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understand that even though it may not personally be a trophy to us, it might a buck of a lifetime for certain
individual hunters. We refuse to forget that the reason we all started hunting was because we each simply
loved the fact that we were able to be hunting!!
The TRUTH about trophy management in Illinois
While most outfitters claim to have an effective buck management program, what the client doesn't know
or realize? Unless an outfitter is operating a high fence hunting outfit, there is no possible way to be 100%
effectively manage their herd to allow the bucks to grow to your desired potential. As for the outfitter that
has 5000 acres in a square block? Even they still aren't managing the buck herd 100%.
Being a resident hunter of Illinois my entire life, I have witnessed the harvesting of several button bucks, 1
1/2 and 2 1/2 year old bucks by resident hunters each and every season. They either harvest for the love
of the hunt, for the purpose of meat or because it is the biggest buck they have ever harvested in their life
to that date. Now don't get me wrong! There are several resident Illinois hunters that are trophy class
hunters. They will set their own personal standards high and will have no problem passing on bucks of a
young age class in hopes they will make it through the season to be bigger next year. That class of
resident trophy hunter waits it out and chooses to harvest only bucks of a 4 1/2 or older range. Bottom
line: What some outfitters don't tell clients, is that most of the bucks that they are making their clients pass
up (because they don't meet the OUTFITTERS minimum requirements) actually have a 50 -50
chance of being harvested by other or local hunters. The state of Illinois does not require outfitters to impose any
type of antler restriction of fines for shooting lesser buck deer.
How do I know this? Each year at Backwoods Whitetails we run 30+ trail camera's on all of our
privately leased farms. Much like (or should i say exactly like) other popular outfitters (that have
minimums with fines) in our area, our leases are split up into several small farms. Some of these leased
farms being two to five miles apart, are bordered by farms that are owned and hunted by local hunters or
leased by outfitters claiming to have a management program in place. Now, on our trail cams, we get
several trail pictures of the exact same bucks from different farms from 1- 3 and even up to 5 miles apart.
Now take a look at this BUCK TRAVEL RADIUS MAP and ask yourself just how big a three mile radius
actually is. Then consider just how many different bucks are free range traveling the individually owned or
outfitters leased properties there are within that radius. For example: In just one of our areas (within a three
mile radius) we have three or more different outfitters operating with antler restrictions that are surrounded
by SEVERAL properties being owned and hunted by several local/resident hunters. Want to know exactly
what is being harvested in a small area? Spend three days during the first firearm season in Illinois and
take a drive around to see what some of the local hunters are loading into the back of their trucks to feed
the family. I believe you will find their dinner plate has no antler restrictions and nor did it cost them an
additional $500 to $1000 for shooting that nights meal.
Now Seriously think about it!! You are hunting with an outfitter that advertises having a managed deer
herd. They claim that through using antler minimums (that are reinforced by a fine if you shoot a buck that
doesn't meet a desired minimum) that their farms have more and bigger deer that the outfitter down the
road. While hunting with this outfitter, you shoot a buck that doesn't meet their minimum and you are forced
to pay him a fine of $500 to $1000. Ask yourself this question...... WHAT IS THAT MONEY DOING TO
MANAGE THE BUCK HERD? or is it just for the outfitter to ........make MAKE MORE $$$/ BUCKS??
The reality is..... deer is dead and he wont be getting any bigger for next year or passing on his
genes! So, are the fines in place to make you only watch deer and keep you from shooting the
bucks? (Do you go to Disney Land to only watch the rides?) OR Is it really to help encourage you
to pass on the buck in hopes he will make it past all the other hunters that are within the
uncontrolled 5mile travel radius. Hey.... MAYBE he will make it and maybe he wont show up next
year and be bigger? But what you don't know wont hurt ya right? Personally I think all it did was
manage the outfitters bank account and help drain yours!! And now I will let ya in on a little reality secret!!
This is what actually goes on with the bucks throughout a years time in Illinois.
Buck Home Range & Travel: Through the use of todays technology of 30+ trail cameras. We have
annually monitored the daily activity and travel patterns of specific whitetails bucks. Through several years
of our own research, we find that bachelor groups of bucks will spend time in a small core are in their home
range from late January to Mid-October. What happens once the peak of the rut hits? Because mother
nature tries to prevent inbreeding by making the bucks travel around to breed several doe. Maybe 1
shooter class buck out of a bachelor group of 5 will stick around and wait to breed a local doe. What
happens to the rest? We have found those exact same bucks start showing up on our other trail cameras
on our farms from 3 -5 miles away and we begin getting pictures of bucks we have never seen before. So,
when you are passing up that buck that doesn't meet your outfitters minimum standards, ask yourself
this....... WHO'S BUCKS ARE YOU REALLY MANAGING?
Remembering that Illinois is referred to as the flat land. During the Peak rut, bucks have been reported to
traveling up to ten miles in search of a hot doe. Even resident trophy hunters (that hunt a specific trophy
bucks) have logged hundreds of hours running trail cams, glassing fields and walking for hours and days
on end, in the spring to find shed antlers from a specific bucks that might fit their fancy. Some local trophy
hunters have reported that specific bucks they were hunting had been harvested, during the rut, up to 10
miles away from where they annually found their shed antlers and/or had trail cam pics of the animal in the
summer months. So when inquiring about booking a hunt and the outfitter says they have an antler
minimum. Keep in mind that without a high fence, the buck that you seen today will more than likely be gone
tomorrow. Just because an outfitter says he has 25000+ acres, doesn't mean they have that much property
as a whole. When inquiring about booking a hunt with any outfitter, ask if their properties are split up and
bordered by other properties that are owned and hunted by resident hunters. Don't be afraid to ask, just
how is it that they can legitimately manage their buck herd?
TRUTH IS...Trophy hunting is simply an attitude. While hunting.... it is OK for each of us have our own
different personalities and desires. Some like the hunt simply for the experience, some look for the
character of the rack and yes...some look it for the size of the rack. Some of us like it simply for the love of
the hunt!! Me? I just love to hunt while looking for a nice buck that I am personally happy with. I don't and
wont ever downgrade another hunter or place him in a category of being less of a hunter for shooting a
smaller buck than I wouldn't. I say congrats on a successful hunt and that every hunt, as well as every deer.
is a trophy experience!!
If you want to know more about hunting with Backwoods Whitetails or just hunting the Illinois whitetail. Give
us a call or send us and email. We would be happy to help you better understand.