[formula1]

OK, the background is that I'm headed to S. Illinois to scout for early November. I've never been before, so I'm wondering how the deer patterns are going to change in roughly 5 weeks time. Here's some of my questions:

1) Crops - Soybeans and corn in the fields now. What will the go-to crop be come November?
2) Will Illinois deer work the acorns when the fields are full of food?
3) Will all the leaves be down?
4) Then there is the rut thrown in.
5) And what about weather? Temps? Prevailing winds, etc.
6) Besides the obvious (some good luck), what's the best way to get that buck within bow range?

I'm thinking of looking for funnels and staging areas, and also considering active food sources. My favorite place to find is the spots where bucks like to roam sniffing for does. In GA at least (NOV), I usually find them funnels or ridge points where bucks walk across doe trails sniffing them out. They also often move downwind of a high concentration of does to scent check them from a distance. How much different will these Illinois bucks be than my GA description?

I have the maps, but anything you've experienced in IL in particular will be helpful. This area will basically have no hunting pressure until we arrive in NOV.

 

[Dens228]

1. Corn may already be down by then.

2. Yes, deer will work the acorns.

3. Depending on weather it will at least be brown, probably mostly down.

4. Yes there is.

5. Wow, you've never been to Illinois! :wink: I can be anywhere between 10 and 80 degrees.

6. In November I like finding trails on the downwind side of ridges and funnels at the ends of ravines. But I base that on the terrain of the property I hunt.

 

[Hoseman]

I am in the same situation as Formula1 with regard to going to Illinois this year for the first time and would appreciate any input from some folks that hunt there regularly! Thanks-

 

[formula1]

Re:

Dens228:

Thanks for the input so far. What are the prevaling winds in NOV?

Nop, I've nver been to IL! And in GA, the temps would be 50's to 70's in early Nov, with an occasional day or two drop into the high 30's, low 40's. We may not even have a frost by then!

 

[Dens228]

I hunt in the northwest portion of the state and the winds are mainly out of the west, sometimes southwest, others northwest.

I'm not kidding when I tell you the temps vary widely here in Illinois.

The deer love the corn but it should be down by November but that can be a good thing because the two farms I hunt the deer often stay in standing corn to feed and bed. After harvest they will still go into the fields for fallen corn though. Either way they will leave the corn for acorns.

I've never hunted around soybeans so I can't tell you about that.

My best hunting property is ravines and small fields. The deer tend to bed just over the ridges on the downwind side of the fields.

My other place I haven't really been able to pattern as there is alot of disruption by neighboring hunters for coyotes, waterfowl, etc, as well as 4 wheelers. I have seen huge deer there but can't find any pattern at all. The ground there is almost completely flat and surrounded by corn. The 45 or so acres of woods have oaks all over, and I do mean all over. When I went out a couple weeks ago it looks like the entire woods will be an acorn grocery store. The woods are also pretty wide open so it will not be easy.

Good luck.

 

[meanv2]

If you are hunting November just concentrate on finding a funnel along the deer's travel routes. In November that's all you need. Dens228 was not kidding about the weather. I have sat in a snow storm in late Oct. and also sit in a stand in late Nov. trying to cool down in a T-shirt so I could slip into some camo