Weather Could Hinder Deer Harvested This Thursday Through Sunday

The second portion of the firearm's season in Illinois will begin this Thursday and run through this Sunday night.  Illinois hunters harvested fewer deer during the opening weekend of the firearm season this year.The deer harvested in the first firearm's season was down compared to recent years.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton says weather was a factor during the opening weekend. He says there was rain and snow and many areas had high winds and frigid temperatures all of which combined to keep many hunters out of the woods and the deer from moving last time.

Unfortunately, the weather may not be the best again for this coming weekend with high temperatures only in the 20's and lows in the teens and single digits this Thursday through Sunday with snow flurries possible all four days.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said Friday that hunters harvested about 55,700 deer a few weeks ago. That's fewer than the approximately 77,100 taken during the first weekend of hunting last year.  Top deer totals recorded during the first firearm's season in November showed  Pike, Jackson, Randolph, Fulton and Adams Counties as the top five countries for deer harvested.

Lets see what it looks like after this Sunday.