Want to try Backcountry hunting. I live in Illinois and have no clue where to start

[Vartz04]

So I'll be 40 in about 4 years, I have a goal to big game hunt in the back country before the calendar year I turn 40 ends. That gives me plenty of time to learn, research, train etc.

I live in IL so not a lot of public land stuff out here. So likely I will be traveling. Is there a state/game animal that is the "easiest" to DIY? We're planning on camping. It will likely be me and 1-2 other guys.

Any good books/articles/research material I can get my hands on to help learn?

Thanks guys!

 

[Pelagic]

I live in IL and started doing this about 6 years ago. Shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to connect over the phone and answer whatever questions you have.

 

[Rob5589]

Welcome! Plenty to read all over this site. I'd say the biggest hurdle for me was the intimidation of going hundreds of miles away from home into the unknown. But after one trip, I was hooked and realized it's really no different than hunting at home. Pick a state, pick an animal, and just go. Have reasonable expectations of success and fully enjoy the adventure. Good luck!

 

[TheGreek]

I'm living in IL currently as well and have been traveling out west the last few years to hunt. I also do a fair amount of hunting on public throughout IL. Feel free to PM me with some general questions and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.

 

[fngTony]

Welcome! And that’s an excellent first post. Personally I’d recommend starting with a hiking camping trip out west to get a feel for the climate and terrain.

 

[coloyooper]

Easiest state to DIY is definitely colorado with the ample (read: unlimited) OTC elk tags. Not that you’re going to get a great quality hunt out of it, but you never know. There are probably other states you could buy a few points and draw a tag before 40. You don’t have time to get a “trophy” unit anywhere but you might be able to get into an LE unit and get away from the huge crowds.

 

[Crowmangler]

One thing you'll learn quickly is that you'll wish you had started 15 years ago.

 

[Pony Soldier]

You might want to start with just camping a few times and acquiring what equipment you will be comfortable. On second option is take a vacation to a favorable state under ideal weather conditions ( June or late August) to get a feel for the roads, services, habitat, etc.

With a foundation then pick an animal and a state. This approach isn't as severe as cold turkey and should diminish the " wish I dids".

 

[CJohnson]

Just go somewhere as soon as possible. I’d honestly recommend trying a rifle hunt this year if you can swing. Planning a hunt for 4 years isn’t nearly as beneficial as just going out every year between now and then.

 

[Doghed]

Good first post. You are definitely in the right place. This forum will get your questions answered.

My first thought:
Make sure the 1-2 other guys you're talking about are really the ones.

 

[philos]

Welcome to Rokslde. Loads of good info here on the forums. If you were looking to hunt locally I would suggest contacting your local game and fish folks to see what is available nearby-you might be surprised to find some places in IL you could camp and hunt. Probably won't be a serious wilderness experience but it might help with figuring a few things out and it will keep expenses down.

If you truly want to go west and you want a fairly low stress hunt I would recommend an antelope hunt in Wyoming but you will need to start buying preference points this year to be sure you will get drawn for a hunt in the coming years.

As has been suggested- start now even if it just an overnight camping trip or maybe a small game hunt or fishing trip combined with a day or two of camping. Don't go nuts on buying gear just yet and don't pressure yourself to be a master of the wilderness on your first time out. Just have fun.

 

[Bubblehide]

Come to California, where you are guaranteed some tags. Here you could be hunting the western slope of the Sierra's, or most of southern Ca every year. Granted the deer numbers are significantly lower than many other western states (likely the lowest), and our buck to doe ratio is abysmal. But if you are up for the challenge, you can make some great memories. If your really lucky, you can fill your tag.

 

[Hunt4lyf]

There are 8 wilderness areas in Illinois, why not backcountry hunt one of them? You'll learn the basics of it and when you finally do make it out west you'll already have some experience under your belt?

 

[JeffRaines]

So I’m gonna play the opposite side of the field here:

I(and many others) think backcountry hunting is way over romanticized by just about every hunting show and influencer. It can be great - and if you’re doing it as a “bucket list” thing with low/no expectations then feel free to continue on… but far too many people think that traveling 5-10-20 miles into the wilderness means that trophy animals are going to be behind every tree and 99.9% of the time that just isn’t the case. IMO it’s no different than front country hunting - the animals are in pockets - it just requires a hell of a lot of energy and time if youre not in a pocket and you’ve got to move spots.

Not to mention the cost of gear being a big barrier as well. Yes, you can go buy a bunch of cheap shit and hunt just fine - you’ll just have a 60-70lb pack you need to schlep up thousands of feet to get to camp. May not sound that bad, but coming from flatlands to the mountains is already taxing enough - add in an extra 70lbs plus heavier boots and you’re gonna be spent. The cherry on top? If you’re hunting an area over 6-7k in elevation you will be acutely aware the air is thinner.

Now imagine doing all this - only to get into the spot and find there are no animals… or worse, you run into a tent city with multiple other parties hunting the same area.

Again, I’m not trying to talk you out of it - just bringing some light to some less talked about aspects of “backcountry hunting”.

With that said, if you’re still interested, my advice to you would be to pick a species and area you’re interested in and spend some vacation days next year backpacking through the areas. It’ll give you some great insight into what you’re in for… more than you’re gonna get from Google Earth and the stair master at the gym(you’ll need to get well acquainted with this piece of equipment).

 

[Pony Soldier]

To add to the last one - I live in the middle of the elk. In the of the spring I see some very respectable bulls. Not huge by any means but nice 5-6 year old 6 points. Last spring there were 15 of them in one bunch within slingshot range.

Now the reality. I haven't seen a legal bull during rifle season in 5 years. I hunt for 6 weeks on foot and horseback. Both next to the roads and far into the pucker brush.

Success is dependant on persistance and luck.

 

[Super tag]

I would do this as soon as you possibly can, other than hunting gear etc, there’s really no better preparation than real life experience. You’ll learn a ton from your first adventure, things you can’t possibly prepare for at home. Who knows what this world will be like in four years- go for it now, live life, if your able to.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

Raines hit on some things above.
If your goal is to go on a backcountry hunt… Best thing you can do is to figure out how to hunt in the front country first.
A lot of us from “out west” literally got our diapers changed at hunting camp. Point being, this shit don’t happen overnight. There are no short cuts. Trying to shortcut will result in the animal being disrespected every time. Don’t buy into the GoHunt dot com BS.
You had a great first post and if you’re honestly trying to get into “backcountry” hunting… just get experience in the woods first.
My 17yr old is literally leaving right now as I type to go spike out for a night. But he has 1000s of days of experience in all 4 seasons in the woods.
My opinion is to ease into it.

 

[gabenzeke]

I'm in Iowa and started going west every fall about 8 years ago. First piece of advice, go now. You're not getting younger. Experience is going to get you closer to success. I bought a lot of expensive gear, and it's great. But I found that a bigger help is keeping a positive attitude and putting miles on. There is a correlation to the amount of country you cover and the success you have up until you find your own "spot". And this doesn't mean finding a wilderness area and trying to get ten miles deep. Instead, go one or two miles in and try to cover multiple drainages. Often times if you try to go in deep you're really committed and there may not be any animals there. None of these hunts are easy, but pronghorn is probably a good starting point. Or try a bear hunt next spring. And go buy Wyoming elk, antelope, and mule deer points right now. You'll be glad you did when you have a handful and are able to hunt there even on a general tag.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Thornyshire]

(Been lurking these forums for a bit and just signed up today). I’m currently in the pre-plans of a diy Colorado hunt next year with a buddy. I still feel overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge etc out there and what we need, want or lack of experience. But I’ve spent a lot of time In the Texas woods camping, hiking etc. I’m more or less one of them late adult hunters. Father never hunted as a child and uncles kept their leases secret. Whatever. Spent alot of time with the paps out in the bays in lakes. Anyways been a dream of mine and I’m starting to realize times ticking and I want to get out in the mountains. I’ve got soMe public hunting land not to far from me im still learning Davy Crockett national forest. But one thing is definitely need to get in shape. Everyday been hitting the gym walking incline on treadmill and the stair stepper and lifting waits. Try to stop all bad habits, get in shape and focus on your dream of doing a backcountry/mountain hunt. All we can do is get out there and try. Meat or no meat I’m sure you will comeback with a ton of memories and know what you need to do tweaking your equipment etc. looking fwd to seeing how this goes! You have taken the 1st step really.

 

[fngTony]

To add to what said earlier and to agree others, don’t go crazy buying gear yet. If you make test trip out to Colorado (probably the most accessible by airport) you can rent the main gear such as pack, tent, stove, bag that eliminates the travel hassle of the big stuff. Also will give you a basic idea of what will and won’t work for you.

Someone mentioned about the myth that going miles in equates to trophy animals behind every tree, definitely a myth. My personal definition of backcountry is just somewhere that isn’t filled with other user groups or roads.

Physical conditioning is another important aspect to prepare for.