Anytime you can be in the woods in IL during November is pretty good, but if I had to narrow it down to one week for the best hunting it would be 11/6 through 11/13! The bucks seem to be really chasing during that 7 day strech around here anyway!

You will kill your buck on November 13th. Hunt all you want before and after that date.

I've always considered Nov. 10-15th the prime, but I've seen it good past this as well.
tb

You'll never go wrong taking off the second week in Nov. Third week isn't bad either.
                                   James

ive always had my best luck here around the 5th of november.

agree with 11/5-11/13 ish..
shot mine on Nov 7 2008
they say for the midwest, Nov 7 +/- 2 days are the best 5 days of the year. Most midwest deer have approx the same schedule. It is a bell shaped curve of course when it comes to anything, and Illinois has little pressure so can be good most of the season. I would go prior to firearm season.

this is of course if the weather cooperates.
2008 season was great around Oct 30 with the cold front, stunk when it warmed up, and then Nov 7 it cooled down again and things got heated up. even in the warm weather they were moving, but at night or very low light in the AM/PM.

The week of Vet's Day.

I would also check the moon phase. I do not like the full moon during the peak rut.

Nearest to Veteran's day as you can get in the woods. Trust me you won't regret it. Shleprock-Il deer hunter.

I'm with Dennis. Hap

the 5th-15th that way you wont miss it and you can get to see a bit of all phases, to early and lots of 1 and 2 year olds running around, to late locked down with does, and your waiting to catch a big boy between does. I have killed 2 big Ohio bucks during lock down and 1 early on Halloween that I rattled in but most of our big midwest bucks seem to come from the 8th till the 12th as the majority, so veterans week seems like a good bet if ya only got 1 week to hunt.
Chris

I used to always take the second week of Nov. off. My buddy always took the first week off. He always seemed to do better than me seeing deer on the move.

 
Thanks gents for all the help. I just checked my calendar and this is what is printed........

FULL MOON, 2 NOV.......LAST QUARTER, THE 9TH    
VETERANS DAY IS THE 11TH
NEW MOON IS THE 16TH..............

I'M THINKING THE 8TH TO THE 19TH..........  

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?????????????

halloween weekend is great because a lot of times it's the first cold snap and the bucks go crazy, but if you have a warm year you might be in trouble, Illinois is awesome so i don't think you'll go wrong with the first or second week of november, but i've never held a tag past the 8th of november, and my dad and bro's most often do the same. So my vote is probably for the first week in November when the deer are in the pre-rut chase phase, they seem to respond very well to calling then as well.

November 1st -15th is all good. I prefer the 5th-12th. I hunt public ground and the last week before gun season always seems so crowded. It seems to really vary a little with location and weather.