Whats the deal with hunting creeks

[douglaslefler]

Hi, I'm from Northwest Illinois and around here we have lots of creeks. My question is if I find a good creek next to a road, can I just park my car and check it out? I mean creeks can go through a lot of different peoples property and so how would I go about hunting a creek like this? Also one more question for all you creek hunters out there, How do you go about choosing a creek to hunt and how long/times would you hunt there if you are not finding anything? Because some creeks are really long and they could have a campsite near someplace in that creek, correct? Thanks in advance.

[latrans]

To answer your first question - you need to have the landowners permission to be on their property - period.

If you're in coal valley then you are in a artifact rich area (relatively speaking) and I wouldn't skip the opportunity to hunt any creek around there that I had access to. Specifically I would look for creeks that cut into any bluff like area that is close to either the Rock or Mississippi rivers.

[John G. Scoggins]

Is there enough water in the creeks to use a kayak or canoe?If so, that would help you a lot.I would check a 4 mile stretch of a creek before I gave up on it.There's long stretches in my creeks that don't even have flakes or shards.When you get to the right stretches, there's artifacts everywhere.

[mootsman]

Your question depends a lot on state and Federal law. Federal law states that if a stream is navigable then you have the right to traverse it and land adjacent to it out to the high water mark. The issue is the definition of navigable as it is defined differently in many areas. Most folks that canoe or kayak or familiar with this issue and can help you in your area if you know any. The fly in the ointment is that a lot of land owners are unaware of these laws and many county goverments will establish a property line out to the middle of a stream even though technically they shouldn't. Google river law and you can read for hours.

[Wichita]

What Moots said. Here in Oklahoma I carry a copy of OK river law with me. Just in case. I always ask permission before hunting a creek on a regular basis though, just to be polite. But, if they deny me, then I just go with what the law says, which is "all navigable streams are open to the public up to the normal high water mark.".
Check your states laws. Also, do a search on this site for creek hunting tips. There are several threads on it.

[Fluff effect]

You can learn alot from people here the best way to figure it out though is to find some you can walk and keep going back.

[Bonehunter]

Originally Posted by Wichita

What Moots said. Here in Oklahoma I carry a copy of OK river law with me. Just in case. I always ask permission before hunting a creek on a regular basis though, just to be polite. But, if they deny me, then I just go with what the law says, which is "all navigable streams are open to the public up to the normal high water mark.".
Check your states laws. Also, do a search on this site for creek hunting tips. There are several threads on it.

"High water mark"...Uhmmm. Down here in the flatlands, that could include a lot.
Does the high water mark include where the highest waters will flood, like here after a hurricane or even a simple heavy rainfall upstream, that could mean more than 100 yards out and up. We have debris that can be found midway up some pretty stout trees up from the main channels. Do any of you fellow East Texicans or Louisiana Coonies know the answer to this one?

[Cluton]

Normal high water mark!!! Normal, not out of the banks type high water! You East Texicans are always looking for an edge!!! Lol

[joyce]

I live in the same area as you do, just a little more East on the Rock river. I know many of the Creeks around here have mud bottoms making them impossible to walk, there are some with gravel, but you still have to watch out for those spots where you will sink like in quick sand. Joyce

[unfbaseball29]

i live in your area as well (about 35 min from Coal Valley) and would always recommend getting permission to hunt obviously... i have had alot of success hunting creeks that come off major water sources like the Rock, Spoon River, Green River, etc.