[Steverino]

I think that you are beginning to see more groups like the NRA awaken to the plight of hunting and accessible property for the common everyday joe.

Like McPat has stated, I know first-hand the amount of both public and private land that has been gobbled up by independant outfitters is staggering here in Illinois.

I cannot speak for other areas of the country but here in Illinois, once you get far and beyond the Chicagoland area, there are some good public hunting lands-you just have to be willing to be more innovative and work harder than the next guy.

Let's face it, it's alot easier to hunt less pressured quarry.

With that being said, I will most likely be returning to more public hunting areas further out within the state in the near future as my buddy has sold off his farmland and I don't know how much longer I'll be given hunting privelidges on this land. When I had first hunted it the first couple of seasons, it was almost magical. I saw so many deer in their natural habitat. I knew though even then that I had a great thing and really savored each and every moment. I never saw another human or heard any other noise other than the woods, rustling of squirrels in the autumn leaves, or the soft hooves of a deer.

Since the property was sold last year, I've gone from seeing 4-5 deer an outing to 4-5 in a season, if I'm lucky. They run ATV's and motorcross all over the property field edges etc. Hey, it's their property so I can't really complain, right?

I decided to check out some other public property after last season and booked a weekend trip with an outfitter just to ensure that I'd hopefully be in a position to see deer.

Like most of you, I too dream of owning a small tract of hunting property that I'd hopefully be able to pass down along with the hunting traditions to my own children. Until that time, I'll be scouting and hitting the public spots in the boonies.