103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3094

 

Introduced 2/2/2024, by Sen. Dale Fowler

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 5/2.25  from Ch. 61, par. 2.25

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Requires the Department of Natural Resources to review existing rules and regulations governing deer management in a specified area of Southern Illinois and to alter the rules and regulations to address increasing economic damages and public safety concerns in that area of the State. Effective Immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB3094LRB103 37981 JAG 68113 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
5Section 2.25 as follows:
 
6    (520 ILCS 5/2.25)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.25)
7    Sec. 2.25. It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer
8except (i) with a shotgun, handgun, single shot centerfire
9rifle, or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as provided by
10administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during the open
11season of not more than 14 days which will be set annually by
12the Director between the dates of November 1st and December
1331st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only season
14between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the
15purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are
16limited to centerfire handguns that are either a single shot
17or revolver and centerfire rifles that are single shot. The
18only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is a
19bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with
20a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches, or a
21straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger,
22both of which must be available as a factory load with the
23published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a

 

 

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1capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.
2The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches. Full metal
3jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.
4    The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
5management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
6arrow season.
7    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
8with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
9set annually by the Director between the dates of September
101st and January 31st, both inclusive.
11    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
12with (i) a muzzleloading rifle or (ii) bow and arrow during the
13open season for muzzleloading rifles set annually by the
14Director.
15    The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
16forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
17possession limits and those counties of the State where open
18seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
19Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
20    The Department may establish separate harvest periods for
21the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
22found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
23or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
24announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
25shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting.
26    The Department is authorized to establish a separate

 

 

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

 

 

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1    Beginning July 1, 2024, and on an annual basis thereafter,
2the Department shall review existing deer management rules and
3regulations, including length of seasons and bag and
4possession limits for all counties located within Department
5Region V, and shall make adjustments to the rules and
6regulations to address increasing economic damages and public
7safety concerns in Region V beginning with the 2025 regular
8season for deer.
9(Source: P.A. 101-66, eff. 7-12-19; 102-314, eff. 1-1-22;
10102-932, eff. 1-1-23.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.