State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB0723

 
                                               LRB9105943DHmg

 1        AN ACT to amend the Wildlife Code  by  changing  Sections
 2    2.25 and 2.26.

 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section 5.  The Wildlife  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 6    Sections 2.25 and 2.26 as follows:

 7        (520 ILCS 5/2.25) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.25)
 8        Sec.  2.25.  It  shall be unlawful for any person to take
 9    deer except (i) with a  shotgun,  handgun,  or  muzzleloading
10    rifle  or (ii) as provided by administrative rule, with a bow
11    and arrow, or crossbow  device  for  handicapped  persons  as
12    defined  in  Section 2.33, during the open season of not more
13    than 14 days which will  be  set  annually  by  the  Director
14    between  the  dates  of  November 1st and December 31st, both
15    inclusive. For the purposes of this Section,  legal  handguns
16    include any centerfire handguns of .30 caliber or larger with
17    a  minimum  barrel  length  of  4  inches.   The  only  legal
18    ammunition  for  a  centerfire  handgun is a cartridge of .30
19    caliber or larger with a capability  of  at  least  500  foot
20    pounds  of  energy  at the muzzle.  Full metal jacket bullets
21    may not be used to harvest deer.
22        The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
23    management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
24    arrow season.
25        It shall be unlawful for any person to take  deer  except
26    with  a  bow  and  arrow,  or crossbow device for handicapped
27    persons (as defined in Section 2.33), during the open  season
28    for  bow  and  arrow set annually by the Director between the
29    dates of September 1st and January 31st, both inclusive.
30        It shall be unlawful for any person to take  deer  except
31    with  (i)  a  muzzleloading  rifle, or (ii) bow and arrow, or
 
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 1    crossbow device for handicapped persons as defined in Section
 2    2.33, during the open season  for  muzzleloading  rifles  set
 3    annually by the Director.
 4        The  Director  shall cause an administrative rule setting
 5    forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
 6    possession limits and those counties of the State where  open
 7    seasons  are  established, to be published in accordance with
 8    Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
 9        The Department is  authorized  to  establish  a  separate
10    harvest  period  at  specific  sites within the State for the
11    purpose of harvesting  surplus  deer  that  cannot  be  taken
12    during  the  regular  season provided for the taking of deer.
13    This season shall be restricted  to  gun  or  bow  and  arrow
14    hunting  only  and  shall be established during the period of
15    September  1st  to  February  15th,   both   inclusive.   The
16    Department   shall  publish  suitable  prescribed  rules  and
17    regulations established by administrative rule pertaining  to
18    management  restrictions  applicable  to this special harvest
19    program.
20    (Source: P.A.  86-1188;  87-126;  87-234;  87-895;   87-1015;
21    87-1243; 87-1268.)

22        (520 ILCS 5/2.26) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.26)
23        Sec.  2.26.  Any  person  attempting  to  take deer shall
24    first obtain a  "Deer  Hunting  Permit"  in  accordance  with
25    prescribed  regulations  set forth in an Administrative Rule.
26    Deer Hunting Permits shall be issued by the Department.   The
27    fee  for  a  Deer Hunting Permit to take deer with either bow
28    and arrow or gun shall not exceed $15.00 for residents of the
29    State.  The Department may by administrative rule provide for
30    non-resident deer hunting permits for which the fee will  not
31    exceed   $100  except  as  provided  below  for  non-resident
32    landowners.  Permits shall be issued without charge to:
33             (a)  Illinois landowners residing  in  Illinois  who
 
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 1        own  at  least 40 acres of Illinois land and wish to hunt
 2        their land only,
 3             (b)  resident  tenants  of  at  least  40  acres  of
 4        commercial agricultural land where they will hunt, and
 5             (c)  shareholders of a  corporation  which  owns  at
 6        least  40  acres of land in a county in Illinois who wish
 7        to hunt on the corporation's land only.  One permit shall
 8        be issued without charge to one shareholder for  each  40
 9        acres  of  land  owned  by  the  corporation in a county;
10        however, the number of permits issued without  charge  to
11        shareholders  of  any corporation in any county shall not
12        exceed 15.
13        Bona fide landowners or tenants who do not wish  to  hunt
14    only  on the land they own, rent or lease or shareholders who
15    do not wish to hunt only on the land owned by the corporation
16    shall be charged the same fee as the applicant who is  not  a
17    landowner,  tenant  or  shareholder. Nonresidents of Illinois
18    who own at least 40 acres of land and wish to hunt  on  their
19    land  only shall be charged a fee set by administrative rule.
20    The method for obtaining these permits shall be prescribed by
21    administrative rule.
22        The deer hunting permit issued without fee shall be valid
23    on all farm lands which the person to whom it is issued owns,
24    leases or rents, except that in the case of a  permit  issued
25    to  a  shareholder,  the  permit  shall be valid on all lands
26    owned by the corporation in the county.
27        The Department may set  aside,  in  accordance  with  the
28    prescribed regulations set forth in an administrative rule of
29    the  Department,  a limited number of Deer Hunting Permits to
30    be available to persons providing evidence of  a  contractual
31    arrangement  to  hunt on properties controlled by a bona fide
32    Illinois outfitter.  The number of available permits shall be
33    based on a percentage of unfilled permits remaining after the
34    previous year's lottery.  Eligible outfitters shall be  those
 
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 1    having  membership  in,  and  accreditation  conferred  by, a
 2    professional  association  of  outfitters  approved  by   the
 3    Department.  The association shall be responsible for setting
 4    professional   standards   and   codes  of  conduct  for  its
 5    membership, subject to Departmental approval.  In addition to
 6    the  fee  normally  charged  for  resident  and   nonresident
 7    permits,  a  reservation  fee  not  to  exceed  $200 shall be
 8    charged to  the  outfitter  for  each  permit  set  aside  in
 9    accordance  with  this  Act.   The  reservation  fee shall be
10    deposited into the Wildlife and Fish Fund.
11        The standards and specifications for use of guns and  bow
12    and   arrow   for   deer  hunting  shall  be  established  by
13    administrative rule.
14        No person may have in  his  possession  any  firearm  not
15    authorized  by  administrative  rule  for  a specific hunting
16    season when taking deer.
17        Persons having a firearm deer  hunting  permit  shall  be
18    permitted  to  take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
19    before sunrise to sunset, and  only  during  those  days  for
20    which an open season is established for the taking of deer by
21    use of shotgun, handgun, or muzzle loading rifle.
22        Persons  having  an  archery deer hunting permit shall be
23    permitted to take deer only during the period from  1/2  hour
24    before  sunrise  to  1/2  hour  after sunset, and only during
25    those days for which an open season is  established  for  the
26    taking of deer by use of bow and arrow.
27        It  shall  be unlawful for any person to take deer by use
28    of dogs, horses, automobiles, aircraft or other vehicles,  or
29    by  the  use  of  salt  or  bait  of  any  kind.   An area is
30    considered as baited  during  the  presence  of  and  for  10
31    consecutive days following the removal of bait.
32        It  shall  be  unlawful  to possess or transport any wild
33    deer which has been injured or killed in any  manner  upon  a
34    public  highway  or  public right-of-way of this State unless
 
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 1    exempted by administrative rule.
 2        Persons hunting deer must have gun unloaded  and  no  bow
 3    and  arrow  device  shall  be  carried  with the arrow in the
 4    nocked position during hours when deer hunting is unlawful.
 5        It shall be unlawful for any  person,  having  taken  the
 6    legal  limit  of deer by gun, to further participate with gun
 7    in any deer hunting party.
 8        It shall be unlawful for any  person,  having  taken  the
 9    legal  limit of deer by bow and arrow, to further participate
10    with bow and arrow in any deer hunting party.
11        The Department may prohibit upland  game  hunting  during
12    the gun deer season by administrative rule.
13        It  shall be legal for handicapped persons, as defined in
14    Section 2.33, to utilize a crossbow  device,  as  defined  in
15    Department rules, to take deer.
16        Any  person  who  violates  any of the provisions of this
17    Section, including administrative rules, shall be guilty of a
18    Class B misdemeanor.
19    (Source: P.A. 89-715, eff.  2-21-97;  90-225,  eff.  7-25-97;
20    90-490, eff. 8-17-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

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