Would someone take me under his wing for deer hunting?

S

Smaug

New member
I want to go deer hunting for my first time, but I can't quite figure out how to do it.

I have read the regulations for IL, and it is illegal to use a rifle except on private land.

It is also illegal in southern WI.

I'm open to handgun hunting, but I'm too late already for IL. We apparently had to apply in April for a tag lottery.

Don't really want to do shotgun deer hunting.

I'm 31, a responsible shooter. I'd like to use my Remington 6mm rifle or a 44 Magnum revolver. I'm hoping someone here with private land or a friend with land will hook me up. We can meet and go to the range together first. I would be grateful and would be happy to split costs with that person and bring a case of beer or something as a thank you. (for after hunting, of course) If you're the landowner, I would be willing to do some work for you in exchange. I like working outdoors. Maybe you know a land owner who is getting older and has a hard time doing the physical work any more?

I have heard of folks just wandering around out in the country, asking land owners' permission, but it seems like this will not be successful in this day and age, especially to a younger guy such as myself. Also, it is a gamble, as I'd have to drive all the way up to northern WI just for the chance and spend hundreds in gas.

I went through the motions and got a small game hunting permit for Indiana a few years ago. I did squirrel hunting with my 22 rifle. I got one, (he was about 4 bites by the time he was cleaned & fried) but I can't say it was quite worth the 12 hour round trip driving to hunt on over-hunted public land.

I live about 50 miles north of Chicago, and would be willing to travel a good distance for a decent chance of getting some venison. Barring that, even squirrels or varmint hunting would be great.

If you can help a brother out, I'd much appreciate it.
 
I would try google for help. I don't know about up there but in TX hunting is big business. There are several hunting forums dedicated just to hunting in TX. Maybe you could find one for your area? The folks on a forum aimed at hunting in a particular area will probably be helpful. I'm too far from you to really be any direct help.

There also might be people advertising online for leases or day or weekend hunts in the area. Craigslist has tons of ads for day or weekend hunts for wild pigs in TX as well as deer leases. If there are pigs in your area there will probably be ads for that, if you are interested. Down here they are typically 2 hunters, 2 days, $200, with a "no kill, no pay" policy.

Sorry I can't be more help, but that is where I would start.

Good luck and let us know how you do.
 
Smaug,

I don't know what they call them where you are, but here in Oklahoma they are called Agriculture agents or County Farm Agents. You might look them up in the phone book and find out who your local agent is. They generally know a lot of the land owners, and if you are serious about helping them with their land tasks, he probably knows people that are getting older and could really use a hand , with their property and might be willing to trade some work for a little hunting time on their land.

The place I hunt now was obtained this way. I do a little fence repair for the owner, and pay the $168.00 a year tax for him, and I get to hunt all I want.
 
I have read the regulations for IL, and it is illegal to use a rifle except on private land.
Click to expand...

Not true, it's illegal to use a centerfire rifle to harvest deer in Illinois (private land or not). Shotgun, muzzleloader, or handgun are the only legal firearms.

I'm open to handgun hunting, but I'm too late already for IL. We apparently had to apply in April for a tag lottery.
Click to expand...

Not true. Random daily drawings Sept. 15-Nov. 7. Here's a list of available permits by county:
http://www.dnr.state.il.us/admin/08/firearm_deer_permits_04_08.htm

You can drive about 5 hours south and be in the Shawnee National Forest. Plenty of public land. Not crowded except for the first weekend of firearms deer season.
 
Don't swear off shotgun hunting so fast. A fully rifled slug barrel with sabot slugs is a great deer killing gun.
 
I have killed over 90 deer, and more than a dozen wild hogs.
I have hunted in clubs, and on public land, and my own land, in Georgia and North Carolina, and Washington state.

The idea about driving around and asking a farmer to hunt for free is Gone with the Wind.
'Ole farmer is not going to give away, what he can sell for a pretty penny.

Public lands are free, except for a cheap WMA stamp.
But, any body, and every body will hunt there. They are usually crowded, and some real stupid asses hunt there. Good place to get shot.

Your best bet is to google up deer hunting clubs. Down here in the southeast it will cost from $600 to $1500 to join a good club.
But, there are lots of deer, and a minimum of reckless rookies.

Get out the check book if you are serious about deer hunting.
Good luck! I love deer hunting.
Drawing down on a nice deer, lining up the cross hairs just behind the shoulder, and pullling the trigger on a crisp, cool autumn day is one of the great delights in life.
I also enjoy gutting, skinning, and quartering, and making venison sausage, but that is just me.
 
whiskey - I don't believe I have a suitable shotgun. I just got back from the gun shop, put a deposit down on a Ruger Redhawk Hunter w/ Leupold 4X EER. However, I admit that I haven't even shot a shotgun since I was a lad. I now have The Family Shotgun, an ancient 12 ga. Stevens, that my great grandpa used to put rabbits on the table in the early 1900s. It seems mechanically sound. I may try it for skeet or trap with mild 2-3/4s. If I like it, who knows!?

simonkenton - check your personal messages in a few minutes.

john1911 - I will look into that if I can't find an experienced hunter with private land. As simonkenton mentioned, I am a little worried about being shot on public land.

Wild Bill Bucks - I will look into that as well. I found a farmer's forum online, and send an email to the admin asking if he would kindly put the word out about my situation & offer.

Bitmap - I will look into this too. Thanks for the tip.
 
Shotguns are pretty cheap and an entry-level Rem or Mossy pump will do you well. I agree rifles are "better" in a lot of senses, but not an option in Illinois. Handgun hunting will be tough, and I think if you're going to the effort to learn to hunt you want to maximize any advantage you can. Best of luck whatever you chooose though.

I got into hunting at 21 with no guidance besides the Internet and mandated hunter safety - my hunter safety instructor basically said "just go for it" a week before my first turkey season when I asked him if I should bother. Didn't get anything (not surprising with a 5th season tag for my first time out), the birds talked to me a bit, and I learned a lot. So don't be discouraged if you can't find anyone to go with. Read the boards, grab a magazine or book or two, and have at.

If I could make a recommendation for Illinois: It's gonna be tough to find public land up north. Private land will be expensive, there's a lot of hunters with money to spend but nowhere to go so I imagine you've got some steep leases (I never even bothered to check). Kankakee's about as far up as I'd suggest hunting, although I imagine the pressure there will still be above average. I drove a ways, down to Pyramid State Park. I found two really good antler drops down there during my two turkey seasons - one six point with big mass, one five point with a busted brow tine but good length. Both would've been wall hangers if I had the other side. So I would happily hunt deer down there. And you can do it dirt cheap. PSP has a drive-in campground. I was in Champaign at the time so it was a hike, even worse from Northern Illinois, but I'd go down there for a few days, hunt the mornings, and try to get some work done and fish in the afternoons. I saw a lot more deer than turkey. There's a lot of open fields, a few good clearings, and some managed food plots. Lots of trails. Biggest state park in IL if I recall, never ran into another person except some horseback riders on a trail over a total of 15 days or so down there between scouting and hunting. Small town ten minutes from the campground with a gas station, a Burger King and a Subway - so if you stock your car up with water and breakfast bars what else do you need? Carbondale's a half hour if you feel the need to have a few beers and stare at short skirts after you tag your deer :p

If you really want to stay north, talk the forest preserve people in Cook County into letting you hunt that nature area off Ogden in Westchester/Western Springs. It's like a stinking petting zoo with all the deer, it's a horrible tease when I'm back in the area! Actually, though, if you want to learn to pick up deer sign and spot them a bit, it wouldn't be a bad place to check out if you're in the NE.

Anyway, good hunting!
 
bclark - I was thinking of going to southern IL if I decide to do handgun. I will consider that. On the other hand, If I'm going to drive all the way down there for public land, I will consider just as strongly driving up to northern Wisconsin. (where I will have the rifle option) There are a TON of deer up there. There are road-killed deer all over the place, which seems like a good sign.
 
It's been mentioned, but call your local Game Warden. I'm sure he can give you suggestions on who to contact for some help.
 
I've been hunting since I was 10 years old (about the time Moses parted the Red Sea) and it is about the only time I get to get out of the house for a few days sans wife every year. I hunt anything that walks, flies or crawls, and I use bow, ML, rifle, and shotgun. I used to use a Redhawk, but circumstances now dictate otherwise. If the only way you can hunt deer in Illinois is with a shotgun, don't feel bad. The southern zone here is pretty much shotgun or ML only except for a few enlightened counties where the elected officials and DEC have worked together to make rifles acceptable for hunting. I've killed more deer of both sexes with a shotty than with a rifle, and I've dragged quite a few out to the car. Don't sit home this season; if you have to use a SG then by all means do. Just find out what load yours prefers, and buy your license and go. WEAR BLAZE ORANGE if hunting public land where neophytes and bubbas abound. I have yet to see a deer in orange unless it was dead and the hunter/huntress was dragging it out. I hunt public land every year because some borders cropland that feeds big, fat deer. Venison is hard to find at your local Walmart Supercenter; it has 25% protein and little if any cholesterol. I'm waiting for early bear to open this year; the springoff wants to see if we can take a bruin; only God knows why.
 
Depends on how far north in Wisconsin you're going. While my experience is limited, I've heard the west-southwest part of the state is the "best" reputation for whitetail hunting. A friend of mine had a family hunting shack in Rhinelander - north to me, central to locals - in any case, she said there were a lot of years her family didn't harvest deer or only took small does. They actually got a nicer deer out of season one year as a result of (you guessed it) a car strike.

As counterintuitive as it might seem, you might want to look at WI's CWD charts and herd reduction zones. Where they're finding chronic wasting, or have fears of it and want to reduce numbers, there will be a good number of deer if you can just find a spot that's not taken to shoot from.
 
When I moved to Southern Indiana, I got into deer hunting. I live out in the country on a small lot. So for me to hunt, I had to search for a place. I live in farm country( similar to Illinois) I did talk to the local farmers. I now have a bunch of property to hunt. Most farmers do not like critters eating up there income. That is where I would start. Around here farmers don't like antlers sticking in combine tires, eating corn and beans. Standing in roads(taking on cars)They hate coyotes eating calves.

If you have Grain elevators in your area, you may check with them. Or find a local restaurant, farmers like to eat and drink coffee. Most are friendly(around here) and welcome a conversation with strangers. Run an add in the local small town paper. "Willing to do manual labor, for hunting permission.
Don't put Hunting Rights, Sounds over invasive.

Like was stated earlier, get with your local DNR guy. Most are willing to help a guy start out the right way.

Good Luck.
Lonny
 
Despite what some have posted here, the idea of charging for hunting is not widespread in Wisconsin, Wisconsin also has large areas of public hunting land, wildlife management areas, and paper company land which is not leased out and available for hunting.


Call the Wisc DNR. ask for the deer hunting or big game dept and talk to them. There are places in Wisc with so many deer they are looking for hunters. Also, the DNR people might know of farmers, or other landowners who are looking for hunters. I know several farmers who welcome me and my friends who want to thin the herds that eat in their orchards and farms.

Good ill deer hunters association, see what they have to say. I have not hunted Ill for years, but they used to have a vibrant deer hunters association who might help you out..... likewise with Wisc. Iowa is a friendly state for hunters too. give them a shout.
 
Oh one more thing I remembered - WI DNR hosts a "Learn to Hunt Deer" session every year. They take you through basic hunter's safety, deer biology, and the basics of finding, shooting, hunting, and after-the-shot procedure for whitetail. They give you some papers and a fairly comprehensive paperback book on deer hunting. There's even a live-fire portion on deer targets, and they'll lend you a rimfire if you don't BYO. Two catches - you need to be a Wisconsin resident, and you need to have a "mentor." However, I have family with land in Wisconsin, and giving that address was enough to get me in. My "mentor" was my dad, who's never hunted a day in his life (ha). It was a hike, out to Sandhill SWA, but I think they might do one in the eastern portion of the state. At 21, I was definitely the oldest guy in the bunch. However, it was great reinforcement to what I'd already read and practiced in the months prior. The weekend after the session, they allow you to come out for an early season hunt on the wildlife area, either sex tag, and you still get the regular season. I think you need to have a WI tag for that though.

Anyway, the likelihood of you doing that is low, I know, but it popped into my head and I wanted to pass it along. I don't think Illinois has an analog, but other states might as well.
 
Well, there is a lot of good advice here, and I am thankful for that.

No direct offers to help a new hunter and TFL member though. No one is willing to share their land. It is a shame.
 
God i feel so sorry for you guys. We have no season, and no bag limits, and the shooting of deer is encouraged by enviromentalists..If you are ever down under, I'll "hook a brother up".
 
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