(520 ILCS 5/2.36) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.36)

Sec. 2.36. It shall be unlawful to buy, sell or barter, or offer to buy, sell or barter, and for a commercial institution, other than a regularly operated refrigerated storage establishment, to have in its possession any of the wild birds, or any part thereof (and their eggs), or wild mammals or any parts thereof, protected by this Act unless done as hereinafter provided:

Game birds or any parts thereof (and their eggs), may be held, possessed, raised and sold, or otherwise dealt with, as provided in Section 3.23 of this Act or when legally produced under similar special permit in another state or country and legally transported into the State of Illinois; provided that such imported game birds or any parts thereof, shall be marked with permanent irremovable tags, or similar devices, to establish and retain their origin and identity;

Rabbits may be legally taken and possessed as provided in Sections 3.23, 3.24, and 3.26 of this Act;

Deer, or any parts thereof, may be held, possessed, sold or otherwise dealt with as provided in this Section and Sections 3.23 and 3.24 of this Act;

If a properly tagged deer is processed at a licensed meat processing facility, the meat processor at the facility is an active member of the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program, and the owner of the deer (i) fails to claim the processed deer within a reasonable time or (ii) notifies the licensed meat processing facility that the owner no longer wants the processed deer, then the deer meat may be given away by the licensed meat processor to another person or donated to any other charitable organization or community food bank that receives wild game meat. The licensed meat processing facility may charge the person receiving the deer meat a reasonable and customary processing fee;

Meat processors who are active members of the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program shall keep written records of all deer received. Records shall include the following information:

(1) the date the deer was received;

(2) the name, address, and telephone number of the person from whom the deer was received;

(3) whether the deer was received as a whole carcass or as deboned meat; if the deer was brought to the meat processor as deboned meat, the processor shall include the weight of the meat;

(4) the number and state of issuance of the permit of the person from whom the deer was received; in the absence of a permit number, the meat processor may rely on the written certification of the person from whom the deer was received that the deer was legally taken or obtained; and

(5) if the person who originally delivered the deer to the meat processor fails to collect or make arrangements for the packaged deer meat to be collected and the meat processor gives all or part of the unclaimed deer meat to another person, the meat processor shall maintain a record of the exchange; the meat processor's records shall include the customer's name, physical address, telephone number, as well as the quantity and type of deer meat given to the customer. The meat processor shall also include the amount of compensation received for the deer meat in his or her records.

Meat processor records for unclaimed deer meat shall be open for inspection by any peace officer at any reasonable hour. Meat processors shall maintain records for a period of 2 years after the date of receipt of the wild game or for as long as the specimen or meat remains in the meat processors possession, whichever is longer;

No meat processor shall have in his or her possession any deer that is not listed in his or her written records and properly tagged or labeled;

All licensed meat processors who ship any deer or parts of deer that have been held, possessed, or otherwise dealt with shall tag or label the shipment, and the tag or label shall state the name of the meat processor;

Nothing in this Section removes meat processors from responsibility for the observance of any State or federal laws, rules, or regulations that may apply to the meat processing business;

Fur-bearing mammals, or any parts thereof, may be held, possessed, sold or otherwise dealt with as provided in Sections 3.16, 3.24, and 3.26 of this Act or when legally taken and possessed in Illinois or legally taken and possessed in and transported from other states or countries;

It is unlawful for any person to act as a nuisance wildlife control operator for fee or compensation without a permit as provided in subsection subsection (b) of Section 2.37 of this Act unless such trapping is in compliance with Section 2.30.

The inedible parts of game mammals may be held, possessed, sold or otherwise dealt with when legally taken, in Illinois or legally taken and possessed in and transported from other states or countries.

Failure to establish proof of the legality of possession in another state or country and importation into the State of Illinois, shall be prima facie evidence that such game birds or any parts thereof, and their eggs, game mammals and fur-bearing mammals, or any parts thereof, were taken within the State of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 103-37, eff. 6-9-23.)