102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3645

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Avery Bourne

 

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

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall make administrative rules providing for a muzzleloading rifle season and permit for property-only hunting.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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, or muzzleloading rifle or
9(ii) as provided by administrative rule, with a bow and arrow,
10during the open season of not more than 14 days which will be
11set annually by the Director between the dates of November 1st
12and December 31st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day,
13youth-only season between the dates of September 1 and October
1431. For the purposes of this Section, legal handguns include
15any centerfire handguns of .30 caliber or larger with a
16minimum barrel length of 4 inches. The only legal ammunition
17for a centerfire handgun is a cartridge of .30 caliber or
18larger with a capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy
19at the muzzle. Full metal jacket bullets may not be used to
20harvest deer.
21    The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
22management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
23arrow season.

 

 

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1    The Department shall make administrative rules providing
2for a muzzleloading rifle season and permit for property-only
3hunting.
4    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
5with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
6set annually by the Director between the dates of September
71st and January 31st, both inclusive.
8    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
9with (i) a muzzleloading rifle or (ii) bow and arrow during the
10open season for muzzleloading rifles set annually by the
11Director.
12    The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
13forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
14possession limits and those counties of the State where open
15seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
16Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
17    The Department may establish separate harvest periods for
18the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
19found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
20or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
21announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
22shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting, permit
23requirements, application dates, hunting rules, legal weapons,
24and reporting requirements.
25    The Department is authorized to establish a separate
26harvest period at specific sites within the State for the

 

 

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1purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during
2the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This
3season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only
4and shall be established during the period of September 1st to
5February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publish
6suitable prescribed rules and regulations established by
7administrative rule pertaining to management restrictions
8applicable to this special harvest program. The Department
9shall allow unused gun deer permits that are left over from a
10regular season for the taking of deer to be rolled over and
11used during any separate harvest period held within 6 months
12of the season for which those tags were issued at no additional
13cost to the permit holder subject to the management
14restrictions applicable to the special harvest program.
15    Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter,
16the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly
17providing information regarding deer management programs
18established by the Code or by administrative rule that
19includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each
20separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a
21communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what
22happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season.
23(Source: P.A. 101-66, eff. 7-12-19.)