Hollow Ground archery hunts are designed for success. We want all our clients to have a great hunting experience, and because mother nature doesn’t always cooperate, we believe more days in the field offer better opportunities to fill a tag. A longer hunt provides more opportunity to experience favorable weather conditions as well.

Also, we don’t start hunting the farms until the time is right. Plenty of deer are taken in Illinois early in the season, but we believe it is best to wait until closer to the rut to hunt mature bucks. The last week of October is when we adjust our clocks. It’s also when the leaves change color, the acorns have fallen and farmers are harvesting their crops. Most important, it’s when bucks get anxious. The pre-rut is typically in full swing by the 20th of October, and that is when we start to hunt. The farms are fresh, and our collection of trail camera pictures will help our guides provide you with an optimum opportunity. We keep hunter numbers down to minimize the pressure on our farms. As experienced hunters know, mature bucks tolerate very little pressure before they find a new home. Because we don’t hunt until later in October, our farms offer a sanctuary from all the hunting pressure on surrounding properties. Minimizing pressure and proper harvest guidelines ensure Hollow Ground has the highest percentage of mature bucks available.

Our Firearm hunts coincide with state regulations and dates. Illinois’ first gun season typically coincides with the tail end of our rut. It is a three-day season that falls on the third weekend of November.

The second firearms season takes place two weeks later and it is a four-day hunt centered throughout the first weekend in December. Cold weather gets the deer on food sources, and bucks begin to roam in search of does entering the secondary rut.

The third firearms season is for muzzleloaders only. It falls on the weekend after the second gun season. The secondary rut is in full swing, as the does that did not get bred on the first cycle will typically be bred during this time frame.

Illinois allows the use of crossbows state wide during the entire archery season.  Our clients are able to utilize crossbows during all of our archery hunts.

Late season hunts can offer fantastic opportunities to harvest a mature buck. Our late season hunts are planned during the summer. Our selection of food sources and locations create the perfect setting to ambush those bruisers that made it through the peak of the season. After our muzzleloader season is finished, our herd gets a break from the pressure which allow the deer to get back to a normal feeding pattern. Cold weather is the recipe for success during this time along with the moon phase. We will offer one hunt during the late season period and it will occur on or as close to the dark moon phase as possible. We reserve special rates for our return hunters that were unable to fill their tags to come back out for another opportunity. The cost of the hunt for return clients is $300 per day. Please contact us with any questions you may have regarding this or any of our other hunts.