New (want to) Hunter

I have never hunted before, I am extremely interested. I live in illinois currently, I own a Remington 870 12 GA shotgun. I also own a Solocam Matthews Bow, I don't know how to shoot a bow it was my brothers might even sell. I am in the market for a rifle to hunt with. Basically I don't know how to get started. I have my hunter safety course done. I will be in the market to purchase the right firearm. The hardest part for me is finding a place to hunt and basically on all the rules surrounding it. There isn't many guided hunts here would have loved to do one for my first time.

 

Do a Google search for Illinois hunting forum. Lots of forums will come up. Pic on and go to their market place/for sale section. You will find lots of guides that will take you hunting and show you the ropes. Look at their reviews to help you make a decision.

In addition, welcome.

 

Sweet! thanks can't wait to check it out and get involved.

 

What will the intended prey be?

 

Remington 700 30-06 is a great all around hunting rifle. As for the bow, if they were any good America wouldn’t have been settled*native American hunting buddy of mine said that. Lol. Search you local hunting laws and start getting you permits when they open up

 

Join a local Fish & Game club if there are any near you. I'm sure they would have members eager to help you get started.

 

Actually before you go on a forum and so forth, go to your local sporting goods store or call/stop by your local fish and wild life and see if they have a hunting guide book.

As much as internet information is nice and convenient, there’s a lot of stupid information out there, and fish and game isn’t going to except the excuse that you thought it was cool to do xyz because deerhunter6969 on Illinoishunters.com said it was cool.

So get a handbook, read it, figure out the zones, onxmaps I find to be useful, and figure out how the tags work for your area. Know the seasons, your gun laws, archery requirements, and property boundaries and you’ll be aight.

 

An 870 can be very a versatile weapon. Don't know what your land lay or fauna is, but an 870 in the right hands and shooting ball or rifled slug is good out to 80 yards easy for deer. They also make a rifled barrel for near rifle accuracy, but a 12g sabot and those hurt a little. No background check on the new barrel...here anyway.

 

I am open to any type of prey. My main goal for illinois hunting would be deer, but once again I will hunt for anything to get my feet wet.

 

Simple slugs that use the smooth bore barrel you have now.
https://www.midwayusa.com/s?TargetL...istedItemsPerPage=0&CustomerSelectedSort=True

You can buy a new rifled barrel, this is the one I have with the cantilever scope rail. You would need a scope or there is another offering that comes with a scope and yet another that just has iron sights. Be forwarned, it hurts on both ends. You can only shoot sabot type slugs through this one. Chose Midway because it popped up first. Buy where ever you want.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1003744461?pid=325882

Sabot ammo. They're heavy.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002087388?pid=921236
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002086014?pid=197374

There are different loads available for everything in between squirrel to deer as well. The rifled barrel above can get you out to probably 150 yards easily with a little practice and a decent scope that can take the punishment. Staying with the smooth bore and regular slugs range is decreased. I personally don't hunt with either barrel and slugs after I tore my shoulder up but I do keep a few slugs on the side saddle of my defense shotgun. Paramount is learning how to run your 870. There loads of videos on youtube and you'll have to sort through the junk. Look for things like "combat loading", "slug changeover", and "speed loading". Tag "remington 870" as a keyword because each make and model have their own little quirks.

 

i started out with a Mathews. one of their solo-cam bows. i cant be sure, but i am thinking they are full double cam bows now.

Illinois is ground zero for tree stand hunting right? that bow is perfect!! out of curiostiy what bow is it? i hope it is the old Mathews Switchback XT, which was a solid bow in my hands. all bows after that had big shoes to fill. i should have never sold it.

rifle. dunno what your terrain is like.

 

Learn to shoot that bow! Bow hunting is so much more exciting than rifle hunting because it is more challenging and you have to get so much closer to the animal. But either way its about getting out and enjoying the outdoors!

A Remington Model 700 in whatever caliber you want is all you need. I'd keep the shotgun for birds or just defense.

Edit: Also, finding (free) land to hunt on is going to be the hardest part.

 

Stay away from outfitters, very expensive. As far as deer hunting, high power rifles are illegal in Illinois. I recommend taking your bow to a reputable archery shop and let them get you properly set up. Hunting spots in Illinois are pretty hard to come by due to the outfitting and hunting leases. If you know anyone who hunts maybe you could ask them to take you a few times to see what it’s all about. Once you decide that hunting is something you want to continue, you could spend a day knocking on doors and talking to landowners and you might just find a place to hunt. I live in west central Illinois and the hunting pressure is pretty bad, hunting leases around here will run $20-$40 per acre. Lease prices will also vary depending on location and the landowner for example, I pay just $300 per for a 240 acre lease and I pay $600 for a 20 acre lease. Hunting is a great way to get away and relax.

 

You could almost get a small tract of land next to a game reserve for those prices.

 

Illinois has very restrictive requirements for firearms for deer hunting, so make sure you stay within the law. What some have recommended here is illegal in Illinois, so look for a local hunting club or someone there who can point you in the right direction.

The hard part is finding a place to hunt. Start networking to find any land owners. Doesn't require huge tracts of land to hold deer and other game, but first you've got to find someone who will let you hunt on their property. Work, church, friends of friends, whoever, but start asking around. Then get to know them and find out what you can do for them. A little work and effort goes a long way to getting permission to hunt.

 

Here there are landowners that will let you hunt hogs for free. They’re really invasive and can tear up a field overnight. Might be a good start

 

Start here:

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/GettingStarted.aspx

It looks like there’s no rifle hunting in Illinois but you can get a rifled barrel for your 870. You can also hunt with a handgun, which I’m personally far more interested in than bow hunting.

The hardest part for me was just starting. I didn’t try hunting until my early 30’s. First time I shot anything hunting was a couple years ago and getting over the mental hurdle of “I’m carrying a gun, and I’m actually planning on shooting something not at the range” was tough. I didn’t grow up in a family of hunters nor did anyone even own a gun as far as I know.

My suggestion is to start with small game. Stalking and Shooting an animal is just the first part, you owe to the animal (and in most if not all states are legally required) to responsibly handle the meat in a manner that leaves it fit for human consumption, and the guts and remaining carcass in a certain manner. It’s a lot easier to figure out how to gut a bird or squirrel or rabbit than a whitetail.

 

Have to agree with this guy!

 

Find a friend that hunts, and ask them to take you.

 

reach out to the illinois chapter of backcountry hunters and anglers, the chapter co-chair started hunting as an adult and can probably share a lot of insight into your situation. Other than that, make sure you’re doing everything legally and get out there! We need more hunters in the woods!