Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Shawnee Nat. Forest

I'm headed up to Illinois with a buddy of mine the week of November the 1st if we can get a tag. He has hunted and done well in the Shawnee Nat. Forest in the past so that's where we'll be hunting this year. Are there any other members planning on hunting there this year?

Do you know if the Shawnee Nat. forest is close to Shawnee Community College?? If so I hunt a piece of land that is almost directly across from SCC, also a few more places close by, the guy I stay with when I go lives in Karnak...

I dont have a clue. I've never been that far north before. I do know that it's in the most southern part of Illinois.

The college is in Pulaski County. Karnak is in Johnson County. The Shawnee Natl forest is in neither. Its mostly east of I57. However, youve got Cache River State Park near Karnak and youve got Cypress Creek Federal land in Pulaski. Its all good hunting. The Shawnee probably gets less pressure than Cache and Cypress creek. You HAVE to scout outside of season to have sucess. Good luck.

I've hunted the Shawnee Nat'l forest in 2006 and again last fall. I wound up shooting an 8-pt. last year that was waaaay smaller than I had thought when I let the arrow fly. There are a ton of deer there. I've hunted 9 total days there and only once did I not see deer from a treestand. I never saw a true monster but my buddy did and didn't get a shot. We saw a group from Georgia that killed a 150 class buck not far from where we were. The hunting way outclasses hunting in Alabama. I'd go every year if I could but can't make the trip this year. Maybe next year.

nolandoutdoors.com

Thanks for the reply Ringo.

I hunt in Illinois,but never been to SNF.Is it big woods? If so got to be harder for out of state guy to hunt .Not the funnels you have on most farms. I don't know that's why I'm asking.Good luck this year guys!

I hunt some private land that adjoins the Shawnee. Good hunting , scout well and get off the beaten path. Killed a 205 lb, 9pt that scored 159 in 07 and my son killed a heavy 10 that was 156 last year

It is comprised of many separate parcels of land, some of which are several thousand acres in size. Some of it is what you would call big woods. But it is not hard to hunt if you do your homework. I recommend studying aerial and topo maps and go up there before the season for some preseason scouting and figure out where you want to hunt. You could literally just park your truck at a random spot and walk 200 paces into the nearest woods and stand a decent chance of being in a pretty good spot. If you go in early-to-mid November then you better watch out because the rut will be in and you never know what you might see! Just pray that you get some cold weather, though, because warm weather slows deer down in Illinois more than it does down here in Alabama. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice Ringo.