Pike Co Illinois

[paboom]

The value of $2,000 is different to every single person on this site-and likely some drastic differences. If it's about the money, then only you can answer that question.

If it's about the experience and you enjoy being around others, then I think you'd likely have a good time-assuming expectations are realistic.

For what it's worth, for many years I was a solo hunter. But then took a trip with some friends and did a 180 on my position of hunting with others. It's different for everyone of course, but something to consider.

 

[kornbread]

I hunted Metropolis area and Shawnee Forest couple different times. I harvested a mature buck each year I hunted. My experience was Halloween weekend was beginning of the rut and Thanksgiving concluded the rut. I would go between the 2 if I had the option. You also got to take in mind the "lock down" period as well. All the big bucks I seen and harvested from there were solo cruising looking for a doe. I might add the bucks are very vocal and responsive that time of the year as well.

 

[gary66]

If it's where I think you are talking about. I love that plave

View attachment 148783

my part of Ohio that could be a 2 year old, maybe 1.5. Before anyone gets envious it would probably be 1 of only 5 bucks round here, lol and never sets foot on land I can hunt. It's all the farm ground. Most bucks are well over 200 pounds, I've killed a few and why I can say. I've looked at Tenn. land, a part of it is farm ground, I'd hunt there if I could.

 

[Ski]

my part of Ohio that could be a 2 year old, maybe 1.5.

I'd guess that buck no less than 5yrs. His neck is wider than his chest. Even the biggest rack 2yr olds still look like does with horns.

 

[Andy S.]

I hunted Metropolis area and Shawnee Forest couple different times. I harvested a mature buck each year I hunted. My experience was Halloween weekend was beginning of the rut and Thanksgiving concluded the rut. I would go between the 2 if I had the option. You also got to take in mind the "lock down" period as well. All the big bucks I seen and harvested from there were solo cruising looking for a doe. I might add the bucks are very vocal and responsive that time of the year as well.

Mirrors my experience in that area to a tee. However, my experience was back in the early 2000s. Great times in that part of the State back then.

 

[Trey13]

my part of Ohio that could be a 2 year old, maybe 1.5. Before anyone gets envious it would probably be 1 of only 5 bucks round here, lol and never sets foot on land I can hunt. It's all the farm ground. Most bucks are well over 200 pounds, I've killed a few and why I can say. I've looked at Tenn. land, a part of it is farm ground, I'd hunt there if I could.

That's not a two year old lol

 

[gary66]

That's not a two year old lol

I'm sure it isn't. I saw a buck a couple hundred yards out in a field that made me wonder if the guy down the road had lost a long horn, then a doe popped up. I estimated it at 400 pounds. Mentioned it to others and they said they'd seen it. We have farm ground in every direction, they eat well. 2 bucks were found dead, locked up, dnr was involved, both over 300 pounds.

Biggest doe I've taken here went 250 pounds. You can take a 100 pound yearling here. I've hunted else where, way more deer but never the size. I'm pretty sure the 8 pointer I have mounted is 2 years, but not 3 old, same size as the pic. It was in the back part of my woods. Made it back real quiet, up the tree real quiet, got set real quiet turned 180 to look around and there it laid, bedded not 15 yards out. Had to turn back 180, grab the bow and turn back while drawing. It was licking it's back with it's neck wide open. The arrow left and drove down it's neck, as it rolled I had another arrow ready and gone through it's other side, it rolled back and another arrow drove through it's other side. One more hit it, it never left the ground. it went 275. Had a real crappy neighbor who shared the woods, it could not go there.

 

[Hawk103161]

The value of $2,000 is different to every single person on this site-and likely some drastic differences. If it's about the money, then only you can answer that question.

If it's about the experience and you enjoy being around others, then I think you'd likely have a good time-assuming expectations are realistic.

For what it's worth, for many years I was a solo hunter. But then took a trip with some friends and did a 180 on my position of hunting with others. It's different for everyone of course, but something to consider.

This is and was my thoughts and experience...An important item is keeping realistic expectations. That one trip changed the game for me too.