Q: What types of stands or blinds are available?
A: We have a variety to accommodate all types of hunters. Lock-on Stands, Ladder Stands, or Ground Blinds.
Q: What am I responsible for and what do I need to bring
A: You are responsible for the following: Purchasing your appropriate tags and licenses. You must obey the rules and regulations of the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources at all times. Bring your own personal hunting equipment e.g.. firearms, bows, clothing, coolers, safety belts and harnesses, boot dryers, etc. Any special dietary requirements. Meat processing fees and trophy mounting fees plus any shipping fees involved.
Q: What is included with your lodging?
A: We provide all bed linens, pillows, towels, and meals (depending on hunt choosen). Bring your own snacks and personal items. Please call us if you have any specific dietary requirements as we try to be as accommodating as we can. All of our linens are laundered with non-scented detergent and a washer and dryer are available for guest use.
Q: I want to bring along a non-hunting guest. Is this allowed? What will it cost?
A: Non-hunting guests are welcome depending on available lodging. Usually there are more rooms available during our non-rut hunts. Cost is $100.00 per person per day.
Q: What about caring for the deer meat and the trophy?
A: We help bring the deer in from the field and prepare it to be taken to the processor. The cape and antlers can be packaged for you to take to your taxidermist, or you can take it to a taxidermist here to have mounted. All meat processing and taxidermist fees are not included in your hunt price.
Q: Is there a trophy fee if I kill a Pope & Young or Boone & Crockett buck?
A: No. We do not have trophy fees. The reason a hunter comes to hunt with us is for a chance at the buck of a lifetime. We will impose a penalty fee of $1000.00 if you shoot a buck less than a 130 inch P&Y score.
Q: What is your policy on wounded bucks?
A: If a buck Is wounded but not recovered, you will not be allowed to shoot another buck. You will be permitted to continue hunting for does should you choose to do so.
Q: Do you have a size restriction on your bucks?
A: Yes, we strive to protect our young bucks! Bucks must have a minimum 130 inch P&Y score to be a shootable buck. If you take a buck with less than a 130 inch P&Y there is a $1000.00 penalty. Button bucks carry a $500.00 penalty. We would much rather see them bigger next year than have the penalty money. Please don't shoot them!
Q: Do you have food plots?
A: Yes, we have several acres of food plots scattered throughout our hunting areas. In this agricultural area, food is not the limiting factor for the deer. We plant food plots for two reasons. One is to offer the deer an alternate food that they would not normally have access to and also to provide late season food when the crops are gone.
Q: Do you have a management policy in place?
A: Yes. We constantly monitor the balance between our deer herds and food available for them. In each hunting area we estimate the number of does and trophy bucks that can be harvested to maintain the quality of hunt that we demand for our guests. We will cease to hunt an area before the pressure on the herd becomes too great. This helps us maintain a healthy herd and enables us to place hunters in prime areas every time. When possible, we strive to honor our repeat hunter's requests to hunt areas where they have hunted before.
Q: What size deer will I be hunting?
A: Most of the bucks harvested have typical racks that range from 130 to 145 on the Pope & Young scoring system. In the past the largest typical bucks from our areas have scored in the 160's and the largest typical bucks have scored in the 200's. These bucks are the exception. There are bucks of this caliber running in our areas now but a hunter should be realistic and know that the odds of taking a buck like this with a bow are stacked in the deer's favor. The average field dressed weight of a harvested buck is 175 to 200 lbs. Some have weighed in as high as 250 lbs. field dressed. Does will average 135 to 165 lbs. field dressed.
Q: What is your hunter's success rate?
A: Gun hunter's average success rate is 80% on bucks. We usually average close to a 80% shooting opportunity. Bow hunters success is around 50% on bucks. Opportunity rates average 80%.
