, it’s going to be a busy season.
Be sure to thoroughly read the Illinois Department of Natural Resources hunting digest for all the regulations and information held there. Just a quick note: 2008 Illinois firearm hunting hours have been extended to a half hour after sunset each day.
This is an especially bad time of the day for proper visibility. Depending on your location, it may or may not be safe to shoot at this time. Along a corn field, it may be plenty light, but inside the woods it could be very dark. Be sure to use a “walking light” when exiting the woods. Even if you don’t need it yourself, it identifies you as a hunter rather than a deer.
Very few deer use walking lights.
And since I expect most of the hunters are sitting in deer stands with high expectations, I am writing this to you wives and friends of hunters. Please encourage your spouses and friends to be especially careful during this 2008 season. It’s somewhat important to fill our tags, but it’s more important to come home safely. This time change may not be a bad as long as everyone practices “safety first.” Every year I read where some overzealous hunter shoots his buddy in low light conditions or through thick brush where the target could not be clearly identified. We must always know where we are, where other area hunters are, and where our shots may go if they miss or pass through the intended target.
It is honorable and necessary that we harvest some of the crop of white-tailed deer each year to insure its’ survival and to reduce the amount of damage done to croplands and vehicles. If the herds get overly large and populations are allowed to go unchecked, diseases flourish due to lack of habitat and overcrowding of bedding areas. Also, the overpopulation causes the deer to seek food sources near roadways and inside towns and rural subdivisions. This occurs largely after the crops are harvested and winter food sources and available habitat is reduced drastically. We strive to maintain a healthy and workable population through hunter harvest activities rather than automobile accidents.
Deer hunters must own and carry a valid and signed permit for each deer harvested in any of the various upcoming seasons. No hunter may harvest more than two antlered deer during a year, including the archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons. In addition, regardless of who owns the gun, anyone who has a firearm, including muzzleloaders, or firearm ammunition in their possession must have in their possession a valid Firearm Owners I.D. Card (F.O.I.D.) unless they fulfill some itemized exceptions as spelled out in the DNR rules. It is illegal to use salt, corn, or any kind of bait. Consult the Hunting Digest for more detailed information.
Clothing types are also strictly dictated during the firearm season. A cap and upper-outer garment of solid blaze orange color, displaying a minimum of 400 square inches of blaze orange material is required.
Hunters may use either a shotgun, muzzle-loading rifle, or a handgun when participating in the Illinois Firearm season. They must also have a valid firearm permit for that county or area and “permission to hunt” if private land is to be hunted. There are more particulars than I can list here, so I advise reading the Hunting Digest to learn all of them. Since handguns are a relative “newcomer” to this sport in Illinois, be sure you read and understand the requirements, also spelled out in the DNR digest. This info is available at most sports stores and at http://dnr.state.il us/admin/deer/deerseasondates.htm
In recent seasons hunters harvested around 200,000 deer and with some decent weather I would expect the 2008/2009 seasons to surpass those numbers. It is estimated that the deer population in Illinois now exceeds 800,000. This equates to something like 14 deer per square mile, I think, so it’s apparent why we must have hunting seasons. Archery hunters account for a respectable number of those harvested each year and if it were not for the numbers of hunters who fall out of their stands each year, they would account for a much safer part of the sport and harvest opportunities. Encourage everyone to wear safety harnesses while hunting from elevated stands. Lets all have venison regularly this winter and enjoy the abundance that the good Lord has provided.
Hunt hard, hunt smart, hunt safely.
Dave Shadow is the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier’s hunting and fishing columnist.
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