I’ll admit I am a little surprised at the record pace of bowhunting for deer in illinoi.
Through Sunday, harvest stood at 17,408, the only year close that pace was the 16,228 through the same period in 2006.
That surprises me because of the slow pace of crop harvest, virtually nil in the northern sections of Illinois. Maybe the cool weather just makes it more enticing for hunters to sit on the stand or the deer are moving more.
At any rate, here’s the word from Paul Shelton:
Current archery harvest stands at 17408, compared to 12644 (2008), 10798 (2007), 16228 (2006), and 15845 (2005). Top five counties are Pike (835), Fulton (466), Jefferson (457), Peoria (419), and LaSalle (399). Harvest sex ratios to date (archery season only) have been 69.3% female; 30.7% male.