Section 530.95  Youth Pheasant Hunting Regulations

a)         At the following sites, the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt will be held on:

1)         the Saturday preceding the opening of the statewide upland game season:

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area

Eldon Hazlet State Park (Carlyle Lake)

2)         the Saturday following the opening of the statewide upland game season:

Chain O'Lakes State Park

Des Plaines State Conservation Area

Lee County State Conservation Area (Green River)

Iroquois County State Conservation Area

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park

Kankakee River State Park

Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area

Moraine View State Park

Sand Ridge State Forest

Sangchris Lake State Park

Wayne Fitzgerell State Park (Rend Lake)

3)         the second Sunday following the opening of the statewide upland game season:

Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County)

4)         the third Saturday of March:

World Shooting Complex

5)         the first Saturday of March:

Pere Marquette State Park/Mississippi River Area – Pool 26 State Fish and Wildlife Area

6)         the Saturday two weeks before the opening of the statewide upland game season:

Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area

7)         the first Saturday in November during the opening of statewide upland game season:

Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area – Controlled Unit

b)         Hunting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except that, at Sangchris Lake, hunting hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and, at Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area, Pere Marquette State Park, and the World Shooting Complex, hunting hours are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Hunters with reservations or permits are required to check in at the check station between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. (between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. at Iroquois County and between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. at Sangchris Lake State Park).

c)         All hunters must be between the ages of 10 and 17 inclusive and have a youth hunting permit.  Stand-by permits shall be issued by drawing held at the conclusion of check-in time when daily quotas are not filled.  Hunters under age 18 are not required to pay a daily fee.

d)         Depending on the availability of staff during the controlled pheasant hunting season, hunters may be required to deposit their hunting licenses in the check station while hunting.  Each permit holder must be accompanied by a non-hunting supervisory adult.  If the hunter does not have a valid Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card, the supervisory adult is required to have a valid FOID card.  Only one supervisory adult in a hunting party is required to have a valid FOID card if the hunters in the hunting party stay under the immediate control (accompany youth hunter at all times) of the supervisory adult possessing the valid FOID card.  The supervising adult shall be criminally liable for the actions of the youth in the hunting party and shall be subject to the criminal penalties provided by law.

e)         Supervising adults are required to wear a cap and upper outer garment of solid and vivid blaze orange of a least 400 square inches.  Hunters must wear a back patch issued by the check station.

f)         Persons who have killed game previously and have it in their possession or in their vehicle must declare it with the person in charge of the area prior to hunting on the area.  All previously killed game found in a hunter's possession after hunting has started on the area will be considered illegally taken if the hunter has not declared it prior to going afield.

g)         All hunting must be done with shotguns.  Only shot shells with a shot size of #5 lead or a nontoxic shot size ballistically equivalent to No. 5 lead or smaller may be used, except at Chain O'Lakes State Park, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County), Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park, Lee County Conservation Area (Green River), Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area, Silver Springs State Park and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park where only shot shells approved as nontoxic by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a shot size ballistically equivalent to No. 5 lead or smaller may be used.

h)         Daily Limit

1)         Two pheasants of either sex at Chain O'Lakes State Park, Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, Des Plaines State Conservation Area, Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Iroquois County State Conservation Area, Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County), Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park, Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area, Moraine View State Park, Pere Marquette State Park/Mississippi River Area-Pool 26 State Fish and Wildlife Area, Sand Ridge State Forest, Silver Springs State Park,Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park and the World Shooting Complex.

2)         Two cock pheasants only at the Lee County State Conservation Area (Green River).

3)         Statewide upland game limits at Sangchris Lake State Park.

4)         Two pheasants of either sex, eight quail and four rabbits at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area – Controlled Unit.

i)          All pheasants must be affixed with a Department tag before they are removed from the area.  The tag must remain on the leg of the pheasants until the pheasants are finally prepared for consumption.

j)          Violation of this Section is a petty offense (see 520 ILCS 5/2.6).

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 3840, effective March 1, 2024)