103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2273

 

Introduced 2/14/2023, by Rep. Travis Weaver

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 5/1.2t-2 new
520 ILCS 5/2.25  from Ch. 61, par. 2.25
520 ILCS 5/2.33
520 ILCS 5/1.2bb rep.

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Removes the definition for "single shot". Defines "wildlife rifle" to mean a rifle that can hold up to 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber combined. Replaces references to "single shot" rifles to "wildlife rifles".


LRB103 05161 RJT 50176 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2273LRB103 05161 RJT 50176 b

1    AN ACT concerning wildlife.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
5Sections 1.2bb, 2.25, and 2.33 and by adding Section 1.2t-2 as
6follows:
 
7    (520 ILCS 5/1.2t-2 new)
8    Sec. 1.2t-2. Wildlife rifle. "Wildlife rifle" means a
9rifle that can hold up to 3 rounds in the magazine and chamber
10combined.
 
11    (520 ILCS 5/2.25)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.25)
12    Sec. 2.25. It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer
13except (i) with a shotgun, handgun, single shot centerfire
14wildlife rifle, or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as provided by
15administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during the open
16season of not more than 14 days which will be set annually by
17the Director between the dates of November 1st and December
1831st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only season
19between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the
20purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are
21limited to centerfire handguns that are either a single shot
22or revolver and centerfire wildlife rifles that are single

 

 

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1shot. The only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or
2rifle is a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or
3larger with a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths
4inches, or a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30
5caliber or larger, both of which must be available as a factory
6load with the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer
7showing a capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at
8the muzzle. The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches.
9Full metal jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.
10    The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
11management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
12arrow season.
13    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
14with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
15set annually by the Director between the dates of September
161st and January 31st, both inclusive.
17    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
18with (i) a muzzleloading rifle or (ii) bow and arrow during the
19open season for muzzleloading rifles set annually by the
20Director.
21    The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
22forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
23possession limits and those counties of the State where open
24seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
25Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
26    The Department may establish separate harvest periods for

 

 

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1the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
2found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
3or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
4announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
5shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting.
6    The Department is authorized to establish a separate
7harvest period at specific sites within the State for the
8purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during
9the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This
10season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only
11and shall be established during the period of September 1st to
12February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publicly
13announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
14shooting hours, and the counties and sites open to hunting.
15The Department shall publish suitable prescribed rules and
16regulations established by administrative rule pertaining to
17management restrictions applicable to this special harvest
18program. The Department shall allow unused gun deer permits
19that are left over from a regular season for the taking of deer
20to be rolled over and used during any separate harvest period
21held within 6 months of the season for which those tags were
22issued at no additional cost to the permit holder subject to
23the management restrictions applicable to the special harvest
24program.
25    Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter,
26the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly

 

 

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1providing information regarding deer management programs
2established by the Code or by administrative rule that
3includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each
4separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a
5communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what
6happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season.
7(Source: P.A. 101-66, eff. 7-12-19; 102-314, eff. 1-1-22;
8102-932, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
9    (520 ILCS 5/2.33)
10    Sec. 2.33. Prohibitions.
11    (a) It is unlawful to carry or possess any gun in any State
12refuge unless otherwise permitted by administrative rule.
13    (b) It is unlawful to use or possess any snare or
14snare-like device, deadfall, net, or pit trap to take any
15species, except that snares not powered by springs or other
16mechanical devices may be used to trap fur-bearing mammals, in
17water sets only, if at least one-half of the snare noose is
18located underwater at all times.
19    (c) It is unlawful for any person at any time to take a
20wild mammal protected by this Act from its den by means of any
21mechanical device, spade, or digging device or to use smoke or
22other gases to dislodge or remove such mammal except as
23provided in Section 2.37.
24    (d) It is unlawful to use a ferret or any other small
25mammal which is used in the same or similar manner for which

 

 

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1ferrets are used for the purpose of frightening or driving any
2mammals from their dens or hiding places.
3    (e) (Blank).
4    (f) It is unlawful to use spears, gigs, hooks, or any like
5device to take any species protected by this Act.
6    (g) It is unlawful to use poisons, chemicals, or
7explosives for the purpose of taking any species protected by
8this Act.
9    (h) It is unlawful to hunt adjacent to or near any peat,
10grass, brush, or other inflammable substance when it is
11burning.
12    (i) It is unlawful to take, pursue or intentionally harass
13or disturb in any manner any wild birds or mammals by use or
14aid of any vehicle, conveyance, or unmanned aircraft as
15defined by the Illinois Aeronautics Act, except as permitted
16by the Code of Federal Regulations for the taking of
17waterfowl; except that nothing in this subsection shall
18prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft in the inspection of a
19public utility facility, tower, or structure or a mobile
20service facility, tower, or structure by a public utility, as
21defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or a
22provider of mobile services as defined in Section 153 of Title
2347 of the United States Code. It is also unlawful to use the
24lights of any vehicle or conveyance, any light connected to
25any vehicle or conveyance, or any other lighting device or
26mechanism from inside or on a vehicle or conveyance in any area

 

 

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1where wildlife may be found except in accordance with Section
22.37 of this Act; however, nothing in this Section shall
3prohibit the normal use of headlamps for the purpose of
4driving upon a roadway. For purposes of this Section, any
5other lighting device or mechanism shall include, but not be
6limited to, any device that uses infrared or other light not
7visible to the naked eye, electronic image intensification,
8active illumination, thermal imaging, or night vision. Striped
9skunk, opossum, red fox, gray fox, raccoon, bobcat, and coyote
10may be taken during the open season by use of a small light
11which is worn on the body or hand-held by a person on foot and
12not in any vehicle.
13    (j) It is unlawful to use any shotgun larger than 10 gauge
14while taking or attempting to take any of the species
15protected by this Act.
16    (k) It is unlawful to use or possess in the field any
17shotgun shell loaded with a shot size larger than lead BB or
18steel T (.20 diameter) when taking or attempting to take any
19species of wild game mammals (excluding white-tailed deer),
20wild game birds, migratory waterfowl or migratory game birds
21protected by this Act, except white-tailed deer as provided
22for in Section 2.26 and other species as provided for by
23subsection (l) or administrative rule.
24    (l) It is unlawful to take any species of wild game, except
25white-tailed deer and fur-bearing mammals, with a shotgun
26loaded with slugs unless otherwise provided for by

 

 

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1administrative rule.
2    (m) It is unlawful to use any shotgun capable of holding
3more than 3 shells in the magazine or chamber combined, except
4on game breeding and hunting preserve areas licensed under
5Section 3.27 and except as permitted by the Code of Federal
6Regulations for the taking of waterfowl. If the shotgun is
7capable of holding more than 3 shells, it shall, while being
8used on an area other than a game breeding and shooting
9preserve area licensed pursuant to Section 3.27, be fitted
10with a one-piece one piece plug that is irremovable without
11dismantling the shotgun or otherwise altered to render it
12incapable of holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and
13chamber, combined.
14    (n) It is unlawful for any person, except persons who
15possess a permit to hunt from a vehicle as provided in this
16Section and persons otherwise permitted by law, to have or
17carry any gun in or on any vehicle, conveyance, or aircraft,
18unless such gun is unloaded and enclosed in a case, except that
19at field trials authorized by Section 2.34 of this Act,
20unloaded guns or guns loaded with blank cartridges only, may
21be carried on horseback while not contained in a case, or to
22have or carry any bow or arrow device in or on any vehicle
23unless such bow or arrow device is unstrung or enclosed in a
24case, or otherwise made inoperable unless in accordance with
25the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
26    (o) (Blank).

 

 

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1    (p) It is unlawful to take game birds, migratory game
2birds or migratory waterfowl with a rifle, pistol, revolver,
3or air rifle.
4    (q) It is unlawful to fire a rifle, pistol, revolver, or
5air rifle on, over, or into any waters of this State, including
6frozen waters.
7    (r) It is unlawful to discharge any gun or bow and arrow
8device along, upon, across, or from any public right-of-way or
9highway in this State.
10    (s) It is unlawful to use a silencer or other device to
11muffle or mute the sound of the explosion or report resulting
12from the firing of any gun.
13    (t) It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to
14take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, or allow a dog
15to hunt, within or upon the land of another, or upon waters
16flowing over or standing on the land of another, or to
17knowingly shoot a gun or bow and arrow device at any wildlife
18physically on or flying over the property of another without
19first obtaining permission from the owner or the owner's
20designee. For the purposes of this Section, the owner's
21designee means anyone who the owner designates in a written
22authorization and the authorization must contain (i) the legal
23or common description of property for which such authority is
24given, (ii) the extent that the owner's designee is authorized
25to make decisions regarding who is allowed to take or attempt
26to take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, and (iii) the

 

 

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1owner's notarized signature. Before enforcing this Section,
2the law enforcement officer must have received notice from the
3owner or the owner's designee of a violation of this Section.
4Statements made to the law enforcement officer regarding this
5notice shall not be rendered inadmissible by the hearsay rule
6when offered for the purpose of showing the required notice.
7    (u) It is unlawful for any person to discharge any firearm
8for the purpose of taking any of the species protected by this
9Act, or hunt with gun or dog, or allow a dog to hunt, within
10300 yards of an inhabited dwelling without first obtaining
11permission from the owner or tenant, except that while
12trapping, hunting with bow and arrow, hunting with dog and
13shotgun using shot shells only, or hunting with shotgun using
14shot shells only, or providing outfitting services under a
15waterfowl outfitter permit, or on licensed game breeding and
16hunting preserve areas, as defined in Section 3.27, on
17federally owned and managed lands and on Department owned,
18managed, leased, or controlled lands, a 100 yard restriction
19shall apply.
20    (v) It is unlawful for any person to remove fur-bearing
21mammals from, or to move or disturb in any manner, the traps
22owned by another person without written authorization of the
23owner to do so.
24    (w) It is unlawful for any owner of a dog to allow his or
25her dog to pursue, harass, or kill deer, except that nothing in
26this Section shall prohibit the tracking of wounded deer with

 

 

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1a dog in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.26 of this
2Code.
3    (x) It is unlawful for any person to wantonly or
4carelessly injure or destroy, in any manner whatsoever, any
5real or personal property on the land of another while engaged
6in hunting or trapping thereon.
7    (y) It is unlawful to hunt wild game protected by this Act
8between one-half one half hour after sunset and one-half one
9half hour before sunrise, except that hunting hours between
10one-half one half hour after sunset and one-half one half hour
11before sunrise may be established by administrative rule for
12fur-bearing mammals.
13    (z) It is unlawful to take any game bird (excluding wild
14turkeys and crippled pheasants not capable of normal flight
15and otherwise irretrievable) protected by this Act when not
16flying. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a person from
17carrying an uncased, unloaded shotgun in a boat, while in
18pursuit of a crippled migratory waterfowl that is incapable of
19normal flight, for the purpose of attempting to reduce the
20migratory waterfowl to possession, provided that the attempt
21is made immediately upon downing the migratory waterfowl and
22is done within 400 yards of the blind from which the migratory
23waterfowl was downed. This exception shall apply only to
24migratory game birds that are not capable of normal flight.
25Migratory waterfowl that are crippled may be taken only with a
26shotgun as regulated by subsection (j) of this Section using

 

 

HB2273- 11 -LRB103 05161 RJT 50176 b

1shotgun shells as regulated in subsection (k) of this Section.
2    (aa) It is unlawful to use or possess any device that may
3be used for tree climbing or cutting, while hunting
4fur-bearing mammals, excluding coyotes. However, coyotes may
5not be hunted utilizing these devices during open season for
6deer except by properly licensed deer hunters.
7    (bb) It is unlawful for any person, except licensed game
8breeders, pursuant to Section 2.29 to import, carry into, or
9possess alive in this State any species of wildlife taken
10outside of this State, without obtaining permission to do so
11from the Director.
12    (cc) It is unlawful for any person to have in his or her
13possession any freshly killed species protected by this Act
14during the season closed for taking.
15    (dd) It is unlawful to take any species protected by this
16Act and retain it alive except as provided by administrative
17rule.
18    (ee) It is unlawful to possess any rifle while in the field
19during gun deer season except as provided in Sections 2.25 and
202.26 and administrative rules.
21    (ff) It is unlawful for any person to take any species
22protected by this Act, except migratory waterfowl, during the
23gun deer hunting season in those counties open to gun deer
24hunting, unless he or she wears, when in the field, a cap and
25upper outer garment of a solid blaze orange color or solid
26blaze pink color, with such articles of clothing displaying a

 

 

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1minimum of 400 square inches of blaze orange or solid blaze
2pink color material.
3    (gg) It is unlawful during the upland game season for any
4person to take upland game with a firearm unless he or she
5wears, while in the field, a cap of solid blaze orange color or
6solid blaze pink color. For purposes of this Act, upland game
7is defined as Bobwhite Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Ring-necked
8Pheasant, Eastern Cottontail, and Swamp Rabbit.
9    (hh) It shall be unlawful to kill or cripple any species
10protected by this Act for which there is a bag limit without
11making a reasonable effort to retrieve such species and
12include such in the bag limit. It shall be unlawful for any
13person having control over harvested game mammals, game birds,
14or migratory game birds for which there is a bag limit to
15wantonly waste or destroy the usable meat of the game, except
16this shall not apply to wildlife taken under Sections 2.37 or
173.22 of this Code. For purposes of this subsection, "usable
18meat" means the breast meat of a game bird or migratory game
19bird and the hind ham and front shoulders of a game mammal. It
20shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, dump, or
21abandon a wildlife carcass or parts of it along or upon a
22public right-of-way or highway or on public or private
23property, including a waterway or stream, without the
24permission of the owner or tenant. It shall not be unlawful to
25discard game meat that is determined to be unfit for human
26consumption.

 

 

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1    (ii) This Section shall apply only to those species
2protected by this Act taken within the State. Any species or
3any parts thereof, legally taken in and transported from other
4states or countries, may be possessed within the State, except
5as provided in this Section and Sections 2.35, 2.36, and 3.21.
6    (jj) (Blank).
7    (kk) Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit the
8Director from issuing permits to paraplegics or to other
9persons with disabilities who meet the requirements set forth
10in administrative rule to shoot or hunt from a vehicle as
11provided by that rule, provided that such is otherwise in
12accord with this Act.
13    (ll) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the
14taking of aquatic life protected by the Fish and Aquatic Life
15Code or birds and mammals protected by this Act, except deer
16and fur-bearing mammals, from a boat not camouflaged or
17disguised to alter its identity or to further provide a place
18of concealment and not propelled by sail or mechanical power.
19However, only shotguns not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller
20than .410 bore loaded with not more than 3 shells of a shot
21size no larger than lead BB or steel T (.20 diameter) may be
22used to take species protected by this Act.
23    (mm) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the use
24of a shotgun, not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller than a 20
25gauge, with a rifled barrel.
26    (nn) It shall be unlawful to possess any species of

 

 

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1wildlife or wildlife parts taken unlawfully in Illinois, any
2other state, or any other country, whether or not the wildlife
3or wildlife parts are is indigenous to Illinois. For the
4purposes of this subsection, the statute of limitations for
5unlawful possession of wildlife or wildlife parts shall not
6cease until 2 years after the possession has permanently
7ended.
8    (oo) It is unlawful while deer hunting to possess or be in
9close proximity to a rifle that is not a centerfire wildlife
10rifle. :
11        (1) to possess or be in close proximity to a rifle that
12    is not centerfire; or
13        (2) be in possession of or in close proximity to a
14    magazine that is capable of making a rifle not a single
15    shot.
16(Source: P.A. 102-237, eff. 1-1-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22;
17102-932, eff. 1-1-23; revised 12-14-22.)
 
18    (520 ILCS 5/1.2bb rep.)
19    Section 10. The Wildlife Code is amended by repealing
20Section 1.2bb.