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| Public Act 100-0524 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning wildlife.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
2.30 as follows:
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(520 ILCS 5/2.30) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.30)
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Sec. 2.30. Except as provided in this Section, it 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, bobcat, 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.
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It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or trap bobcat | ||||
in this State on and after the effective date of this | ||||
amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly in the counties of | ||||
Boone, Bureau, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, DeWitt, DuPage, Ford, | ||||
Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, | ||||
LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Marshall, McHenry, McLean, | ||||
Ogle, Peoria, Piatt, Putnam, Stark, Stephenson, Vermilion, | ||||
Will, Winnebago, and Woodford and north of U.S. Route 36 in | ||||
Edgar and Douglas and north of U.S. Route 36 to the junction | ||||
with Illinois Route 121 and north or east of Illinois Route 121 | ||||
in Macon. For the season beginning in 2017, a total number of | ||
350 bobcats may be hunted or trapped lawfully, or the | ||
conclusion of the season occurs, whichever is earlier. For the | ||
season beginning in 2018, a total number of 375 bobcats may be | ||
hunted or trapped lawfully, or the conclusion of the season | ||
occurs, whichever is earlier. The changes added to this Section | ||
by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, except | ||
for this sentence, are inoperative on and after June 30, 2019. | ||
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
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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.
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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, except that a firearm, | ||
pistol, or airgun of a caliber not larger than a .22 long rifle | ||
may be used to remove the animal from the trap.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Muskrat may be taken by trapping methods during an open | ||
season set annually by the Director. | ||
For the purpose of taking fur-bearing mammals, the State | ||
may be
divided into management zones by administrative rule.
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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. The season limit for bobcat shall not exceed one bobcat | ||
per permit. 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. | ||
Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the taking or | ||
possessing of fur-bearing mammals found dead or | ||
unintentionally killed by a vehicle along a roadway during the | ||
open season provided the person who possesses such fur-bearing | ||
mammals has all appropriate licenses, stamps, or permits; the | ||
season for which the species possessed is open; and that such | ||
possession and disposal of such fur-bearing mammals is | ||
otherwise subject to the provisions of this Section. | ||
The provisions of this Section are subject to modification | ||
by administrative rule. | ||
(Source: P.A. 98-463, eff. 8-16-13; 98-924, eff. 8-15-14; | ||
99-33, eff. 1-1-16.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||
2017. | ||