Public Act 098-0913
 
HB5079 EnrolledLRB098 16290 MGM 51350 b

    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
3.3 as follows:
 
    (520 ILCS 5/3.3)  (from Ch. 61, par. 3.3)
    Sec. 3.3. Trapping license required. Before any person
shall trap any of the mammals protected by this Act, for which
an open trapping season has been established, he shall first
procure a trapping license from the Department to do so. No
traps shall be placed in the field, set or unset, prior to the
opening day of the trapping season.
    Traps used in the taking of such mammals shall be marked or
tagged with metal tags or inscribed in lettering giving the
name and address of the owner, and absence of such mark or tag
shall be prima facie evidence that such trap or traps are
illegally used and the trap or traps shall be confiscated and
disposed of as directed by the Department.
    Before any person 16 years of age or older shall trap,
attempt to trap, or sell the green hides of any mammal of the
species defined as fur-bearing mammals by Section 2.2 for which
an open season is established under this Act, he shall first
have procured a State Habitat Stamp.
    Before a trapping license shall be issued to any person
under the age of sixteen years, such person shall obtain the
written consent of his father, mother or legally constituted
guardian to obtain such license.
    Beginning January 1, 2015 1985, no trapping license shall
be issued to any person born on or after January 1, 2015 or who
has not previously held a valid trapping license issued by this
State or another state within the 3 years immediately preceding
the application under 18 years of age unless he or she presents
to the authorized issuer of the person authorized to issue such
license either evidence that he or she has held a trapping
license issued by the State of Illinois or another state in a
prior year, or a certificate of competency provided for in this
Section.
    The Department of Natural Resources shall authorize
personnel of the Department, or volunteer instructors, found by
the Department to be competent, to provide instruction in
courses on trapping techniques and ethical trapping behavior as
needed throughout the State, which courses shall be at least 8
hours in length. Persons so authorized shall provide
instruction in such courses to individuals at no charge, and
shall issue to individuals successfully completing such
courses certificates of competency in basic trapping
techniques. The Department shall cooperate in establishing
such courses with any reputable association or organization
which has as one of its objectives the promotion of the ethical
use of legal fur harvesting devices and techniques. The
Department shall furnish information on the requirements of the
trapper education program to be distributed free of charge to
applicants for trapping licenses by the persons appointed and
authorized to issue licenses.
    The owners residing on, or bona fide tenants of farm lands,
and their children actually residing on such lands, shall have
the right to trap mammals protected by this Act, for which an
open trapping season has been established, upon such lands,
without procuring licenses, provided that such mammals are
taken during the periods of time and with such devices as are
permitted by this Act.
(Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)