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Tell me this...if hunting pressure on guided leases increases, won't success/kill percentages drop???...even for bow hunting???...are you willing to pay top dollar for a guided bow hunt on land over hunted with a low success rate???



Seems to me that the truely devoted guides will regulate themselves and provide a positive hunting experience to their clients...those out to make a profit, will over book, over hunt and kill themselves off...only to be replaced by another over zealous guide wanting to make a quick buck ($)...it is no different from other guided hunts, the hunters will just have to do there homework...

Disagree with Keith. Unlimited non-res tags certainly will affect resident access. Plent of private leases are by non-res hunters and that was a big cry session of the resident group that lobbied so hard to cap the tags. And for darn sure will there be a difference on public ground.

But, that said, agree with PS. It is not on the leasees, it is on the farmers. And, can't fault them for wanting something for hunting rights.

Let the outfitters overhunt their leases. Makes no difference to me. I don't think it will happen, but whatever. I hope they do, and the success rates and stories dwindle...

And who would bowfish when they could spend a day on the phone hoping for a darn deer tag?

If I remember, the cap was set fairly close to the amount of tags they sold when there was no cap. With the tag prices probably going up again I don't think there will be a huge increase in the amount of tags sold. I could be wrong. No way of knowing until they remove the cap and tags are sold.

Might be right about the cap close to the prior year sales, but keep in mind, the first year there was a cap I waited for the left overs to be sold at the field offices to get mine. Next year, I waited a week for the phones to settle down before getting mine. This year, called on the second day and was crap out of luck.

Well, I have heard that hunting in Pike County isn't nearly what it was in the late 90s. Some feel that the outfitters are killing every 130" deer around. But, you continue to see success stories everywhere you go. So, what is the real story here? The few of you that are lucky enough to be hunting on prime property without paying a fee should consider yourselves darn lucky. The day is coming when you will have to pay one way or the other (i.e., out of state tags, lease fees, a land mortgage). I now own 60 acres and am already paying. I may not kill or see anything worth talking about ever again, but at least I won't have to worry about getting a tag or looking at someone in a tree sitting 30 yards from me, and that means a lot to me. Keith and I were lucky when we went to IL. It was like the 12th of October and noone had even set foot in the woods of which we hunted. To my knowledge, noone had ever killed anything worth mentioning the 3 spots that we hunted. I don't like the idea of sitting in a stand that had been hunted dang hard the previous week or weeks. We should have come home with 2 dandy bucks, so I consider ourselves lucky and successful.



As far as tags are concerned, when Keith and I went over there, we were calling at 8am the morning they went on sale. Keith got through pretty quickly. It took me nearly 1.5 hours. They sold out in 5 days in 2003. You boys should have been aware that all hell was coming down in 2004.

Robin@AimLow said:
Might be right about the cap close to the prior year sales, but keep in mind, the first year there was a cap I waited for the left overs to be sold at the field offices to get mine. Next year, I waited a week for the phones to settle down before getting mine. This year, called on the second day and was crap out of luck.

That is true but I think much of this was caused by the fact that people were more in a panic this last year realizing there was a good chance of being shut out if they didn't make it a priority to call first. I agree the number of tag demand is increasing, just not to a point where the pressure is going to be significantly changed. Especially if they raise the prices yet again.

MoCraig: I am not up for hearing another wrist slashing story. Especially since I plan to spend 4 or 5 days with him over the next week. Of course, maybe it would do him some good to reflect on days gone by so that he can whack a half-dozen hogs and 3 or 4 rams. PS

Craig already knows the story. I made a bad hit on a good 10 pointer. His memory is better than that.

MOCraig said:
What, you think I write down the crap that happens to you?

Sounds like that might help, because you made it a point to make a big deal out of it when it came up last time. I just figured you remembered.

Maybe thats why you are so infatuated with what I do. I'm like your Enquirer Magazine. Although you hate to admit it, you can't wait to see what I do next and struggle to not want to comment on it. It's understandable. It's just human nature.

Keith is kinda like a train wreck that way.

You got a point. Actually you have a couple good points. Being a Shempf, Stanley, or Lou comes quite easily. It's good to know its not a total waste and is at least entertaining.

I am very fortunate to have 2 spots of private land, totaling about 350 acres that I don't pay a dime to hunt and get to hunt them all I want in West Central IL. I fear the day that we are going to go to a system where I can't get a tag to hunt them. I won't ever lose access to them without the landowners selling their farms, which I don't see happening. But I see shortly a system put in place that keeps me from getting a tag.

PS - Considering you are in the deal making mood. I'll make you a deal...I'll cover all the fuel expenses (truck and tractor) for the brushhogging, we'll split beer expenses and I get a day in the HFA during an ANTLERED season. You get brushhogging done for a few beers and I get to shoot 120" deer...it's a win-win situation. Plus you get an added bonus....instead of having to on here about how you thought the buck was a different one, or suffered shrinkage you can just blame me for shooting it.

Dang, that is a good deal. Heck MoCraig shoots all my 120" deer now and I have to drag them out for him, put his stand up for him, point him in the right direction everytime he gets lost....and he never does any brush hogging for me OR buys me a beer.

BTW, MoCraig...the killer Kirk bought two Cuddeback digitals yesterday...very cool...gonna be fun. We just have to provide the batteries.