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1 | AN ACT concerning wildlife.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sections 2.37, 3.1-2, 3.1-4, 3.1-7, and 3.3 and by adding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Sections 1.2q-1 and 1.2q-2 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | (520 ILCS 5/1.2q-1 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Sec. 1.2q-1. Trapping license. "Trapping license" means an | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | electronic or physical license authorizing the person to take | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | a certain type of animal during a specified period of time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | (520 ILCS 5/1.2q-2 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Sec. 1.2q-2. Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit. "Nuisance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Wildlife Control Permit" means an electronic or physical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | license authorizing the person to take a certain type of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | animal as provided in Section 2.37.
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16 | (520 ILCS 5/2.37) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.37)
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17 | Sec. 2.37. Authority to kill wildlife responsible for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | damage. Subject to
federal regulations and Section 3 of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Illinois Endangered Species Act, the Department may authorize | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | owners
and
tenants of lands or their agents to remove or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | destroy any wild bird
or wild mammal when the wild bird or
wild |
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1 | mammal
is known to be destroying property or causing a risk to | ||||||
2 | human health or
safety upon his or her land.
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3 | Upon receipt by the Department of information from the | ||||||
4 | owner, tenant,
or sharecropper that any one or more species of | ||||||
5 | wildlife is damaging dams, levees, ditches, cattle pastures, | ||||||
6 | or other
property on the land on which he resides or controls, | ||||||
7 | together with a
statement regarding location of the property | ||||||
8 | damages, the nature and
extent of the damage, and the | ||||||
9 | particular species of wildlife committing
the damage, the | ||||||
10 | Department shall make an investigation.
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11 | If, after investigation, the Department finds
that damage | ||||||
12 | does exist and
can be abated only by removing or destroying
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13 | that wildlife, a permit shall be
issued by the Department to | ||||||
14 | remove or destroy the species responsible for causing
the | ||||||
15 | damage.
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16 | A permit to control
the damage shall be for a period of up | ||||||
17 | to 90 days,
shall specify the means and methods by which and | ||||||
18 | the person or persons
by whom the wildlife may be removed or | ||||||
19 | destroyed, and shall set forth the
disposition procedure to be | ||||||
20 | made of all wildlife taken and other
restrictions the Director
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21 | considers necessary and appropriate in the
circumstances of | ||||||
22 | the particular case. Whenever possible, the specimens
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23 | destroyed shall be given to a bona-fide public or State | ||||||
24 | scientific,
educational, or zoological institution.
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25 | The permittee shall advise the
Department in writing, | ||||||
26 | within 10 days after the expiration date of
the permit, of the |
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1 | number of individual species of wildlife
taken, disposition | ||||||
2 | made of them, and any other information which
the Department | ||||||
3 | may consider necessary.
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4 | Subject to federal regulations and Section 3 of the | ||||||
5 | Illinois Endangered
Species Act, the Department may grant to | ||||||
6 | an individual,
corporation,
association or a governmental body | ||||||
7 | the authority
to control species protected by this Code | ||||||
8 | pursuant to the issuance of a Nuisance Wildlife Control | ||||||
9 | Permit . The Department
shall set forth applicable regulations
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10 | in an Administrative Order and may require periodic reports | ||||||
11 | listing species
taken, numbers of each species taken, dates | ||||||
12 | when taken, and other pertinent
information.
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13 | Drainage Districts shall have the authority to control | ||||||
14 | beaver provided
that they must notify the Department in | ||||||
15 | writing that a problem exists and
of their intention to trap | ||||||
16 | the animals at least 7 days before the trapping
begins. The | ||||||
17 | District must identify traps used in beaver control outside
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18 | the dates of the furbearer trapping season with metal tags | ||||||
19 | with the district's
name legibly inscribed upon them. During | ||||||
20 | the furtrapping season, traps
must be identified as prescribed | ||||||
21 | by law. Conibear traps at least size 330
shall be used except | ||||||
22 | during the statewide furbearer trapping season. During
that | ||||||
23 | time trappers may use any device that is legal according to the | ||||||
24 | Wildlife
Code. Except during the statewide furbearer trapping | ||||||
25 | season, beaver traps
must be set in water at least 10 inches | ||||||
26 | deep. Except during the statewide
furbearer trapping season, |
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1 | traps must be set within 10 feet of an inhabited
bank burrow or | ||||||
2 | house and within 10 feet of a dam maintained by a beaver.
No | ||||||
3 | beaver or other furbearer taken outside of the dates for the | ||||||
4 | furbearer
trapping season may be sold. All animals must be | ||||||
5 | given to the nearest
conservation officer or other Department | ||||||
6 | of Natural Resources representative
within 48 hours
after they | ||||||
7 | are caught. Furbearers taken during the fur trapping season
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8 | may be sold provided that they are taken by persons who have | ||||||
9 | valid trapping
licenses in their possession and are lawfully | ||||||
10 | taken. The District must
submit an annual report showing the | ||||||
11 | species and numbers of animals caught.
The report must | ||||||
12 | indicate all species which were taken.
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13 | The location of traps or snares authorized under this | ||||||
14 | Section, either by the Department or any other governmental | ||||||
15 | body with the authority to control species protected by this | ||||||
16 | Code, shall be exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of | ||||||
17 | Information Act. | ||||||
18 | (Source: P.A. 97-813, eff. 7-13-12; 97-959, eff. 8-15-12; | ||||||
19 | 98-1045, eff. 8-25-14.)
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20 | (520 ILCS 5/3.1-2) (from Ch. 61, par. 3.1-2)
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21 | Sec. 3.1-2.
Veterans who, according to the determination | ||||||
22 | of the Veterans'
Administration as certified by the Department | ||||||
23 | of Veterans' Affairs, are
at least 10% disabled with | ||||||
24 | service-related disabilities or in receipt of
total disability | ||||||
25 | pensions may hunt and trap any of the species protected by |
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1 | Section
2.2, during such times, with such devices and by such | ||||||
2 | methods as are permitted
by this Act, without procuring | ||||||
3 | hunting and trapping licenses, on the condition that their
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4 | respective disabilities do not prevent them from hunting and | ||||||
5 | trapping in a manner which
is safe to themselves and others.
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6 | (Source: P.A. 83-58.)
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7 | (520 ILCS 5/3.1-4) | ||||||
8 | Sec. 3.1-4. Military members returning from mobilization | ||||||
9 | and service outside the United States. | ||||||
10 | (a) After returning from service abroad or mobilization by | ||||||
11 | the President of the United States as an active duty member of | ||||||
12 | the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, | ||||||
13 | or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces, an Illinois | ||||||
14 | resident may hunt and trap any of the species protected by | ||||||
15 | Section 2.2 of this Code without paying any fees required to | ||||||
16 | obtain a hunting license or a trapping license for the time | ||||||
17 | period prescribed by subsection (b) of this Section if the | ||||||
18 | Illinois resident applies for a license within 2 years after | ||||||
19 | returning from service abroad or mobilization. The applicant | ||||||
20 | shall provide acceptable verification of service or | ||||||
21 | mobilization to the Department either at the Department's | ||||||
22 | office in Springfield or at a Regional Office of the | ||||||
23 | Department. | ||||||
24 | (b) For each year that an applicant is an active duty | ||||||
25 | member pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the |
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1 | applicant shall receive one free hunting license, one free | ||||||
2 | trapping license, one free Deer Hunting Permit as provided in | ||||||
3 | Section 2.26 of this Code and rules adopted pursuant to that | ||||||
4 | Section, and one free State Habitat Stamp. For the purposes of | ||||||
5 | this determination, if the period of active duty is a portion | ||||||
6 | of a year (for example, one year and 3 months), the applicant | ||||||
7 | will be credited with a full year for the portion of a year | ||||||
8 | served. | ||||||
9 | (c) (Blank).
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10 | (c-5) An Illinois resident veteran may obtain an Illinois | ||||||
11 | Hunter Education card if he or she completes the online study | ||||||
12 | section of the Illinois Hunter Education program and provides | ||||||
13 | the Department with acceptable verification of service or | ||||||
14 | mobilization. | ||||||
15 | (d) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable | ||||||
16 | verification of service or mobilization" means official | ||||||
17 | documentation from the Department of Defense or the | ||||||
18 | appropriate Major Command showing mobilization dates or | ||||||
19 | service abroad dates, including: (i) a DD-214, (ii) a letter | ||||||
20 | from the Illinois Department of Military Affairs for members | ||||||
21 | of the Illinois National Guard, (iii) a letter from the | ||||||
22 | Regional Reserve Command for members of the Armed Forces | ||||||
23 | Reserve, (iv) a letter from the Major Command covering | ||||||
24 | Illinois for active duty members, (v) personnel records for | ||||||
25 | mobilized State employees, and (vi) any other documentation | ||||||
26 | that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable |
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1 | to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad. | ||||||
2 | (e) For the purposes of this Section, the term "service | ||||||
3 | abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United | ||||||
4 | States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active | ||||||
5 | duty service in territories and possessions of the United | ||||||
6 | States. | ||||||
7 | (Source: P.A. 98-118, eff. 7-30-13.) | ||||||
8 | (520 ILCS 5/3.1-7) | ||||||
9 | Sec. 3.1-7. Terminally ill hunter or trapper licensing | ||||||
10 | program. In order to facilitate hunting , trapping, and fishing | ||||||
11 | opportunities for a terminally ill person, the Director may | ||||||
12 | issue any license, tag, permit, or stamp and waive fees, | ||||||
13 | including transaction and dealer fees. | ||||||
14 | Youth may take game outside of an established season if | ||||||
15 | that youth is deemed to be terminally ill and the hunt is | ||||||
16 | pre-approved by the Director.
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17 | (Source: P.A. 97-215, eff. 1-1-12.)
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18 | (520 ILCS 5/3.3) (from Ch. 61, par. 3.3)
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19 | Sec. 3.3. Trapping license required. Before any person | ||||||
20 | shall trap any
of the mammals protected
by this Act, for which | ||||||
21 | an open trapping season has been established, he shall
first | ||||||
22 | procure a trapping license from the Department to do so. No | ||||||
23 | traps
shall be placed in the field, set or unset, prior to the | ||||||
24 | opening day of
the trapping season.
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1 | Traps used in the taking of such mammals shall be marked or
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2 | tagged with metal tags or inscribed in lettering giving the | ||||||
3 | name and
address of the owner or the customer identification | ||||||
4 | number issued by the Department, and absence of such mark or | ||||||
5 | tag shall be prima
facie evidence that such trap or traps are | ||||||
6 | illegally used and the trap
or traps shall be confiscated and | ||||||
7 | disposed of as directed by the
Department.
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8 | Before any person 18 years of age or older shall trap, | ||||||
9 | attempt to
trap, or sell the green hides of any mammal of the | ||||||
10 | species defined as
fur-bearing mammals by Section 2.2 for | ||||||
11 | which an open season is established
under this Act, he shall | ||||||
12 | first have procured a State Habitat Stamp.
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13 | Beginning January 1, 2016, no trapping license shall be | ||||||
14 | issued to any
person born on or after January 1, 1998 unless he | ||||||
15 | or she presents to the authorized issuer of the license | ||||||
16 | evidence that he or she has a
certificate of competency | ||||||
17 | provided for in this Section.
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18 | The Department of Natural Resources shall authorize
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19 | personnel of the Department,
or volunteer instructors, found | ||||||
20 | by the Department to be competent,
to provide instruction in | ||||||
21 | courses on trapping techniques and ethical trapping
behavior | ||||||
22 | as needed throughout the State, which courses shall be at | ||||||
23 | least
8 hours in length. Persons so authorized shall provide | ||||||
24 | instruction in such
courses to individuals at no charge, and | ||||||
25 | shall issue to individuals
successfully completing such | ||||||
26 | courses certificates of competency in basic
trapping |
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1 | techniques. The Department shall cooperate in establishing | ||||||
2 | such
courses with any reputable association or organization | ||||||
3 | which has as one of
its objectives the promotion of the ethical | ||||||
4 | use of legal fur harvesting
devices and techniques. The | ||||||
5 | Department shall furnish information on the
requirements of | ||||||
6 | the trapper education program to be distributed free of
charge | ||||||
7 | to applicants for trapping licenses by the persons appointed | ||||||
8 | and
authorized to issue licenses.
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9 | The owners residing on, or bona fide tenants of farm | ||||||
10 | lands, and their
children actually residing on such lands, | ||||||
11 | shall have the right to trap
mammals protected by this Act, for | ||||||
12 | which an open trapping season has been
established, upon such | ||||||
13 | lands, without procuring licenses, provided that
such mammals | ||||||
14 | are taken during the periods of time and with such devices as
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15 | are permitted by this Act.
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16 | Any person on active duty in the Armed Forces or any person | ||||||
17 | with a disability who is a resident of Illinois, may trap any | ||||||
18 | of the species protected by Section 2.2, during such times, | ||||||
19 | with such devices and by such methods as are permitted by this | ||||||
20 | Act, without procuring a trapping license. For the purposes of | ||||||
21 | this Section, a person is considered a person with a | ||||||
22 | disability if he or she has a Type 1 or Type 4, Class 2 | ||||||
23 | disability as defined in Section 4A of the Illinois | ||||||
24 | Identification Card Act. For purposes of this Section, an | ||||||
25 | Illinois Person with a Disability Identification Card issued | ||||||
26 | pursuant to the Illinois Identification Card Act indicating |
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1 | that the person thereon named has a Type 1 or Type 4, Class 2 | ||||||
2 | disability shall be adequate documentation of such a | ||||||
3 | disability. | ||||||
4 | (Source: P.A. 100-638, eff. 1-1-19; 100-964, eff. 8-19-18; | ||||||
5 | 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
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6 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
7 | becoming law.
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