Not a happy camper.

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Captainkirk
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Not a happy camper.

#1 Post by Captainkirk »

Today I downloaded the complete Illinois DNR hunting and trapping regs and actually read almost all of it. And the results did not make me at all happy.
See, I figured that since my deer season has most likely come and gone, I might try some rabbit or squirrel with the bow after deer gun season? Well, turns out that unless I'm reading it wrong, I would have had to apply for a permit prior to August 1st to hunt upland game on public hunting land...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

Translation; unless you know somebody with private land, you will hunt when and where we tell you and you need a windshield card to park if you are hunting PHL. You can't print one without a permit number. Oh, did we mention the permits are by lottery?
Excuse me if I sound repetitious, but...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:

We're talking about bunnies and tree rats, folks. Not kudu, not gazelle.

Only a blind man could not see how our hunting freedoms are being eroded away at light speed.
OK, rant over. :(
Aim small, miss small!

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Greg Felty
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#2 Post by Greg Felty »

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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Grizzly
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#3 Post by Grizzly »

I've always been lucky to have hunting areas within either an hour or two from me or within walking distance. Now, here in Central Illinois there are two farms of 1200 acres or so that are in my wife's family that graciously allow me to hunt on. They have even offered us a piece of ground if we ever wanted to build there. We both call it home even though we are 80 miles away. If it had not been for her family, the family reunions and some hills to walk in and hunt in (the bluff and hilly area between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers), I would have left this flat farm land that surrounds me years ago.

Growing up in Brooklyn in NYC put me on concrete but Dad knew the area 100 miles north (Ulster Co and Sullivan Co in the Catskill Mountains - or the Jewish Alps as Jerry Lewis' billboard up there in some of the resorts gave call to that terminology) that had large tracts of public land open to hunting without the tight restrictions we find here in the Illinois State Parks. We'd park along the roadway or just off the road, camp in the car or pay to stay somewhere and walk into the woods without any interference. The only caveat was many NYC hunters might also be in the area who may or may not be a cause of concern. Here on the farm, I've experienced the same thing with pay hunters coming in from all over the country to hunt. Some of them have made me leave the woods because of their terrible ethics and lack of respect for others and the land. That's the price we pay when we live in or around large densely populated cities. The folks spread out and buy up all the land.

In my youth Mom inherited some money and bought into a Lake Community where she and Dad had a beautiful, knotty pine bungalow built in 1952. When Mom died and the other 4 kids had to go to school in some of the rougher neighborhoods I had to, he moved us up into that summer house in the northern most part of NJ. That was a sportsman's paradise which I richly enjoyed for many years. There, I could walk into a valley I had permission to hunt and roam to my hearts content. They eventually turned it into a ski resort.

I've only hunted a time or two in our local State Parks here in Illinois. They make me nervous, what with all the Conservation Officers so close by constantly checking you when either fishing or hunting. I try me best to obey all the rules, but one thing wrong and it costs. Like the length of an anchor rope being a foot short or something you overlooked. Like Capt says, even the parking is restricted which makes it tough to retrieve a deer - although the Park Rangers have told us that if we "ask", they will help us. Actually, they have been pretty good to me. I've asked them if I could park closer to one of the archery ranges because my wife was either on crutches at the time or in a wheelchair and they have always allowed me to. The same for fishing spots, so I shouldn't really complain though it is way different than the State Land I grew up with. I have no idea if things have changed since I've been gone now for about 40 years. NJ has turned into a sportsman's nightmare from what I hear and you dare not have a Buck folder on your belt in NYC when visiting.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

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White Falcon
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#4 Post by White Falcon »

I thought Texas public land WMA's were bad!

Captainkirk
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#5 Post by Captainkirk »

I can't really hang it on the DNR...every CO I've talked to knows the rules suck. It's because of guys like Craig mentioned that they have to pass these stupid rules. Two words..."Slob Hunters".
But PHL hunting...it ain't your father's Oldsmobile, lemme tell ya.
I remember walking the cornfields and railroad tracks with Dad when I was a teen, lugging his 870 over my shoulder. The times they are a-changin'.
Aim small, miss small!

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Grizzly
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#6 Post by Grizzly »

I hear they won't even allow you to hunt the RR tracks anymore.

My Dad was an Ithica 37 pump guy in the early years. After I outgrew my Winchester 37 single shot 20 which he cut down for me and which kicked like a mule with that altered stock, He bought me my own Ithica 37 20 with a mod 25" barrel. It was great on squirrels but I wished it had no choke at all for the bunnies and grouse. This was years before the screw in chokes came on the scene.

Today I have Dad's Browning Superposed 12 in skeet and skeet. It shoots beautifully for me but I'll probably never shoot it again. I hate to get rid of it but so far none of the Grand kids show an interest in hunting although one might if I could get out with him more.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

Captainkirk
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#7 Post by Captainkirk »

Nope. RR tracks are verboten these days...along with just about everything else. The worst part is, if you view the spec sheets for each PHL area, they are all different. My problem is, there are only three within 'reasonable' driving distance (up to an hour) and they are all very restrictive. Not sure about the ones downstate but I'm not driving 3 hours+ to go hunting for the day. By forcing us to make these sort of decisions, they are basically backing us into corner where we have to choose...drive or don't hunt.
Aim small, miss small!

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Grizzly
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#8 Post by Grizzly »

Around here and especially between the rivers where the deer are plentiful and there is alot of woodlots to hunt, the locals who enjoyed hunting with permission for most of their lives have been denied access because of all of the pay hunters who have come from all over. That cycle started in the late 90's and I'm not really sure if it is tapering off now. Possibly. It bred alot of resentment and probably contributed to the rampant poaching going on there. They say if you spot a large trophy buck and others find out or see him also, he will probably be taken illegally.

So even were you don't have a large population living on all the land and the only trees are in parks, golf coarses and yards hunting ground is still scarce as compared to the 50's thru the 80's. When I lived in Northern NJ and in Sussex County in the 50's and 60's, our township was as big as many counties. It had a sportsmans club which if you were a landowner, you could knock and get permission on most all of the farm land to hunt. The ground was alot like southern Wisconsin and had many lakes and dairy farms along with corn and beans where they had fields and not woods. It was a sportsman's paradise for being not far from the highly populated lower NJ and NYC. It's hard for me to believe how all that has been lost. Most likely due to all the city folks moving in and taking their politics and mentalities with them. They don't adapt to the new area, they seem to want to re create it the way they want. Sad and very frustrating for the locals. Waywayonda State Park was a wilderness track with a large lake. Back then I don't think you even had to check in with the Rangers. Just park off the road and hunt. I doubt it is like that today.

I look on google earth at our old house and see privacy fences and houses on lots that used to be covered in blueberry bushes. Concrete everywhere and prices out of sight. They now have black bears playing on their swing sets and swimming in their pools because the new politics won't let folks hunt them. Crazy. Shoot one on your deck and you'll probably be in court for years because your neighbors will turn you in. Every once in a while they loose a hiker to one of these large bears. But NJ is so restrictive, having a handgun for protection is very difficult. Some of the guys on the other forums suggest you drive around the state if you carry.
Jesus replaces the old covenant and speaks to the believer the moral code of God by His Spirit directly to the heart. He is the eternal, everlasting revelation of God to mankind. In Him is both the knowledge of righteousness and the power to live right.

stumper
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#9 Post by stumper »

Dang that stinks Kirk. I have access to public land but I rarely see any kinds of game there including squirrel.
Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow.

Captainkirk
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Re: Not a happy camper.

#10 Post by Captainkirk »

stumper wrote: Thu Nov 14, 2019 11:12 am Dang that stinks Kirk. I have access to public land but I rarely see any kinds of game there including squirrel.
It's kinda like a cruel joke. The nearby PHL (Illinois Beach) is DEER ARCHERY ONLY, by permit, of course. The second nearest PHL is deer, squirrel, rabbit, etc but apparently you have to apply for the permit in the summer, if awarded you can hunt but none of this grab your gun or bow and your buddy and go hunting 'cuz it's a nice day. Makes it really hard to enjoy hunting when you have to schedule it like a doctor appointment.
Aim small, miss small!

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