Has anybody else noticed that there are 2 seasons for muzzleloader and 2 seasons for late winter antlerless only this year? Why do we need 2? Am I missing something? Is this different dates for different parts of the state?
I think if you apply for regular muzzleloader permit (what they call second season) you can also use that permit during the 2nd regular firearm season (what they are calling first muzzle season).
Why is there even a separate muzzleloader season….can’t they use a muzzleloader during the first two gun seasons? And why they heck is there two antlerless only seasons? They should totally eliminate one of those antlerless only seasons!! They should cut back on all the separate firearm seasons and bring back the bounties on coyotes cause they’re a lot of the problem too!! That’s just my opinion!
I’m thinking at least 4 years ago it started, certainly a lot of controversy about it since then. Need to check 2014 as it only applies to certain counties.
Wow. I guess I have been out of the loop. I never did hunt the late winter seasons, so maybe thats why I never knew there were 2. 2 is definately overkill. Im glad I don’t shotgun hunt anymore!
Ok everybody keeps bashing the gun hunters who for the most part can get 2 to 4 permits if he muzzleloads, I don’t know anybody looking to buy leftover permits. So we bowhunters need to look at the abuse of the unlimited bow tags, because any over 4 are really doe permits, can see a guy buying 4 in order to have 2 buck permits. The archery kill has zoomed while the firearm kill has declined, need to make changes overall. Who would have thought 20 years ago that the bow kill would rival the gun kill, haven’t seen the buck to doe stastic for bow kills, sure its out there somewhere.We aren’t going to get this done by just bashing gun hunters’ just an old dudes opinion.
The 3-day “muzzleloader only” season has been in place since 1991-92. I don’t recall when a muzzleloader only season permit was allowed to be used during the 2nd gun season—I’ll have to dig that up. The late-winter season expanded to 7 days in 2009-10.
It looks like the “muzzleloader only” permit became eligible to use during 2nd firearm season beginning in 1992-93. NOTE: ML harvest in annual deer harvest reports is for the 3-day ML only season. Tom
The Muzzleloader season has become a big cash cow for the outfitters. The either sex (read buck tag) tags sell out for most counties. The non-residents are the ones that buy up most of the muzzleloader tags in the Golden Triangle. The other part which is a big scam is the non-residents that lease up ground or hunt public ground, get the muzzleloaders tags. In between the two season they archery hunt using one of the cheap non-resident antlerless tags. If a buck comes by they arrow it and then just hide it out for a few days. If they don’t kill a bigger buck with the smoke pole in those three days of the muzzleloader season, the archery buck gets checked in as a muzzleloader buck on Sunday.
Lynn - Yes, ML permit quotas were also changed. Either-sex quotas went from 28480 to 26540; and antlerless quotas changed from 17665 to 15415 (2013 to 2014). Tom
Now Colonel, you don’t really believe things like that happen over here where we live do you? Like N/R’s buying all-“or maybe all but one”, Antlerless archery permits while hunting in a group? Are you telling me you and the rest of the current CPO’s see this happening in our wonderful state?
Thanks for the info Tom.
VERY glad to hear that the muzzleloader tags have been reduced too !!!!
Hopefully ALL the quota numbers, actual tags sold numbers AND… DVA numbers, will be posted online for everyone to see in the coming years, as I suggested to Marc, at the Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. I know he liked that suggest, since he mentioned it in the meeting with all of us.
IF….that does happen, I won’t have to bug you with these silly questions & Kevin won’t have to bother our state workers with all those FOIA’s request.
We just feel that ALL the deerhunters need to be very well informed, so they are making the best educated decision on how our IL herd is actually doing AND on how our herd is being managed. Both on a state & county bases too !!!!
THANKS again for the info !
