Illinois Shotgun Deer season is just around the corner. If all goes as planned, we will be taking off work on Friday and Saturday and hunting all day, both days... If everything doesnt go as planned, we will probably still be delivering over 10,000 walleye and 1000's of muskies and northern pike to lake owners all over central Illinois. (at least to the ones not deer hunting)
As for deer numbers, I have been asking friends and clients all over the state and the general consensus is that trail cam activity and deer sightings are up considerably from 2012 and 2013, but mature deer numbers are still much lower than usual... basically if everything goes normal, we should be looking at a very good crop of mature deer in 2015-2017! My brother Chad harvested an awesome mature, thick 8 pointer with his bow earlier this year:
As for my hunting report, I have bowhunted a handful of times so far this season, but havent even considered shooting a deer yet. Ive seen plenty of deer, I just have been enjoying sitting in a tree watching nature that has no clue I'm watching them. I've seen and experienced things while sitting in silence that most non-hunters will never see or experience.... for me, its been the only chance to shut off the world completely and just sit in Awe of God and His creation.
The year 2014 has been by far the busiest and most challenging year humanly possible, but here we are just days away from Thanksgiving and Christmas and 2015... In 2014 we tackled the Goose Ranch Renovation, filmed a whole season of our new Tv Show Lake Life, and went full bore with Herman Brothers Lake and Land Mgmt. all while raising children and spending time with our spouses. Every second has been accounted for, but now hopefully for the next few months we will muster up a more normal life with at least a few hrs each week to sit in a reclining chair or a tree, write a blog post or two, or maybe even shoot a deer or catch a fish!
While 2014 has been challenging and pushed me to the brink of exhaustion and mental overload, it also has been the most amazing fairytale, stuff dreams are made of, kind of a year. The Goose Ranch Project has gone tremendously better than anticipated, our Tv show will premiere in the Spring, and HB Lake and Land will be hiring some more help spring 2015 as well to keep up with demand, not just locally but across the Midwest.
Here are some of the pics from the last few months, the rest of the story you will have to catch next spring and summer on the Great American Country Channel and the DIY Network. There will be a new episode out every week all summer long!
It was an unforgettable year, gonna hopefully get the kids out shotgun hunting this weekend, give thanks for everything next weekend, then head south for a few weeks with the whole family to film a couple more episodes, then come back to celebrate Christ's birth and then hopefully do alot of ice fishing! We are planning on several big ice fishing fridays and saturdays this winter with good food, great company, and maybe even a few fish!! Just email nate@hblakemanagement.com for more details as the lakes start to lock up!
That was quite a trip you guys had. Food was exceptional, I'm sure. The fishing you did just complemented that fine adventure like none other. It's best to have those catches with the sleek, fast boats to get you right across schools of those critters. Thanks for sharing about that fun adventure! All the best!
ReplyDeleteKent Garner @ Whites Marine Center