Hunter Schedule & Needs
	For a full description of the Meals & Lodging included in your hunt, Please visit the link above.
When you arrive: Hunters are to arrive no earlier than 12 P.M. the day before their scheduled hunt is to begin. 1st. All hunters must check in with a Backwoods Whitetails guide or staff member. At that time the hunter will be shown to their reserved room. 2nd. Each hunters will then check in with a Backwoods Guide and complete any necessary paper work, go over rules & regulations, record license and permit information and go over procedure and their assigned hunt sites. 3rd. Hunters can then go to or will be taken to their assigned hunting area for a free night of hunting. (time permitting) 4th. Unless an animal has been harvested, hunters are to return to the lodge when legal shooting hours have ended. At that time each hunter is required to report to their assigned guide and discuss the hunt for that day and make arrangements in the event assistance is needed for the following days hunt. Each hunters will assist the guide in completing your individual daily activity & harvest report form. All deer activity, sightings, shot taken (hits or misses), wind direction & weather conditions are recorded on that hunters DAH form. This form is for the purpose of exact opportunity & success statistic and to better improve you hunts from year to year. 5th. Evening meals are being served and hunters will move about the evening as they wish. In the Mornings:  Hunters will awake on their own to be served a continental style super breakfast. If there is a breakfast item that you don't see but would like. We will do our best to make those items available upon your request. SORRY, NO HOT BREAKFAST WILL BE SERVED!! If a hunter is needing assistance you will need to get in touch with your guide at that time. Hunters are to report/get in touch with their assigned guide throughout the day for any specific hunt needs. Lunch: For Pre Rut & Peak Archery & 1st Season Firearm hunts there will be several items made available for hunters to prepare themselves a sack lunch. If there are specific lunch items that you require? You will need to get in touch with the cook and we will do our best to make those items available. For 2nd Season gun hunters, MuzzleLoader only hunters and Late season archery hunters hot soup is made available due to all day hunting doesn't always happen. Evenings Meals: Once the hunt for the day is complete, hunters will return to the lodge for the evening meal and a night of rest and relaxation. ATTENTION ALL HUNTERS: When a hunter takes a shot at any animal. Regardless of a hit or a miss and/or harvest a whitetail. YOU ARE REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY CONTACT YOUR GUIDE. NO EXCEPTIONS!! Failure to do so may result in your hunt being terminated! This is for recovery procedures & purposes. Only until your guide arrives will any further hunting activity be permitted to take place. This is not meant to be mean or disrespectful to you as a client or hunter. Remember that your guide is very experienced and is there to make sure you not only have an enjoyable hunt. But as well to help ensure that you have the highest percentage possible for successfully recovering your animal. IT IS MANDATORY that your guide track, retrieve and properly tag your animal. Your guide will then photograph and/or take video of you and your harvest. The guide will then remove your animal from the timber, field dress and report your harvest as required to the IL DNR. All information will then be recorded by the guide on your Daily Activity & Harvest report. In the event you wish to continue to hunt for a doe you may return to the stand at that time. Our guides are required by management to field dress ALL animals taken for safety purposes in area's designated by the outfitter. WE DO NOT ALLOW THE FIELD DRESSING OF ANIMALS IN THE TIMBER WHATSOEVER! Any hunter caught doing so may suffer the risk of their hunt being immediately terminated and fined by Backwoods Whitetails the sum of $300.00 Upon completion of your hunt we ask that all hunters report to their assigned guide to review your weeks hunt and complete a comment sheet. The comment sheet was put in place to better serve our hunters, help improve the hunts and record exact success and opportunity statistics. We ask that Hunters depart from the lodge no later than 10 A.M. of the morning following the last day  of their scheduled hunt.

                    All hunters will need to bring the following items for the hunt:

1. Clothing for all different weather conditions. Be prepared for windy, warm, cold or rainy.

2. ALL Hunters are required to wear some sort of Scent Absorbing clothing with a head cover.

3.ALL HUNTERS are REQUIRED to use a safety harness while hunting! No hunter will be allowed to partake
in any hunting activities unless they have a safety harness in their possession. Hunters are required to use
a safety harness AT ALL TIMES during their hunt while hunting from any and/or all treestands regardless of
type or height. We recommend the use of Hunter Safety System devices. We personally use these devices
and can vouch for their comfort, quality and safety. These are light weight systems that can be worn under
your outer clothing. Please visit their site for direct purchase at www.hssvest.com

4. Archery Hunters are required to use some sort of lighted noking system. Through the use of several
brands, we have personally found that the Lumenok lighted arrow nok to be the best lighted system we
have used. Hunters can buy them direct from the factory website by clicking on the following link here -->
LUMENOK  Every hunters owes it to the animal to only take ethical shots!

5. Rubber hunting boots or a hunting boot with a rubber sole.

6. Each hunter is to bring their own scent eliminating products. These products include: laundry soaps,
scent eliminating hair & body soaps, and scent away sprays. NOTICE: Scent eliminating products with
added earth cover scents are NOT RECOMMENDED!!! If it is a scent elimination product that is supposed to
work. Then it should not need a cover scent added for it to work. If you have ever smelled how the strong
earth scent products are while tumbling in the dryer? That is how strong smelling it is to a deer. Never give
a deer a reason to stop and reason or wonder what that new smell is and if it is safe or threatening.   

7. Bath towel & Wash cloth. Wash cloth and towels are available at the lodge. However, in the event that you practice extreme scent control and only
want to use towels n wash cloths washed in scent aways soaps OR if you just want or require something more personal? Please feel free to bring your own towels n
wash cloths. ALL hunters will be responsible for doing their own laundry.  

8. Sleeping bag and pillow. All beds have linens and a light weight blanket and soft pillow are provided. For those  individuals that require a
heavy blanket, firm or multiple pillows? Please don't forget to pack those items.

9. Pair of flip flops, slippers or crocs. The wearing of hunting boots throughout the lodge is strictly PROHIBITED as the
majority of the lodge is carpeted. All hunters will be required to remove their hunting boots at the back entrance of the lodge.  

10. Good set of Hand Pruner and folding saw. We try our best to make sure each stand site is prepared before your arrival. However
you may find yourself needing to trim or cut that one limb.

11. Cell Phone. A cell phone will be necessary for proper communication with not only your guide but with the other in your
hunting party. Best service out here in Illinois is Verizon and US Cellular. Services like Sprint, AT&T, Nextel, etc either have poor
service or no service at all. Trac phons can be purchased at Walmart in the event you are needing a phone with good service.

12. GPS for your car or truck. Because the only thing we don't do is driver you to and from your hunt sites. Each hunter should invest in
GPS to be able to find your way from the lodge & to your hunt sites and back. There are quality systems can be purchased for under $100.00 each.
 
13. A good quality flashlight and replacement batteries.

14. Each hunter is required to bring either a portable hang on stand with climbing sticks, a climbing tree
stand and/or ground blind to make any move necessary to succeed.
ARCHERY HUNTERS: Though our hunts are guided and there will be preset stand on each property. We allow our hunters the freedom to move on
their own to succeed. As well, every hunter is of a different shape, size and weight. So, a stand that is comfortable for one might not be for another.
We all know that when hunting the seek & chase phase of the peak rut, hunters will need a comfortable stand that will allow them to be able to sit all
day. As well you now your own equipment and will feel safe and comfortable in your own equipment. Thus, you can relax in your own stand to hunt
instead of worrying about a fall from unfamiliar or faulty equipment.
FIREARM HUNTERS: We encourage gun hunters to bring a ground blind. Note: The new ground blind chairs are an effective and highly mobile
device for those hunters needing protection from the elements. As well this is a great product that is a comfortable site for the all day hunter that
wants the flexibility to make a quick move to a new hunt site if necessary!
15. Grunt Call and Rattling Antlers. These items can make a difference between success and going home empty handed. There are
several different opinions on rattling, calling, which calls work and which ones don't.  Depending upon the attitude of the individual animal, bleat cans
and grunt calls can be very effective out here.   

16. Screw in Bow / Gear Holder. Because each hunter is different and may require more equipment on their hunt. Hunters will need a way
to hang either their bow or gun while in the stand. Sorry, due to past clients unfortunately feeling the need for taking the devices we provided for their use. We
no longer provide bow n gear holders in each stand site.

17. Large Cooler for transportation of meat, cape and horns.

NOTICE: It is Illegal to transport your trophy animal across state lines without first removing antlers/skull
cap and all meat being de boned! After you have harvested your animal & your guide has field dressed and checked in your deer. Each
hunter is sole responsible for the further care of his/her animal. Trophy & Meat Care Services are available! Hunter options are as follows:

Option 1: For those wanting to wanting to bring their own supplies to process their own meat. We have a large meat processing area on site for
your use. NOTE: There will be a $20.00 charge per animal for those that need the use of our butcher knives, plastic wraps, packaging paper and freezer tape.

Option 2: Whitetail deer butcher that exclusively butcher whitetails deer. This butcher will process your animal to your specifications and then will
ship to your home or business. This butcher makes excellent salamis, breakfast sausage, bratwurst, Italian sausages, jerky sticks and much more.
Astoria Meat Markets current pricing: (subject to change without notice)
Basic processing - $100.00 includes skinning, washing, basic cuts and grinding. An additional $2.00 per pound for beef or pork trimmings.
Regular, BB-Q, Cheese & Jalapeno or Cheese Salami Rolls - $3.00 to $4.00lb
Regular, Spicy, BBQ or Cheese Jerky Sticks - $4.00 - $5.00lb
Bratwurst or Italian Sausage Links - $2.00 - $3.00lb
Grounds Breakfast or Italian Sausage $2.00lb
Regular Jerky $12.00lb

Option 3: Hire Backwoods Whitetails for basic trophy care/processing
Whitetail Doe - Skin & Quarter only $75.00 / To cut steaks, grind & package $75.00 additional.
Whitetail Buck - Skin, Cape, Quarter & remove Skull plate only $125.00 / Full processing $75.00 additional.  

Taxidermy Services - Whitetail Shoulder Mount $400.00 (shipping costs are additional)
Trophy Mount travel care only - $50.00
For those that do their own meat processing and just want their trophy head skinned out, the antlers removed and the hide prepared for transportation.