[Zim1]

Thought I'd see if anyone has some kind of opinion about deer hunting on this property. I live up in LaPorte, but don't deer hunt in Indiana. However, I archery hunt just west over the line in Illinois not far from Fairbanks. Mostly archery hunt, but decided next year to take gun hunting more seriously. I'll apply for gun season at some public properties nearby in Illinois, but seen this Fairbanks has a lottery draw for the first two days of gun there. So it must be either good, or just popular. I'll be in that area regardless, so thought about possibly stopping at this place when I'm doing my annual January Illinois public scouting. Curious if anyone has been there. Thanks.

 

[Zim1]

Lol, Just did an archive search and found a lot of overcrowding comments, as I suspected. Probably better for me to pass and just keep on the Illinois side.

 

[574mag]

In my experience, the closer you get to northwest corner of state/Chicago land, the more crowded it is. But that’s pure anecdotal

 

[Zim1]

Lol, It’s the same on the Illinois side. I live within 15 minutes of Kingsbury & JP but I don’t bother to deer hunt either one any more due to overcrowding pressure. All there are is fork horns and trophy pencil thin 8 pointers. Just a waste of my valuable rut time. Thought Fairbanks might have some barrier to entry but I see that’s not the case. I’d like to find some river system that has boat entry only to public but have had no luck searching aerials so far. I use my portable boat often in Illinois.

 

[Zim1]

The long gun rut seasons here ruin the public land deer. But one thing I gotta say is Indiana has the best public turkey hunting in the Midwest due to the conservative management. No boat necessary! It is a Mecca compared to WI, IL & MI public. No special interest group money in it for corrupt politicians to intervene & bypass the DNR when it comes to turkey.

 

[574mag]

True, and I may be in the minority, but I support the one buck rule. On packed public land, that may not mean much, but where I am, I really think it’s helped. As for the Turkey, I agree, it’s almost too easy for my son in laws and myself to wack a nice Tom. The fall season hasn’t made any difference to my local flock. Not enough people try for them. I’m not complaining! Lol

 

[Zim1]

Illinois public quality has been chipped away at during the last 30 years most notably by removal of NR quota, crossgun inclusion, & ban on new land acquisition (all caused by corrupt politicians, not the DNR). However, the main constant is still the short post-rut firearm seasons, firearm hunter quotas, and freedom for individual state properties to incorporate additional site specific barrier-to-entry restrictions. These have been enough to keep quality on some, not all, afloat.

Indiana has OBR, but that is it. I’m also glad they have it, but it’s no factor at all at KB nor JP. As one guy tags out there’s two more to fill his shoes lol. The stats show that too, as well as increased annual pressure by still increasing numbers of shotgunners cutting in on the long archery seasons via crossguns. When I moved to LaPorte from IL in 2019 I dropped by the KB HQ to pick up a copy of the 15 year site harvest records. Talk about a long steady decline, lol. And when I asked the CO’s about the deer herd there, all they talked about was it was a good place to shoot a doe. 😂 Their moral was low, to say the least.

 

[574mag]

Out west, plenty of land and wide open spaces, here? Not so much. The states dnr can’t buy enough land for all the guys that want to hunt. Unless you go to the Michigan UP, which has had its own problems the last few years. If we had a draw system, it would increase the deer heard quality, maybe, but the number of guys that couldn’t find a place to hunt would be huge! So, not sure what the solution is.

 

[Zim1]

There are many, many ways Indiana could improve management & buck quality on their public lands. Same as Michigan. But they choose not to do any of them. That’s why I choose not to hunt here.

The only exception would be if I could ever find some boat access only public, but that just has not happened yet.

 

[574mag]

I suppose that’s a fair assessment. Good luck in your search! I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

 

[Zim1]

I don’t expect help from anyone anywhere anytime on that one. Lol. If I decide to go to the next level, I’ll contact some area CO’s or Hoosier NF personnel. My work area now includes the entire state of Indiana so I’ll identify some launches and go scout some properties. I mostly just had urban offices this fiscal year. But after September the state will be wide open. I’ll have some spots picked out by then. I have found one which may offer enough seclusion.

The boat is just one of my barriers to entry. I have many secret ones in Illinois.

 

[Zim1]

My secret public barrier to entries produced these guys last year. Just gotta stay persistent.

 

[574mag]

Nice! It’s always good to have a plan. Lol and with the whole state available, I’m sure there are some good spots outa the way.

 

[Realkiller]

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