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| Public Act 104-0058 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning wildlife. | ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly: | ||||
Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing | ||||
Section 2.25 as follows: | ||||
(520 ILCS 5/2.25) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.25) | ||||
Sec. 2.25. It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer | ||||
except (i) with a shotgun, handgun, single shot centerfire | ||||
rifle, or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as provided by | ||||
administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during the open | ||||
season of not more than 14 days which will be set annually by | ||||
the Director between the dates of November 1st and December | ||||
31st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only season | ||||
between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the | ||||
purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are | ||||
limited to centerfire handguns that are either a single shot | ||||
or revolver and centerfire rifles that are single shot. The | ||||
only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is a | ||||
bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with | ||||
a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches, or a | ||||
straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger, | ||||
both of which must be available as a factory load with the | ||||
published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a | ||||
capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. | ||
The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches. Full metal | ||
jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer. | ||
The Department shall make administrative rules concerning | ||
management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and | ||
arrow season. | ||
It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except | ||
with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow | ||
set annually by the Director between the dates of September | ||
1st and January 31st, both inclusive. | ||
It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except | ||
with (i) a muzzleloading rifle or (ii) bow and arrow during the | ||
open season for muzzleloading rifles set annually by the | ||
Director. | ||
The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting | ||
forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and | ||
possession limits and those counties of the State where open | ||
seasons are established, to be published in accordance with | ||
Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act. | ||
The Department may establish separate harvest periods for | ||
the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been | ||
found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun | ||
or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly | ||
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and | ||
shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting. | ||
The Department is authorized to establish a separate | ||
harvest period at specific sites within the State for the | ||
purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during | ||
the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This | ||
season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only | ||
and shall be established during the period of September 1st to | ||
February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publicly | ||
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and | ||
shooting hours, and the counties and sites open to hunting. | ||
The Department shall publish suitable prescribed rules and | ||
regulations established by administrative rule pertaining to | ||
management restrictions applicable to this special harvest | ||
program. The Department shall allow unused gun deer permits | ||
that are left over from a regular season for the taking of deer | ||
to be rolled over and used during any separate harvest period | ||
held within 6 months of the season for which those tags were | ||
issued at no additional cost to the permit holder subject to | ||
the management restrictions applicable to the special harvest | ||
program. | ||
If the Department is using its sharpshooting program to | ||
manage chronic wasting disease in a deer herd that is found in | ||
a county in the State and if no cases of that disease have been | ||
identified in that herd in the preceding 3 calendar years, | ||
then the Department shall end the use of that program to manage | ||
chronic wasting disease in that county. However, the program | ||
may be reinstituted within the county if chronic wasting | ||
disease is again identified in that herd. | ||
Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter, | ||
the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly | ||
providing information regarding deer management programs | ||
established by the Code or by administrative rule that | ||
includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each | ||
separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a | ||
communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what | ||
happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season. | ||
(Source: P.A. 101-66, eff. 7-12-19; 102-314, eff. 1-1-22; | ||
102-932, eff. 1-1-23.) | ||