99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB1551

 

Introduced 2/20/2015, by Sen. William R. Haine

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
520 ILCS 5/2.26  from Ch. 61, par. 2.26

    Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall authorize by rule the use of a rifle for deer hunting for the second and third deer hunting seasons. Provides that the rules shall only authorize the use of .24 caliber or larger cartridges with at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle and shall prohibit the use of any rifle capable of holding more than 5 shells in the magazine and chamber, combined.


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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 Section
52.26 as follows:
 
6    (520 ILCS 5/2.26)  (from Ch. 61, par. 2.26)
7    Sec. 2.26. Deer hunting permits. In this Section, "bona
8fide equity shareholder" means an individual who (1) purchased,
9for market price, publicly sold stock shares in a corporation,
10purchased shares of a privately-held corporation for a value
11equal to the percentage of the appraised value of the corporate
12assets represented by the ownership in the corporation, or is a
13member of a closely-held family-owned corporation and has
14purchased or been gifted with shares of stock in the
15corporation accurately reflecting his or her percentage of
16ownership and (2) intends to retain the ownership of the shares
17of stock for at least 5 years.
18    In this Section, "bona fide equity member" means an
19individual who (1) (i) became a member upon the formation of
20the limited liability company or (ii) has purchased a
21distributional interest in a limited liability company for a
22value equal to the percentage of the appraised value of the LLC
23assets represented by the distributional interest in the LLC

 

 

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1and subsequently becomes a member of the company pursuant to
2Article 30 of the Limited Liability Company Act and who (2)
3intends to retain the membership for at least 5 years.
4    In this Section, "bona fide equity partner" means an
5individual who (1) (i) became a partner, either general or
6limited, upon the formation of a partnership or limited
7partnership, or (ii) has purchased, acquired, or been gifted a
8partnership interest accurately representing his or her
9percentage distributional interest in the profits, losses, and
10assets of a partnership or limited partnership, (2) intends to
11retain ownership of the partnership interest for at least 5
12years, and (3) is a resident of Illinois.
13    Any person attempting to take deer shall first obtain a
14"Deer Hunting Permit" issued by the Department in accordance
15with its administrative rules. Those rules must provide for the
16issuance of the following types of resident deer archery
17permits: (i) a combination permit, consisting of one either-sex
18permit and one antlerless-only permit, (ii) a single
19antlerless-only permit, and (iii) a single either-sex permit.
20The fee for a Deer Hunting Permit to take deer with either bow
21and arrow or gun shall not exceed $25.00 for residents of the
22State. The Department may by administrative rule provide for
23non-resident deer hunting permits for which the fee will not
24exceed $300 in 2005, $350 in 2006, and $400 in 2007 and
25thereafter except as provided below for non-resident
26landowners and non-resident archery hunters. The Department

 

 

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1may by administrative rule provide for a non-resident archery
2deer permit consisting of not more than 2 harvest tags at a
3total cost not to exceed $325 in 2005, $375 in 2006, and $425
4in 2007 and thereafter. Permits shall be issued without charge
5to:
6        (a) Illinois landowners residing in Illinois who own at
7    least 40 acres of Illinois land and wish to hunt their land
8    only,
9        (b) resident tenants of at least 40 acres of commercial
10    agricultural land where they will hunt, and
11        (c) Bona fide equity shareholders of a corporation,
12    bona fide equity members of a limited liability company, or
13    bona fide equity partners of a general or limited
14    partnership which owns at least 40 acres of land in a
15    county in Illinois who wish to hunt on the corporation's,
16    company's, or partnership's land only. One permit shall be
17    issued without charge to one bona fide equity shareholder,
18    one bona fide equity member, or one bona fide equity
19    partner for each 40 acres of land owned by the corporation,
20    company, or partnership in a county; however, the number of
21    permits issued without charge to bona fide equity
22    shareholders of any corporation or bona fide equity members
23    of a limited liability company in any county shall not
24    exceed 15, and shall not exceed 3 in the case of bona fide
25    equity partners of a partnership.
26    Bona fide landowners or tenants who do not wish to hunt

 

 

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1only on the land they own, rent, or lease or bona fide equity
2shareholders, bona fide equity members, or bona fide equity
3partners who do not wish to hunt only on the land owned by the
4corporation, limited liability company, or partnership shall
5be charged the same fee as the applicant who is not a
6landowner, tenant, bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide
7equity member, or bona fide equity partner. Nonresidents of
8Illinois who own at least 40 acres of land and wish to hunt on
9their land only shall be charged a fee set by administrative
10rule. The method for obtaining these permits shall be
11prescribed by administrative rule.
12    The deer hunting permit issued without fee shall be valid
13on all farm lands which the person to whom it is issued owns,
14leases or rents, except that in the case of a permit issued to
15a bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide equity member, or
16bona fide equity partner, the permit shall be valid on all
17lands owned by the corporation, limited liability company, or
18partnership in the county.
19    The standards and specifications for use of guns and bow
20and arrow for deer hunting shall be established by
21administrative rule. The Department shall authorize by rule the
22use of a rifle for deer hunting for the second and third deer
23hunting seasons. The rules shall only authorize the use of .24
24caliber or larger cartridges for deer hunting with at least 500
25foot pounds of energy at the muzzle and shall prohibit the use
26of any rifle capable of holding more than 5 shells in the

 

 

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1magazine and chamber, combined, for deer hunting.
2    No person may have in his possession any firearm not
3authorized by administrative rule for a specific hunting season
4when taking deer.
5    Persons having a firearm deer hunting permit shall be
6permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
7before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
8days for which an open season is established for the taking of
9deer by use of shotgun, handgun, or muzzle loading rifle.
10    Persons having an archery deer hunting permit shall be
11permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
12before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
13days for which an open season is established for the taking of
14deer by use of bow and arrow.
15    It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer by use of
16dogs, horses, automobiles, aircraft or other vehicles, or by
17the use or aid of bait or baiting of any kind. For the purposes
18of this Section, "bait" means any material, whether liquid or
19solid, including food, salt, minerals, and other products,
20except pure water, that can be ingested, placed, or scattered
21in such a manner as to attract or lure white-tailed deer.
22"Baiting" means the placement or scattering of bait to attract
23deer. An area is considered as baited during the presence of
24and for 10 consecutive days following the removal of bait.
25Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the use of a dog to
26track wounded deer. Any person using a dog for tracking wounded

 

 

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1deer must maintain physical control of the dog at all times by
2means of a maximum 50 foot lead attached to the dog's collar or
3harness. Tracking wounded deer is permissible at night, but at
4no time outside of legal deer hunting hours or seasons shall
5any person handling or accompanying a dog being used for
6tracking wounded deer be in possession of any firearm or
7archery device. Persons tracking wounded deer with a dog during
8the firearm deer seasons shall wear blaze orange as required.
9Dog handlers tracking wounded deer with a dog are exempt from
10hunting license and deer permit requirements so long as they
11are accompanied by the licensed deer hunter who wounded the
12deer.
13    It shall be unlawful to possess or transport any wild deer
14which has been injured or killed in any manner upon a public
15highway or public right-of-way of this State unless exempted by
16administrative rule.
17    Persons hunting deer must have gun unloaded and no bow and
18arrow device shall be carried with the arrow in the nocked
19position during hours when deer hunting is unlawful.
20    It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the legal
21limit of deer by gun, to further participate with gun in any
22deer hunting party.
23    It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the legal
24limit of deer by bow and arrow, to further participate with bow
25and arrow in any deer hunting party.
26    The Department may prohibit upland game hunting during the

 

 

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1gun deer season by administrative rule.
2    The Department shall not limit the number of non-resident,
3either-sex either sex archery deer hunting permits to less than
420,000.
5    Any person who violates any of the provisions of this
6Section, including administrative rules, shall be guilty of a
7Class B misdemeanor.
8    For the purposes of calculating acreage under this Section,
9the Department shall, after determining the total acreage of
10the applicable tract or tracts of land, round remaining
11fractional portions of an acre greater than or equal to half of
12an acre up to the next whole acre.
13    For the purposes of taking white-tailed deer, nothing in
14this Section shall be construed to prevent the manipulation,
15including mowing or cutting, of standing crops as a normal
16agricultural or soil stabilization practice, food plots, or
17normal agricultural practices, including planting, harvesting,
18and maintenance such as cultivating or the use of products
19designed for scent only and not capable of ingestion, solid or
20liquid, placed or scattered, in such a manner as to attract or
21lure deer. Such manipulation for the purpose of taking
22white-tailed deer may be further modified by administrative
23rule.
24(Source: P.A. 97-564, eff. 8-25-11; 97-907, eff. 8-7-12;
2598-180, eff. 8-5-13.)