So I applied for my turkey tag on Nov.25th. No problem right? Well I guess I didn't look closely enough and clicked on random daily draw. Even though I applied in plenty of time I was declared a refund and am not happy at all. I will not be turkey hunting this spring because of a flaw in the system. I guess I'm not as important as the people who didn't screw up and recieved 2 or even 3 tags. I think that when you buy your license you should be entitled to one turkey tag if you choose to hunt them. If you don't want the entitled tag then those said tags should be placed in the lottery system to fulfill those 2nd and 3rd tags that other hunters desire. Am I wrong here as I feel I am being punished wrongly for "pushing the wrong button." Now I can't hunt anything till August when squirrels come in.:mad: The only positive thing is I shoud have 30 Lbs. of Morels by the end of turkey season.:rolleyes:

Guess you can do the calling for Bob. :o

Better yet how about video taping Bob's turkey hunt ????? :D

I may be out of luck as well the other day when I was at my spot the real estate agent was showing the place to a perspective buyer. :(
It's not my land wish it was but it's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of my price range.

well crap - I nearly lost my nursing license because I pushed the wrong button, and it was placed in inactive status! 47 phone calls and a signature in blood later I got it straightened out. Man I hate to hear that..
You'll just have spend Turkey season runnin morel patches all over nine counties with me...I know that's poor second, but it's the best I have to offer..
That or guiding those who did get several tags;)

Adam I did that same thing last year with my deer permits, luckily I got them anyway.
That is one nice thing about Kentucky, just show up at teh local place, buy a license and tell em what you want to hunt and you pay for it all right there. I know you can do a deer hunt like that but I'm unsure about turkeys.

Anytime you're running them patches give me a call. Our morels disappeared as soon as we found them last year. (Got a 28 year old that'll eat everything on the table if you let him.)

Adam, I hate to hear that too, but then you just might come out ahead by hunting morels instead of turkeys.

Sorry Adam, better luck next year. Now go get a Butterball and find some morels to go with it and it will be ok.

Here is how anyone can avoid this from happening in the future.
Always check the status of your turkey tag on the IDNR's web site.
- Turkey Application Inquiry Instructions and System online here = http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/neon.htm

You can check to make use the state has your application the way you want it, with in a few business days of entering it
Then results are always post about a week or 2 before the next draw.
IF, you would have noticed that you did mess up your first application, you could have corrected your application on line
- Fix your Online Permit here =
http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/FixOnlineErrors_turkey.htm

OR just tried to send on in for the 2nd or 3rd drawing, IF your county was not sold out. Which most were not after the first draw.

Always print a copy of your application & double check everything !!

Mistakes happen, BUT the IDNR does offer a lot of ways to correct them, as long as you notice them in a timely fashion.

It also might not hurt to call or E-mail the permit office & ask them if there is anything you can to get a tag for your county for this spring still. They will be able to see that you applied in time & made an onist mistake. I make no promises, BUT it never hurts to ask. ;)

Email = DNR.Permits1@illinois.gov -
Springfield permit office = 217-782-7305

GOOD LUCK !!!

I'd give Lynn's suggestion a whirl .... the worst that can happen is that nothing changes and you might just get lucky..

First of all no one is entitled to anything..Sorry,just don't like that attitude... :rolleyes:

Always double check and verify your permits on-line for accuracy. That way if there is an error you can catch,call and correct.

Hey everyone makes mistakes, Just don't think what happened has got anything to do with others that didn't make an error.. :)

I don't like the Illinois Turkey permit system, never have never will, it is what it is....

you can guide me 4th season st. clair.

Don't Cry About It! You Screwed Up, Not The System! You Screwed Up, Accept It! Don't Pawn The Blame On Someone Else!

No need to get snippy there Lumpy. I'm not cryin. I just feel shorted is all. I know I screwed up and it's my fault, but the system is flawed. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and that's mine. I'll take anyone out this year if they want me to, Just let me know and I think we should be able to put a pretty good SILO turkey hunting video together.

Illinois has a system that smells like one of my boys diapers. I understand the "conservation" idea and regulating tags and so forth. I can drive across the river to MO and walk into Walmart and buy a tag and hunt the durn things anywhere it just costs more. Mo also happens to have a very healthy flock and herd.

Why can't Illinois adopt a similar system? It would generate much more revenue and I doubt it would affect the kill rate for deer or turkey.

I agree with big duke on entitlement.

On a side note I have not recieved my tags. Guess I should check...:rolleyes:

Comparing IL's turkey population, turkey hunters & turkey habitat is like comparing apples to oranges.

No real comparison in these two totally different states.
Anyone who has ever driven across these two states can see the amount of habitat is as different as night and day.
Missouri has had a great turkey population for decades.
IL has just recently rebuilt there turkey population, through years of hard work, by lots of people & our IDNR. Our IDNR has managed this system to allow some turkey hunting in most of our counties now.

Spring OTC (over the counter) tags will not work in this state for turkeys, any more then it would work for the firearm deer season. Well managed county by county tag allotments, is what has rebuilt the turkey & deer population in this state over the last 50 plus years.

IL has OTC tags for season & species, that can handle that kind of unregulated hunting.
IL's Spring turkey hunting, is not one of them.

Why can't Illinois adopt a similar system? It would generate much more revenue and I doubt it would affect the kill rate for deer or turkey.

Chris
Can you explain your statement above.
How could IL sell 'much more' tags, keep the 'kill rate' the same & it not effect IL's turkey populations ?????

man thats tough news no turkey tags and have to blame yourself for it. you can always go out of state and hunt and give the $ to them and have a weekend get away too better luck next year

Chris
Can you explain your statement above.
How could IL sell 'much more' tags, keep the 'kill rate' the same & it not effect IL's turkey populations ?????

Absolutely,

Go into Missouri DNR and look at their kill numbers for as long back as you like. I used to live there and always bought across the counter tags.

They sell tags across the counter to residents and non residents.

Increased revenue would come from the extra tags sold because people buying them now would continue to buy them. We wouldn't lose all of the people who don't get tags for this reason and that reason and I would "guess" that since it would be a similar system to Missouri we would see similar kill rates. We would increase revenue from all of those people who would take advantage of the easier tag availability.

Where I hunt and the people I talk to always talk about how many more deer and turkeys they see. Granted it is a generalization but until we see an impact people like Adam and now Me (just found out I was issued a refund) would be able to get tags.

As it is, I will cross the river, buy a tag and hopefully take one more turkey from Missouri. Another point to my opinoin. They call it hunting because we are not entitled to get a bird from simply purchasing a tag. It would be called entitlement shooting or redistribution of game or something silly like that.:)

My opinion of course. For what it's worth.:rolleyes:

Lynn,

I just saw your original post. We'll have to agree to disagree. I would say Il and Mo are more like comparing golden delicius to good ol red apples.

I'm not an expert and am simply expressing my feeling on the subject as I would suspect you were.

At the end of the day where I hunt in both states it would not matter if tags were sold over the counter. If at some point the kill rate changed dramatically then I would simply limit the number of tags sold in that county. and follow the kill rates again and so forth.

We cannot find out for certain unless it is attempted and this IS Illinois so the argument is moot. Nothing will change in this state.

I have tried to draw tags in the only place I can hunt (Monroe county) and I have been turned down about 1/2 the time never killed a turkey and killed a deer every season but one that I drew a gun tag. The primary reason I took bow hunting up again. An abundance (over abundance of game) and no gun tags.

Oh well, I hope it made sense and did not offend....:confused:

Chris
Glad to see we agree on one thing, IL & MO are not the same. ;)

I have hunted in IL for 30 years & know the system pretty well.
This year I have 3 turkey tags, for 2 different counties & both are in the top 5-6 every years.
I always get at least 2 turkey tags in those 2 counties & most years I get 3
A few years ago I even managed to fill all 3 of my tags, on mature birds.
Nobody can kill 3 birds in Mo. can they ??? :cool:
So IL is better is some ways too.
BTW, I have hunted turkeys in Mo. also.

I also know that most counties don't fill up till about the 3 draw.
Here is the results after the 2nd draw this year.
http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/tURKEY/Spring_Turkey_01_12_09.htm

After the 3rd draw.
http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/tURKEY/Spring_Turkey_02_09.htm

Your county filled up on the 4th draw.
You could have had 2 permits for sure & possibly a 3rd for your county, IF you would have put in during the right time frame.

IL's system is not perfect & it does not please everyone, BUT it is pretty good for what we & our IDNR has to work with, in this state. ;)

If anyone ever has a question on how, where &/or when to apply for IL turkey tags, this is a great place to ask.
Their are a lot of us here, who know how our system here works & will be glad to coach anyone through it.

I think the turkey permit process is ok, I've always done mine via mail so I've never seen the online process discussed initially. I'm all for managing the flock and the ILDNR seems to be doing ok because I'm seeing more birds than years ago.

I do think the spring seasons are terrible! One permit gives the hunter 5 days to hunt. The first season is Monday-Friday which means a hunter misses the first season completely if he/she works during the week. Forget about an afternoon/evening hunt because we all know turkey time ends at noon in IL.

So the working man/woman has to take vacation and generally that means placing the request in advance! So the individual takes all 5 days off and gets lucky and bags a bird opening morning. Now what? Can't hunt again until second season at the earliest. Four days of vacation wasted.

I'd sure like to see the state change the season dates so the first season falls on a weekend. I'd also like to see a permit last a full 7 days instead of just 5. What would you all think of a Saturday-Friday 7 day turkey permit?

>Frank

OTC tags don't work when the demand for the tags exceeds the supply of the the animals you are hunting.

When the demand is greater then the supply a drawing or a lottery must be implemented.

Demand IL's spring turkey & deer gun tags have always outweighed the supply, in most counties.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SPRING TURKEY PERMITS AVAILABLE FOR ISSUANCE AFTER PROCESSING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED 03/16/09
http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/09/Spring_Turkey_03_16_09.htm

As you can see from the IDNR's last update, (Mon, 3/16/09) very few permits are left.

I guess that I have to admit that one of my problems is that I don't understand completely how to get tags here in Il.

Being a transplant from Mo it just seems over managed. It also is a bummer that some people are getting 2-3 tags and some are getting none in the same counties.

I only want one bird so only try to draw one tag. Deer is different, I want the meet but draw the extra tag so that I can keep hunting after the first. I have not run into problems drawing the deer tag since I got one.

My point on over the counter is that I would think the state could generate more revenue and you would not see that many more killed.

I don't really know wat else to say. I guess I'm a little more focused on deer because I have never really hunted turkey but see almost more of them than deer where I hunt...

Healthy debate though so thanks.;)

we all know turkey time ends at noon in IL.



Did this change isn't it 1:00 pm ?

i agree with LYNN on the over the counter tags. it is not good, as lot of hunters do not follow the system to the " T " if you know what i am saying. it sure does no good for any herd or flock, especially with the deer kill (natures desease, MAYBE) we have noticed anything below springfield.

Did this change isn't it 1:00 pm ?

Correct Flat, IL did change the ending time from noon to 1:00 pm a few years ago.

I have also killed two gobblers in that extra hour.

I gave up on turkey last year, partly due to the complicatedness of the application system. Among other things...

I think OTC could work to an extent though, esp for counties with left over tags...or park sites. I know I seen Forbes empty several times during turkey season, and that place has quite a few...

I didn't think that this would turn into a giant debate. I just wanted to express my discontent with the situation at hand. I'm with Chris though. I only wanted one tag and got none. What about the people who got 2 or 3 tags and only end up hunting during one season and harvest only one bird out of those said tags. Now there was one I could have used. I applied for several seasons in the same county and still ended up empty handed. I don't think OTC tags are the answer either but they should give the hunter the choice to get at least one tag if they want to hunt turkeys. After that they can have their lottery and distribute the rest accordingly.

That is just it, the IDNR does offer every resident & every non-res even, a chance for one turkey permit, BEFORE anyone can get a second permit.
All IL resident had 2 drawing deadlines, they could have entered BEFORE one single hunter was given a 2nd permit.
It is not the IDNR fault if people make mistakes, don't double check their applications, don't check the posted results on the IDNR's special web page that they offer OR forget a deadline or two.

The IDNR's system is fair.

Have you called the state yet about your situation ???????

I contacted them. SOL but check is in the mail.

Not a big deal to me. Missouri will generate one more out of state tag sale over the counter to me.

I'll still hunt. May not kill and they get more revenue.

Anyone read the thread about Illinios raising rates on licences and such to increase revenue? The state wants revenue but turns down tag sales to tax paying residents.

I don't even care if I kill a turkey. Just want to hunt and be legal.

What do you think of this Lynn? Anyone else?? Since I hunt private ground would it matter on number of tags issued in the state?

I don't know how turkey works on land owners. It's not my tag but do you think a system would work to buy an owner tag from the state with the owners permission? Something like that??

Just a suggested solution instead of a gripe...;)

hey adam you can call for me this youth season out at the club i got tags for me it is better than just sitting at home and doing nothing

We'll be there for you and Scotts boy too Kodi. I wanna see you guys put the smack down on em... I'll be out Sat. am to find you a big one...

I definetely think over the counteris worth a try. Indiana a similar state and much smaller state has ovc tags and a three week season. Much the same as our dnr is proposing. They are only allowed one bird but are allowed to hunt until sunset, which surely accounts for more birds being harvested. Their harvest total for last year was over 12,000 with an almost identical overall population. Illinois had its second highest harvest last year of over 15,000.With three birds being allowed and hunting only until 1:00. I think we could definetely swing and it would benefit everyone with the added revenue. In the areas I hunt of St. Clair and Randolph Counties its tough to draw one let alone two permits and with the season dates set like they currently are it means the working man who works M-F can only hunt one weekend out of the entire year. No telling what the weather might be like for those two days with wind and rain and so forth. I just dont think the current system is fair to everyone and its time for adjusting.

hey adam you can call for me this youth season out at the club i got tags for me it is better than just sitting at home and doing nothing

Blue, hunt out of the donkey pit. We had 30+ out there one morning with one standing on the lid.:eek:

It was kick butt seeing one that close much less another 30 or so withing 10 yards.:cool:

to huntemall:

how can one think over the counter would work with the way the seasons run. there is no way in H**L it could ever be possible to do. everyone be lined up for a first season draw, then be calling like idiots to see if want second or fourth season when the one is taken already. I may not agree with everything the DNR does, but i hate to see over the counter system in this state for turkey. if ya do not like it, quit tryin to get a permit. or go with the flow. the over the counter deer bow permit in my eyes is a disgrace, as many hunters do not follow the law already on that 1. we defeated the insurance companies in the past for more deer season permits, with the desease kill, and over the counter deer permits, well we just did exactly what the insurance companies wanted. to me we just shot ourselves in our own feet(defeat) in my eyes. i love to hunt as much as anyone, but we do not have the trukey, as does misourri. i hope we never see a over counter permit turkey in this state.

One good thing about the 5 seasons is it keeps the pressure even throughout the season. Of course in MO you can only kill 1 bird the 1st week, then your 2nd after that...

to huntemall:

the over the counter deer bow permit in my eyes is a disgrace, as many hunters do not follow the law already on that 1. we defeated the insurance companies in the past for more deer season permits.

How do hunters not follow the law on the bow permits?


Also, I'm just asking how did we defeat insurance companies for more permits?

more and longer seasons egual more permits. or am i thinking wrong on that one?

oh yeah, i will not say what they call people that do not follow the law to a " T " but it is like something like taken deer illegally. not pointing fingers, but, it is happening, but that happens also with permits being issued vs. over the counter. maybe would not happen as easily if we still had check stations....

Well mark one for the state then, I got a stack of unfilled archery turkey tags. I always get one for the 'jic' moment while deer hunting...and have yet to fill a fall turkey tag.

i AM RIGHT THERE WITH YA RONINSI. i have both my deer archery tags, was not so lucky. i enjoy the hunt still the same.

Sorry, we all know the season ends at 1pm (not noon). Well, at least I do now.:o

I get the "jic" fall archery turkey tag too. After several years now my wallet is getting real fat from unused turkey permits.

I only apply for one turkey permit per year. There has only been one year in the past 5 that I was declined a permit.

I don't know many people who don't get the JIC tag. Hopefully this fall one of the JIC decide to strut on by my stand.;)

Only way I'll get one in IL this year.:)

I always spend $5.50 for one also.

well this coming up weekend is youth season and i hope to get a big old tom to end the year for me until the next year of hunting
this year i have been blessed by the lord to get a lot of game here is wat i have take startign this bow season
i shot my first yote with a bow at 45 yards and smoked it, i shot my first buck an 8 pointer and it is beign mounted , i shot a duck and dont let any body being adam or bob or any body elsa say tha ti missed and shto the water cuz im not putting a bucket of water on the wall for a mount , i shto my first 2 geese and one was banded , then i went down to texas and shot 3 hogs with my bow and then i hope to cap the season off with me taking my first turkey

If your bored i have 2nd season ST Clair and i would luv a camera man. I have a nice set roostedd down the Kaskaski....

I personally think that we should go with the otc tag system. I hate the idea of being pinned down to a specific couple of days to hunt.

Responding to the comment about hunting legally, it doesn't matter how many rules, regulations, seasons, etc. you have the people that poach always will.

Everyone is assuming that every tag that goes out will be filled, we are still hunting and usually the success rate is not very high in Illinois.

I have been watching this thread for a week or so and its been pretty funny i think. First i feel bad for the original poster for not getting a tag BUT its HIS FAULT. Its not a matter or not being important enough its a matter of messing up on the app and not checking things out. I managed to get 2 tags 1st and 5th.

And there has BEEN TONS of people wanting to change the management/tag system here. WHY??? In the past 15 years after restocking most of southern illinois with turkeys they have done AMAZING. I am seeing flocks of 150 in areas that 20 years ago hadnt seen a turkey in 50 years! The success rate is good and if you go your going to see birds. I hunted the first year the season opened and if you didnt have a woodlot where the birds were originally released you were screwed. Now every woodlot has some. Anyone who gets a tag has a legit chance of having a good hunting season and seeing birds. They arent like deer and if your going to get a good one you have to work your tail off and have lots of private land. EVERY CAN GET ON A FLOCK!! WHy change something?

And they dont make it OTC because it would put too many hunters in the woods every day of the season. They can control how many hunters are actually in the woods so it isnt as dangerous and the hunting is still good. Imagine 5 times the hunting pressure in state forest during turkey season. IT WOULD BE A MESS!!

How do the hunters not follow the law? Well with the current tagging system you can hunt on a doe tag and shoot your second buck then go buy the tag before you take possession of your second buck. OR you can cut your tag off your deer... using it only to get home where you process it yourself... and put it back in your wallet and reuse it over and over and over using it as only transportation. Seen a man doing it last year so he could sell the deer for 50 bucks each to friends who " couldnt hunt". But he wanted to shoot them bucks because his customers didnt wanna pay for a 50 pound yearling.

You would see the current otc turkey tags used in the EXACT same way.

Harvey - I've seen exactly those things regarding poaching happen and fear you are correct the very same things would occur during turkey season. Who are we kidding - they already do...

Perhaps it's just me, but another member and I were talking about the turkey tag ordering system just the other day, and it seems there are some "tricks" or perhaps a better word is quirks to ensuring that you a get a turkey tag that a new resident to IL might not know about.. for instance - checking online after a few weeks to insure things are correct... especially for those who order early in the game..perhaps he will expand on them here. I'm a lifelong resident and turkey application process seems a little convoluted to me.. I can see how a mistake could easily happen. I would call this a learning experience for all of us. Check and double check when ordering online..

I suppose I am kidding myself about people abusing the otc system with archery. Sadly its a shame there are that many people who can live with themselves doing it. I just have to research the IL system a little better for next year.;)

I feel for ya Adam, I've messed up on the applications before also, fortunately it was back when 3 tags were possible, so I only gave up one tag. UNbelievably I agree with harvey on this one, I know most people think we should have OTC tags and a three week free-for-all like Missouri, but I like the idea of spreading it out over 5 seasons, my farm is a good example, there are 4 of us that hunt it, we all want to get a bird, right now we usually average 3 out 4 kills, if we were all out for a bird on the same weekend I'm not sure how we would handle it, too much presure and we wouldn't be able to run after the birds like we do now. public land hunting would also be a CLUSTER-MESS! too many people trying for the same birds at one time, I think they would get call shy real quick. I usually hunt public ground at least one season of every year, I can usually find a flock that hasn't had too much pressure and will come to a call. Adam, you need several back up plans, or counties to apply for, on my third lottery application I applied for a combination of 4 different counties and 2 public hunting areas, still no guarantee but it raises the odds. I know St. Clair fills up quick, I still apply for it but haven't got a St. Clair tag in about 5 years. I'll bet next year you and Chris will get at least 2 tags each.

let's not even get the poaching thing started, there will always be cheaters of the systems, people that cheat the game laws and probably everything they do, they probably even cheat at solitare, lol