HB5799 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 19043 JDS 34434 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB5799

Introduced 2/10/2010, by Rep. Ed Sullivan, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

520 ILCS 5/2.33a	from Ch. 61, par. 2.33a
520 ILCS 5/2.37	from Ch. 61, par. 2.37

Amends the Wildlife Code. Removes provisions prohibiting the placement, setting, use, and maintenance of certain traps. Removes a provision authorizing drainage districts to use certain types of traps. Also makes technical changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

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 2.33a and 2.37 as follows:

(520 ILCS 5/2.33a) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.33a)

Sec. 2.33a. (a) It is unlawful to fail to visit and remove, at least once each calendar day, all animals from traps staked out, set, used, tended, placed, or maintained at least once each calendar day.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to place, set, use, or maintain, on land, a leghold trap or one of similar construction on land, that has a jaw spread of larger than 6 1/2 inches (16.6 CM), or a body-gripping trap or one of similar construction having a jaw spread larger than 7 inches (17.8 CM) on a side if square and 8 inches (20.4 CM) if round;

(c) It is unlawful for any person to place, set, use, or maintain, in water, a leghold trap or one of similar construction in water, that has a jaw spread of larger than 7 1/2 inches (19.1 CM), or a body-gripping trap or one of similar construction having a jaw spread larger than 10 inches (25.4 CM) on a side if square and 12 inches (30.5 CM) if round;

(d) It is unlawful to use any trap with saw-toothed, spiked, or toothed jaws;

(e) It is unlawful to destroy, disturb, or in any manner interfere with dams, lodges, burrows, or feed beds of beaver while trapping for beaver or to set a trap inside a muskrat house or beaver lodge, except that this shall not apply to Drainage Districts who are acting pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.37;

(f) It is unlawful to trap beaver with: (1) a leghold trap or one of similar construction having a jaw spread of less than 5 1/2 inches (13.9 CM) or more than 7 1/2 inches (19.1 CM), or (2) a body-gripping trap or one of similar construction having a jaw spread of less than 7 inches (17.7 CM) or more than 10 inches (25.4 CM) on a side if square and 12 inches (30.5 CM) if round, except that these restrictions shall not apply during the open season for trapping muskrats;

(g) It is unlawful to set traps closer than 10 feet (3.05 M) from any hole or den which may be occupied by a game mammal or fur-bearing mammal, except that this restriction shall not apply to water sets.

(h) It is unlawful to trap or attempt to trap any fur-bearing mammal with any colony, cage, box, or stove-pipe trap designed to take more than one mammal at a single setting.

(i) It is unlawful for any person to set or place any trap designed to take any fur-bearing mammal protected by this Act during the closed trapping season. Proof that any trap was placed during the closed trapping season shall be deemed prima facie evidence of a violation of this provision.

(j) It is unlawful to place, set, or maintain any leghold trap or one of similar construction within thirty (30) feet (9.14 m) of bait placed in such a manner or position that it is not completely covered and concealed from sight, except that this shall not apply to underwater sets. Bait shall mean and include any bait composed of mammal, bird, or fish flesh, fur, hide, entrails, or feathers.

(k) It shall be unlawful for hunters or trappers to have the green hides of fur-bearing mammals, protected by this Act, in their possession except during the open season and for an additional period of 10 days succeeding such open season.

(l) It is unlawful for any person to place, set, use, or maintain, in water, a snare trap or one of similar construction in water, that has a loop diameter exceeding 15 inches (38.1 CM) or a cable or wire diameter of more than 1/8 inch (3.2 MM) or less than 5/64 inch (2.0 MM), that is constructed of stainless steel metal cable or wire, and that does not have a mechanical lock, anchor swivel and stop device to prevent the mechanical lock from closing the noose loop to a diameter of less than 2 1/2 inches (6.4 CM).

(Source: P.A. 85-152; 86-1354.)

(520 ILCS 5/2.37) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.37)

Sec. 2.37. Authority to kill wildlife responsible for damage. Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Department may authorize owners and tenants of lands or their agents to remove or destroy any wild bird or wild mammal when the wild bird or wild mammal is known to be destroying property or causing a risk to human health or safety upon his or her land.

Upon receipt by the Department of information from the owner, tenant, or sharecropper that any one or more species of wildlife is damaging dams, levees, ditches, or other property on the land on which he resides or controls, together with a statement regarding location of the property damages, the nature and extent of the damage, and the particular species of wildlife committing the damage, the Department shall make an investigation.

If, after investigation, the Department finds that damage does exist and can be abated only by removing or destroying that wildlife, a permit shall be issued by the Department to remove or destroy the species responsible causing the damage.

A permit to control the damage shall be for a period of up to 90 days, shall specify the means and methods by which and the person or persons by whom the wildlife may be removed or destroyed, and shall set forth the disposition procedure to be made of all wildlife taken and other restrictions the Director considers necessary and appropriate in the circumstances of the particular case. Whenever possible, the specimens destroyed shall be given to a bona-fide public or State scientific, educational, or zoological institution.

The permittee shall advise the Department in writing, within 10 days after the expiration date of the permit, of the number of individual species of wildlife taken, disposition made of them, and any other information which the Department may consider necessary.

Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Department may grant to an individual, corporation, association or a governmental body the authority to control species protected by this Code. The Department shall set forth applicable regulations in an Administrative Order and may require periodic reports listing species taken, numbers of each species taken, dates when taken, and other pertinent information.

Drainage Districts shall have the authority to control beaver provided that they must notify the Department in writing that a problem exists and of their intention to trap the animals at least 7 days before the trapping begins. The District must identify traps used in beaver control outside the dates of the furbearer trapping season with metal tags with the district's name legibly inscribed upon them. During the furtrapping season, traps must be identified as prescribed by law. Conibear traps at least size 330 shall be used except during the statewide furbearer trapping season. During that time trappers may use any device that is legal according to the Wildlife Code. Except during the statewide furbearer trapping season, beaver traps must be set in water at least 10 inches deep. Except during the statewide furbearer trapping season, traps must be set within 10 feet of an inhabited bank burrow or house and within 10 feet of a dam maintained by a beaver. No beaver or other furbearer taken outside of the dates for the furbearer trapping season may be sold. All animals must be given to the nearest conservation officer or other Department of Natural Resources representative within 48 hours after they are caught. Furbearers taken during the fur trapping season may be sold provided that they are taken by persons who have valid trapping licenses in their possession and are lawfully taken. The District must submit an annual report showing the species and numbers of animals caught. The report must indicate all species which were taken.

(Source: P.A. 91-654, eff. 12-15-99.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.