Hunters across The Daily Journal region set some impressive totals during the first four days of the bow season.
Iroquois, Grundy and Livingston counties all reported four-year high harvests for the deer season which opened last Thursday. All local counties saw measurable increases in the early archery deer harvest.
The hunt got off to a fast pace in Will County where 86 deer were taken, the highest four-day harvest locally. That total is 18 deer higher than the county’s count during last year’s first four days.
Iroquois, Grundy and Livingston counties each reported four-year highs during the opening days of the deer season.
Iroquois hunters bagged 57 deer, 34 more than the same period last year and more than double the four-day harvest in 2007.
Grundy culled 50 deer, up 13 from last year and well above the average four-day period for 2005 to 2007.
Livingston hunters harvested 42 deer, Kankakee reported 25, and Ford totaled 10 deer during the first four-day period.
More evidence that the rut may be near is a recent rash of four deer-vehicle collisions in Iroquois County between Sept. 30 and Monday, Oct. 5. One person suffered minor injuries after her vehicle went into a ditch after hitting a deer on the roadway.
Statewide a total of 6,250 deer were taken between opening day last Thursday and Sunday. The early tally is the highest four-day harvest in four years according to Paul Shelton who manages the state’s deer program.
“Not all of the previous years’ results contain an entire weekend, which definitely factors into such early season results,” Shelton said.
“Opening day was a little rainy throughout much of the state, with some rain in the morning in areas to the south. However, temperatures have been very cooperative.”
Shelton notes that “substantial amounts of corn remain unharvested throughout the state.”
Does accounted for the bulk of the early hunt with bucks comprising around 28 percent of the total.
Top five counties during the opening days were Pike (298), Jefferson (196), Vermilion (150), Fulton (150), and LaSalle (142).
