Post by Woody Williams on Dec 1, 2008 12:18:54 GMT -5
Drop in number of deer killed at start of season
By Len Wells
Friday, November 28, 2008
The opening weekend of the 2008 Illinois firearm deer hunting season saw a sharp decline in the number of deer killed.
Hunters took 71,894 whitetail deer during the Nov. 21-23 shotgun season. The total reflects a drop of more than 13,500 deer from the same period in 2007.
"The weather was unseasonably cold to start the season on Friday the 21st," said Paul Shelton, the Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Program Manager.
"The good news for hunters with permits remaining for the second firearm season is that most of the decline in harvest was a drop in buck harvest.
"This means that our doe harvest was fairly comparable to last year and that there are plenty of both bucks and does still out there."
The second firearm season in Illinois is Dec. 4-7.
The top deer harvest came from Pike County with 2,194 deer taken.
Harvest numbers around Southern Illinois were down sharply over the first season 2007 figures.
Some of the county totals include: Edwards, 354; Gallatin, 402; Hamilton, 901; Hardin 780; Jefferson, 1,650; Lawrence, 420; Pope, 1,301; Richland, 635; Saline, 726; Union, 1,323; Wabash, 218; Wayne, 1,316 and White, 699.
Illinois' archery hunting season continues through Jan. 15, except during the firearm hunting season.
A muzzleloader season has been set for Dec. 12-14.
The late-winter antlerless-only firearm season will run from Jan. 16-18.
By Len Wells
Friday, November 28, 2008
The opening weekend of the 2008 Illinois firearm deer hunting season saw a sharp decline in the number of deer killed.
Hunters took 71,894 whitetail deer during the Nov. 21-23 shotgun season. The total reflects a drop of more than 13,500 deer from the same period in 2007.
"The weather was unseasonably cold to start the season on Friday the 21st," said Paul Shelton, the Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Program Manager.
"The good news for hunters with permits remaining for the second firearm season is that most of the decline in harvest was a drop in buck harvest.
"This means that our doe harvest was fairly comparable to last year and that there are plenty of both bucks and does still out there."
The second firearm season in Illinois is Dec. 4-7.
The top deer harvest came from Pike County with 2,194 deer taken.
Harvest numbers around Southern Illinois were down sharply over the first season 2007 figures.
Some of the county totals include: Edwards, 354; Gallatin, 402; Hamilton, 901; Hardin 780; Jefferson, 1,650; Lawrence, 420; Pope, 1,301; Richland, 635; Saline, 726; Union, 1,323; Wabash, 218; Wayne, 1,316 and White, 699.
Illinois' archery hunting season continues through Jan. 15, except during the firearm hunting season.
A muzzleloader season has been set for Dec. 12-14.
The late-winter antlerless-only firearm season will run from Jan. 16-18.
