HB1648 EngrossedLRB098 05800 MRW 35839 b

1    AN ACT concerning animals.
 
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 Section
52.34 as follows:
 
6    (520 ILCS 5/2.34)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.34)
7    Sec. 2.34. Dog Trials.
8    (a) Dogs of any breed may be trained the year round in
9accordance with the provisions of this Act.
10    (b) During the periods of time when it is unlawful to take
11species protected by this Act, the only firearms which shall be
12used in the training of dogs from sunrise to sunset shall be
13pistols with blank cartridges. No other gun or ammunition may
14be in immediate possession during this time. No person or
15persons in, along with, or accompanying the dog training party,
16shall be in possession of any firearm or live ammunition,
17except pistols capable of firing only blank cartridges during
18the hours from sunset to sunrise. All organized field trials or
19training grounds approved by the Department shall be exempt
20from this provision.
21    (c) No field trial shall be held without a permit from the
22Department.
23    The following Department areas shall be designated as

 

 

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1horseback field trial sites; Lee County Conservation Area, Des
2Plaines Conservation Area, Moraine View State Park, Middle Fork
3Fish and Wildlife Area, Hamilton County Conservation Area, and
4Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. The Department shall provide and
5maintain quality wildlife habitat on these sites.
6    Field trials shall be scheduled only from September 1
7through April 30 in the Northern Zone and September 1 through
8April 15 in the Southern Zone. The Department maintains the
9authority to schedule and administer field trials. The boundary
10between the Northern Zone and the Southern Zone shall be U.S.
11Route 36. However, (i) if the opening date of the field trial
12season falls on Sunday, the season will begin on Saturday of
13that weekend; and (ii) if the closing date of the field trial
14season falls on Saturday, the season will conclude on Sunday of
15that weekend; and (iii) if during the final days of the field
16trial season a field trial organization begins a field trial
17which is subsequently interrupted due to inclement weather, the
18field trial organization may complete the trial, subject to the
19Department's approval, even though the field trial season has
20ended. The field trial organization must complete the trial on
21the first possible day or days. Field trials for the retrieving
22breeds are exempt from these field trials season provisions and
23shall have no closed season.
24    The fee for field trials shall be established by the
25Department by rule.
26    (d) The Department is authorized to designate dog training

 

 

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1areas and to grant permits for all field trials including those
2field trials where game birds reared under Section 3.23 are
3released and taken in accordance with the rules and regulations
4set forth by the Department. Applications for permits for such
5trials and training areas shall be accompanied by detailed
6information as to the date and the location of the grounds
7where such trial area or training grounds is located.
8Applicants for field trial or dog training permits must have
9the consent of the landowner prior to applying for such permit.
10Fees and other regulations will be set by administrative rule.
11    (e) All permits for designated dog training areas shall
12expire March 31st of each year.
13    (f) Permit holders for designated dog training areas must
14possess a wild game breeder's permit or a game breeding and
15hunting preserve area permit and may utilize live bird recall
16devices on such areas.
17    (g) Nothing shall prevent an individual from using a dog in
18the taking of squirrel during the open season.
19    (h) All hand reared game released and shot at field trials
20shall be properly identified with tags as provided for by this
21Act and such birds shall be banded before they are removed from
22the field trial area.
23    (i) Prior to holding any organized coonhound event with at
24least 25 participants, the individual or organization
25responsible for the event is required to notify adjacent
26landowners of the upcoming event except when an organized

 

 

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1coonhound event involves only local organizers, same day
2registration, and the event reasonably expects fewer than 25
3participants. The local organizers of an organized coonhound
4event meeting the notification exception requirements of this
5subsection shall not be in violation of this subsection if more
6than 25 participants are registered at the start of the event.
7The notice, in writing, shall be delivered to the adjacent
8landowners 30 days prior to the organized coonhound event by
9certified mail. The notice shall include the name of the
10sanctioning individual or organization responsible for the
11organized coonhound event, the date or dates, the hours of the
12events, the locations the events are to be held and a valid,
13operational phone number of the sanctioning individual or
14organization for the day of the event, which shall not exceed
1514 consecutive days.
16    For the purposes of this subsection "participant" means a
17coonhound.
18(Source: P.A. 86-920; 87-1051.)