HB1724eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1724 Engrossed LRB097 10510 CEL 50822 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 Sections 2.30 and 2.33a and by adding Section 2.30b as follows:

(520 ILCS 5/2.30) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.30)

Sec. 2.30. It shall be unlawful for any person to trap or to hunt with gun, dog, dog and gun, or bow and arrow, gray fox, red fox, raccoon, weasel, mink, muskrat, badger, and opossum except during the open season which will be set annually by the Director between 12:01 a.m., November 1 to 12:00 midnight, February 15, both inclusive.

It is unlawful for any person to take bobcat or river otter in this State at any time.

It is unlawful to pursue any fur-bearing mammal with a dog or dogs between the hours of sunset and sunrise during the 10 day period preceding the opening date of the raccoon hunting season and the 10 day period following the closing date of the raccoon hunting season except that the Department may issue field trial permits in accordance with Section 2.34 of this Act. A non-resident from a state with more restrictive fur-bearer pursuit regulations for any particular species than provided for that species in this Act may not pursue that species in Illinois except during the period of time that Illinois residents are allowed to pursue that species in the non-resident's state of residence. Hound running areas approved by the Department shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section.

It shall be unlawful to take beaver, river otter, weasel, mink or muskrat except during the open season set annually by the Director, and then, only with traps.

It shall be unlawful for any person to trap beaver or river otter with traps except during the open season which will be set annually by the Director between 12:01 a.m., November 1st and 12:00 midnight, March 31, both inclusive.

Coyote may be taken by trapping methods only during the period from September 1 to March 1, both inclusive, and by hunting methods at any time.

Striped skunk may be taken by trapping methods only during the period from September 1 to March 1, both inclusive, and by hunting methods at any time.

For the purpose of taking fur-bearing mammals, the State may be divided into management zones by administrative rule.

The provisions of this Section are subject to modification by administrative rule.

It shall be unlawful to take or possess more than the season limit or possession limit of fur-bearing mammals that shall be set annually by the Director. The season limit for river otter shall not exceed 5 river otters per person per season. Possession limits shall not apply to fur buyers, tanners, manufacturers, and taxidermists, as defined by this Act, who possess fur-bearing mammals in accordance with laws governing such activities.

The provisions of this Section are subject to modification by administrative rule.

(Source: P.A. 95-196, eff. 1-1-08.)

(520 ILCS 5/2.30b new)

Sec. 2.30b. River otter pelts. The pelts of river otters shall be tagged in accordance with federal regulation 50 CFR 23.69(e). The Department may require harvest registration and set forth procedures, fees for registration, and the process of tagging pelts in administrative rules. Fees for registration and tagging shall not exceed $5 per pelt.

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

Sec. 2.33a. (a) It is unlawful to fail to visit and remove 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 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 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 or river otter 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 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.)

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