The first of two periods allowed by the state of Illinois for deer hunters to use firearms opens Friday, November 16th and will run through Sunday, November 18th. In some cases, hunters will double or triple the population of some small Illinois towns, such as Golconda in the Shawnee National Forest. The Pope County Deer Festival starts there Thursday, and Connie Beck - who leads its planning as president of the Golconda Rotary Club - says they’ll be ready;
Beck says Pope County, which borders Kentucky, doesn’t even have one traffic light. But she explains why some roads during peak deer hunting periods can sometimes be tricky to navigate;
Illinois will also have a second period this year for hunting deer using firearms. That will take place November 29th through December 2nd.
