104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1462 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26520 ILCS 5/2.33 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that tracking wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals by use of unmanned aircraft is permissible under certain conditions, including that: (1) the wild bird or wild mammal is wounded when a properly licensed hunter has struck the animal with a projectile fired from a legal hunting device during the open season; (2) any person operating the unmanned aircraft has obtained permission from the public or private landowner, or the landowner's authorized representative, before launching or landing the unmanned aircraft from or on the landowner's property; (3) the person operating the unmanned aircraft does not possess or control a firearm, bow, or other implement whereby wildlife could be killed or taken while afield, whether acting singly or as a group of persons while the unmanned aircraft is in flight, except this prohibition does not apply to a person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act if the concealed firearm is not used to take wildlife; and (4) the unmanned aircraft is operated in a manner that does not harass any wildlife. Exempts an operator of an unmanned aircraft that meets these conditions from hunting permit requirements if the operator is not the taker of the wounded animal. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1462 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26520 ILCS 5/2.33 520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11 520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26 520 ILCS 5/2.33 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that tracking wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals by use of unmanned aircraft is permissible under certain conditions, including that: (1) the wild bird or wild mammal is wounded when a properly licensed hunter has struck the animal with a projectile fired from a legal hunting device during the open season; (2) any person operating the unmanned aircraft has obtained permission from the public or private landowner, or the landowner's authorized representative, before launching or landing the unmanned aircraft from or on the landowner's property; (3) the person operating the unmanned aircraft does not possess or control a firearm, bow, or other implement whereby wildlife could be killed or taken while afield, whether acting singly or as a group of persons while the unmanned aircraft is in flight, except this prohibition does not apply to a person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act if the concealed firearm is not used to take wildlife; and (4) the unmanned aircraft is operated in a manner that does not harass any wildlife. Exempts an operator of an unmanned aircraft that meets these conditions from hunting permit requirements if the operator is not the taker of the wounded animal. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1462 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26520 ILCS 5/2.33 520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11 520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26 520 ILCS 5/2.33
520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11
520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26
520 ILCS 5/2.33
Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that tracking wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals by use of unmanned aircraft is permissible under certain conditions, including that: (1) the wild bird or wild mammal is wounded when a properly licensed hunter has struck the animal with a projectile fired from a legal hunting device during the open season; (2) any person operating the unmanned aircraft has obtained permission from the public or private landowner, or the landowner's authorized representative, before launching or landing the unmanned aircraft from or on the landowner's property; (3) the person operating the unmanned aircraft does not possess or control a firearm, bow, or other implement whereby wildlife could be killed or taken while afield, whether acting singly or as a group of persons while the unmanned aircraft is in flight, except this prohibition does not apply to a person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act if the concealed firearm is not used to take wildlife; and (4) the unmanned aircraft is operated in a manner that does not harass any wildlife. Exempts an operator of an unmanned aircraft that meets these conditions from hunting permit requirements if the operator is not the taker of the wounded animal. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
A BILL FOR
HB1462LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 AN ACT concerning wildlife.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
5 Sections 2.11, 2.26, and 2.33 as follows:
6 (520 ILCS 5/2.11) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.11)
7 (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 103-622)
8 Sec. 2.11. Before any person may lawfully hunt wild
9 turkey, he shall first obtain a "Wild Turkey Hunting Permit"
10 in accordance with the prescribed regulations set forth in an
11 administrative rule of the Department. The fee for a Resident
12 Wild Turkey Hunting Permit shall not exceed $15.
13 Upon submitting suitable evidence of legal residence in
14 any other state, non-residents shall be charged a fee not to
15 exceed $125 for wild turkey hunting permits.
16 The Department may by administrative rule allocate and
17 issue non-resident Wild Turkey Permits and establish fees for
18 such permits.
19 It shall be unlawful to take wild turkey except by use of a
20 bow and arrow or a shotgun of not larger than 10 nor smaller
21 than 20 gauge with shot size not larger than No. 4, and no
22 person while attempting to so take wild turkey may have in his
23 possession any other gun unless in accordance with the Firearm
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB1462 Introduced , by Rep. Norine K. Hammond SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26520 ILCS 5/2.33 520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11 520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26 520 ILCS 5/2.33
520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11
520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26
520 ILCS 5/2.33
Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that tracking wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals by use of unmanned aircraft is permissible under certain conditions, including that: (1) the wild bird or wild mammal is wounded when a properly licensed hunter has struck the animal with a projectile fired from a legal hunting device during the open season; (2) any person operating the unmanned aircraft has obtained permission from the public or private landowner, or the landowner's authorized representative, before launching or landing the unmanned aircraft from or on the landowner's property; (3) the person operating the unmanned aircraft does not possess or control a firearm, bow, or other implement whereby wildlife could be killed or taken while afield, whether acting singly or as a group of persons while the unmanned aircraft is in flight, except this prohibition does not apply to a person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act if the concealed firearm is not used to take wildlife; and (4) the unmanned aircraft is operated in a manner that does not harass any wildlife. Exempts an operator of an unmanned aircraft that meets these conditions from hunting permit requirements if the operator is not the taker of the wounded animal. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
A BILL FOR
520 ILCS 5/2.11 from Ch. 61, par. 2.11
520 ILCS 5/2.26 from Ch. 61, par. 2.26
520 ILCS 5/2.33
LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 2 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 2 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 2 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 Concealed Carry Act.
2 It shall be unlawful to take, or attempt to take wild
3 turkey except during the time from 1/2 hour before sunrise to
4 1/2 hour after sunset or during such lesser period of time as
5 may be specified by administrative rule, during those days for
6 which an open season is established.
7 It shall be unlawful for any person to take, or attempt to
8 take, wild turkey by use of dogs, horses, automobiles,
9 aircraft or other vehicles, or conveyances, or by the use or
10 aid of bait or baiting of any kind. For the purposes of this
11 Section, "bait" means any material, whether liquid or solid,
12 including food, salt, minerals, and other products, except
13 pure water, that can be ingested, placed, or scattered in such
14 a manner as to attract or lure wild turkeys. "Baiting" means
15 the placement or scattering of bait to attract wild turkeys.
16 An area is considered as baited during the presence of and for
17 10 consecutive days following the removal of the bait.
18 It is unlawful for any person to take in Illinois or have
19 in his possession more than one wild turkey per valid permit.
20 For the purposes of calculating acreage under this
21 Section, the Department shall, after determining the total
22 acreage of the applicable tract or tracts of land, round
23 remaining fractional portions of an acre greater than or equal
24 to half of an acre up to the next whole acre.
25 For the purposes of taking wild turkey, nothing in this
26 Section shall be construed to prevent the manipulation,
HB1462 - 2 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 3 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 3 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 3 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 including mowing or cutting, of standing crops as a normal
2 agricultural or soil stabilization practice, food plots, or
3 normal agricultural practices, including planting, harvesting,
4 and maintenance such as cultivating. Such manipulation for the
5 purpose of taking wild turkey may be further modified by
6 administrative rule.
7 (Source: P.A. 102-237, eff. 1-1-22.)
8 (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 103-622)
9 Sec. 2.11. Before any person may lawfully hunt wild
10 turkey, he shall first obtain a "Wild Turkey Hunting Permit"
11 in accordance with the prescribed regulations set forth in an
12 administrative rule of the Department. The fee for a Resident
13 Wild Turkey Hunting Permit shall not exceed $15.
14 Upon submitting suitable evidence of legal residence in
15 any other state, non-residents shall be charged a fee not to
16 exceed $125 for wild turkey hunting permits.
17 The Department may by administrative rule allocate and
18 issue non-resident Wild Turkey Permits and establish fees for
19 such permits.
20 It shall be unlawful to take wild turkey except by use of a
21 bow and arrow or a shotgun of not larger than 10 gauge nor
22 smaller than .410 bore. The Department may by administrative
23 rule restrict shot size, material, or density. No person while
24 attempting to so take wild turkey may have in his possession
25 any other gun unless in accordance with the Firearm Concealed
HB1462 - 3 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 4 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 4 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 4 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 Carry Act.
2 It shall be unlawful to take, or attempt to take wild
3 turkey except during the time from 1/2 hour before sunrise to
4 1/2 hour after sunset or during such lesser period of time as
5 may be specified by administrative rule, during those days for
6 which an open season is established.
7 It shall be unlawful for any person to take, or attempt to
8 take, wild turkey by use of dogs, horses, automobiles,
9 aircraft or other vehicles, or conveyances, or by the use or
10 aid of bait or baiting of any kind. For the purposes of this
11 Section, "bait" means any material, whether liquid or solid,
12 including food, salt, minerals, and other products, except
13 pure water, that can be ingested, placed, or scattered in such
14 a manner as to attract or lure wild turkeys. "Baiting" means
15 the placement or scattering of bait to attract wild turkeys.
16 An area is considered as baited during the presence of and for
17 10 consecutive days following the removal of the bait.
18 Tracking wounded wild mammals or wounded wild birds, including
19 wounded wild turkey, by use of unmanned aircraft is
20 permissible under the conditions stated in paragraph (2) of
21 subsection (i) of Section 2.33 of this Act.
22 It is unlawful for any person to take in Illinois or have
23 in his possession more than one wild turkey per valid permit.
24 For the purposes of calculating acreage under this
25 Section, the Department shall, after determining the total
26 acreage of the applicable tract or tracts of land, round
HB1462 - 4 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 5 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 5 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 5 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 remaining fractional portions of an acre greater than or equal
2 to half of an acre up to the next whole acre.
3 For the purposes of taking wild turkey, nothing in this
4 Section shall be construed to prevent the manipulation,
5 including mowing or cutting, of standing crops as a normal
6 agricultural or soil stabilization practice, food plots, or
7 normal agricultural practices, including planting, harvesting,
8 and maintenance such as cultivating. Such manipulation for the
9 purpose of taking wild turkey may be further modified by
10 administrative rule.
11 (Source: P.A. 102-237, eff. 1-1-22; 103-622, eff. 1-1-25.)
12 (520 ILCS 5/2.26) (from Ch. 61, par. 2.26)
13 Sec. 2.26. Deer hunting permits. Any person attempting to
14 take deer shall first obtain a "Deer Hunting Permit" issued by
15 the Department in accordance with its administrative rules.
16 Those rules must provide for the issuance of the following
17 types of resident deer archery permits: (i) a combination
18 permit, consisting of one either-sex permit and one
19 antlerless-only permit, (ii) a single antlerless-only permit,
20 and (iii) a single either-sex permit. The fee for a Deer
21 Hunting Permit to take deer with either bow and arrow or gun
22 shall not exceed $25 for residents of the State. The
23 Department may by administrative rule provide for non-resident
24 deer hunting permits for which the fee will not exceed $300 in
25 2005, $350 in 2006, and $400 in 2007 and thereafter except as
HB1462 - 5 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 6 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 6 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 6 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 provided below for non-resident landowners and non-resident
2 archery hunters. The Department may by administrative rule
3 provide for a non-resident archery deer permit consisting of
4 not more than 2 harvest tags at a total cost not to exceed $325
5 in 2005, $375 in 2006, and $425 in 2007 and thereafter. The
6 fees for a youth resident and non-resident archery deer permit
7 shall be the same.
8 The Department shall create a pilot program during the
9 special 3-day, youth-only deer hunting season to allow for
10 youth deer hunting permits that are valid statewide, excluding
11 those counties or portions of counties closed to firearm deer
12 hunting. The Department shall adopt rules to implement the
13 pilot program. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to
14 prohibit the Department from issuing Special Hunt Area Permits
15 for the youth-only deer hunting season or establishing,
16 through administrative rule, additional requirements
17 pertaining to the youth-only deer hunting season on
18 Department-owned or Department-managed sites, including
19 site-specific quotas or drawings. The provisions of this
20 paragraph are inoperative on and after January 1, 2023.
21 The standards and specifications for use of guns and bow
22 and arrow for deer hunting shall be established by
23 administrative rule.
24 No person may have in his or her possession any firearm not
25 authorized by administrative rule for a specific hunting
26 season when taking deer unless in accordance with the Firearm
HB1462 - 6 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 7 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 7 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 7 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 Concealed Carry Act.
2 Persons having a firearm deer hunting permit shall be
3 permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
4 before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
5 days for which an open season is established for the taking of
6 deer by use of shotgun, handgun, rifle, or muzzle loading
7 rifle.
8 Persons having an archery deer hunting permit shall be
9 permitted to take deer only during the period from 1/2 hour
10 before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset, and only during those
11 days for which an open season is established for the taking of
12 deer by use of bow and arrow.
13 It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer by use of
14 dogs, horses, automobiles, aircraft, or other vehicles, or by
15 the use or aid of bait or baiting of any kind. For the purposes
16 of this Section, "bait" means any material, whether liquid or
17 solid, including food, salt, minerals, and other products,
18 except pure water, that can be ingested, placed, or scattered
19 in such a manner as to attract or lure white-tailed deer.
20 "Baiting" means the placement or scattering of bait to attract
21 deer. An area is considered as baited during the presence of
22 and for 10 consecutive days following the removal of bait.
23 Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the use of a dog to
24 track wounded deer. Any person using a dog for tracking
25 wounded deer must maintain physical control of the dog at all
26 times by means of a maximum 50-foot 50 foot lead attached to
HB1462 - 7 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 8 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 8 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 8 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 the dog's collar or harness. Tracking wounded deer is
2 permissible at night, but at no time outside of legal deer
3 hunting hours or seasons shall any person handling or
4 accompanying a dog being used for tracking wounded deer be in
5 possession of any firearm or archery device. Persons tracking
6 wounded deer with a dog during the firearm deer seasons shall
7 wear blaze orange or solid blaze pink color as required. Dog
8 handlers tracking wounded deer with a dog are exempt from
9 hunting license and deer permit requirements so long as they
10 are accompanied by the licensed deer hunter who wounded the
11 deer. Tracking wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals,
12 including wounded deer, by use of unmanned aircraft is
13 permissible under the conditions stated in paragraph (2) of
14 subsection (i) of Section 2.33 of this Act.
15 It shall be unlawful to possess or transport any wild deer
16 which has been injured or killed in any manner upon a public
17 highway or public right-of-way of this State unless exempted
18 by administrative rule.
19 Persons hunting deer must have the gun unloaded and no bow
20 and arrow device shall be carried with the arrow in the nocked
21 position during hours when deer hunting is unlawful.
22 It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the
23 legal limit of deer by gun, to further participate with a gun
24 in any deer hunting party.
25 It shall be unlawful for any person, having taken the
26 legal limit of deer by bow and arrow, to further participate
HB1462 - 8 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 9 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 9 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 9 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 with bow and arrow in any deer hunting party.
2 The Department may prohibit upland game hunting during the
3 gun deer season by administrative rule.
4 The Department shall not limit the number of non-resident,
5 either-sex archery deer hunting permits to less than 20,000.
6 Any person who violates any of the provisions of this
7 Section, including administrative rules, shall be guilty of a
8 Class B misdemeanor.
9 For the purposes of calculating acreage under this
10 Section, the Department shall, after determining the total
11 acreage of the applicable tract or tracts of land, round
12 remaining fractional portions of an acre greater than or equal
13 to half of an acre up to the next whole acre.
14 For the purposes of taking white-tailed deer, nothing in
15 this Section shall be construed to prevent the manipulation,
16 including mowing or cutting, of standing crops as a normal
17 agricultural or soil stabilization practice, food plots, or
18 normal agricultural practices, including planting, harvesting,
19 and maintenance such as cultivating or the use of products
20 designed for scent only and not capable of ingestion, solid or
21 liquid, placed or scattered, in such a manner as to attract or
22 lure deer. Such manipulation for the purpose of taking
23 white-tailed deer may be further modified by administrative
24 rule.
25 (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-444, eff. 6-1-20;
26 102-237, eff. 1-1-22; 102-932, eff. 1-1-23.)
HB1462 - 9 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 10 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 10 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 10 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 (520 ILCS 5/2.33)
2 Sec. 2.33. Prohibitions.
3 (a) It is unlawful to carry or possess any gun in any State
4 refuge unless otherwise permitted by administrative rule.
5 (b) It is unlawful to use or possess any snare or
6 snare-like device, deadfall, net, or pit trap to take any
7 species, except that snares not powered by springs or other
8 mechanical devices may be used to trap fur-bearing mammals, in
9 water sets only, if at least one-half of the snare noose is
10 located underwater at all times.
11 (c) It is unlawful for any person at any time to take a
12 wild mammal protected by this Act from its den by means of any
13 mechanical device, spade, or digging device or to use smoke or
14 other gases to dislodge or remove such mammal except as
15 provided in Section 2.37.
16 (d) It is unlawful to use a ferret or any other small
17 mammal which is used in the same or similar manner for which
18 ferrets are used for the purpose of frightening or driving any
19 mammals from their dens or hiding places.
20 (e) (Blank).
21 (f) It is unlawful to use spears, gigs, hooks, or any like
22 device to take any species protected by this Act.
23 (g) It is unlawful to use poisons, chemicals, or
24 explosives for the purpose of taking any species protected by
25 this Act.
HB1462 - 10 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 11 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 11 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 11 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 (h) It is unlawful to hunt adjacent to or near any peat,
2 grass, brush, or other inflammable substance when it is
3 burning.
4 (i) It is unlawful to take, pursue or intentionally harass
5 or disturb in any manner any wild birds or mammals by use or
6 aid of any vehicle, conveyance, or unmanned aircraft as
7 defined by the Illinois Aeronautics Act, except as permitted
8 by the Code of Federal Regulations for the taking of
9 waterfowl; except that:
10 (1) nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use
11 of unmanned aircraft in the inspection of a public utility
12 facility, tower, or structure or a mobile service
13 facility, tower, or structure by a public utility, as
14 defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or a
15 provider of mobile services as defined in Section 153 of
16 Title 47 of the United States Code; and .
17 (2) nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use
18 of unmanned aircraft from being used to locate and recover
19 wounded wild birds or wounded wild mammals if the
20 following conditions are met:
21 (A) the wild bird or wild mammal is wounded when a
22 properly licensed hunter has struck the animal with a
23 projectile fired from a legal hunting device during
24 the open season;
25 (B) any person operating the unmanned aircraft has
26 obtained permission from the public or private
HB1462 - 11 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 12 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 12 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 12 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 landowner, or the landowner's authorized
2 representative, before launching or landing the
3 unmanned aircraft from or on the landowner's property;
4 (C) the person operating the unmanned aircraft
5 does not possess or control a firearm, bow, or other
6 implement whereby wildlife could be killed or taken
7 while afield, whether acting singly or as a group of
8 persons while the unmanned aircraft is in flight,
9 except this subparagraph (C) does not apply to a
10 person lawfully carrying a concealed firearm under the
11 Firearm Concealed Carry Act if the concealed firearm
12 is not used to take wildlife; and
13 (D) the unmanned aircraft is operated in a manner
14 that does not harass any wildlife.
15 An operator of an unmanned aircraft that meets the
16 conditions under this paragraph (2) is exempt from hunting
17 permit requirements if the operator is not the taker of
18 the wounded animal.
19 It is also unlawful to use the lights of any vehicle or
20 conveyance, any light connected to any vehicle or conveyance,
21 or any other lighting device or mechanism from inside or on a
22 vehicle or conveyance in any area where wildlife may be found
23 except in accordance with Section 2.37 of this Act; however,
24 nothing in this Section shall prohibit the normal use of
25 headlamps for the purpose of driving upon a roadway. For
26 purposes of this Section, any other lighting device or
HB1462 - 12 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 13 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 13 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 13 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 mechanism shall include, but not be limited to, any device
2 that uses infrared or other light not visible to the naked eye,
3 electronic image intensification, active illumination, thermal
4 imaging, or night vision. Striped skunk, opossum, red fox,
5 gray fox, raccoon, bobcat, and coyote may be taken during the
6 open season by use of a small light which is worn on the body
7 or hand-held by a person on foot and not in any vehicle.
8 (j) It is unlawful to use any shotgun larger than 10 gauge
9 while taking or attempting to take any of the species
10 protected by this Act.
11 (k) It is unlawful to use or possess in the field any
12 shotgun shell loaded with a shot size larger than lead BB or
13 steel T (.20 diameter) when taking or attempting to take any
14 species of wild game mammals (excluding white-tailed deer),
15 wild game birds, migratory waterfowl or migratory game birds
16 protected by this Act, except white-tailed deer as provided
17 for in Section 2.26 and other species as provided for by
18 subsection (l) or administrative rule.
19 (l) It is unlawful to take any species of wild game, except
20 white-tailed deer and fur-bearing mammals, with a shotgun
21 loaded with slugs unless otherwise provided for by
22 administrative rule.
23 (m) It is unlawful to use any shotgun capable of holding
24 more than 3 shells in the magazine or chamber combined, except
25 on game breeding and hunting preserve areas licensed under
26 Section 3.27 and except as permitted by the Code of Federal
HB1462 - 13 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 14 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 14 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 14 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 Regulations for the taking of waterfowl. If the shotgun is
2 capable of holding more than 3 shells, it shall, while being
3 used on an area other than a game breeding and shooting
4 preserve area licensed pursuant to Section 3.27, be fitted
5 with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without dismantling
6 the shotgun or otherwise altered to render it incapable of
7 holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber,
8 combined.
9 (n) It is unlawful for any person, except persons who
10 possess a permit to hunt from a vehicle as provided in this
11 Section and persons otherwise permitted by law, to have or
12 carry any gun in or on any vehicle, conveyance, or aircraft,
13 unless such gun is unloaded and enclosed in a case, except that
14 at field trials authorized by Section 2.34 of this Act,
15 unloaded guns or guns loaded with blank cartridges only may be
16 carried on horseback while not contained in a case, or to have
17 or carry any bow or arrow device in or on any vehicle unless
18 such bow or arrow device is unstrung or enclosed in a case, or
19 otherwise made inoperable unless in accordance with the
20 Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
21 (o) (Blank).
22 (p) It is unlawful to take game birds, migratory game
23 birds or migratory waterfowl with a rifle, pistol, revolver,
24 or air rifle.
25 (q) It is unlawful to fire a rifle, pistol, revolver, or
26 air rifle on, over, or into any waters of this State, including
HB1462 - 14 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 15 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 15 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 15 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 frozen waters.
2 (r) It is unlawful to discharge any gun or bow and arrow
3 device along, upon, across, or from any public right-of-way or
4 highway in this State.
5 (s) It is unlawful to use a silencer or other device to
6 muffle or mute the sound of the explosion or report resulting
7 from the firing of any gun.
8 (t) It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to
9 take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, or allow a dog
10 to hunt, within or upon the land of another, or upon waters
11 flowing over or standing on the land of another, or to
12 knowingly shoot a gun or bow and arrow device at any wildlife
13 physically on or flying over the property of another without
14 first obtaining permission from the owner or the owner's
15 designee. For the purposes of this Section, the owner's
16 designee means anyone who the owner designates in a written
17 authorization and the authorization must contain (i) the legal
18 or common description of property for which such authority is
19 given, (ii) the extent that the owner's designee is authorized
20 to make decisions regarding who is allowed to take or attempt
21 to take any species of wildlife or parts thereof, and (iii) the
22 owner's notarized signature. Before enforcing this Section,
23 the law enforcement officer must have received notice from the
24 owner or the owner's designee of a violation of this Section.
25 Statements made to the law enforcement officer regarding this
26 notice shall not be rendered inadmissible by the hearsay rule
HB1462 - 15 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 16 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 16 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 16 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 when offered for the purpose of showing the required notice.
2 (u) It is unlawful for any person to discharge any firearm
3 for the purpose of taking any of the species protected by this
4 Act, or hunt with gun or dog, or allow a dog to hunt, within
5 300 yards of an inhabited dwelling without first obtaining
6 permission from the owner or tenant, except that while
7 trapping, hunting with bow and arrow, hunting with dog and
8 shotgun using shot shells only, or hunting with shotgun using
9 shot shells only, or providing outfitting services under a
10 waterfowl outfitter permit, or on licensed game breeding and
11 hunting preserve areas, as defined in Section 3.27, on
12 federally owned and managed lands and on Department owned,
13 managed, leased, or controlled lands, a 100 yard restriction
14 shall apply.
15 (v) It is unlawful for any person to remove fur-bearing
16 mammals from, or to move or disturb in any manner, the traps
17 owned by another person without written authorization of the
18 owner to do so.
19 (w) It is unlawful for any owner of a dog to allow his or
20 her dog to pursue, harass, or kill deer, except that nothing in
21 this Section shall prohibit the tracking of wounded deer with
22 a dog in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.26 of this
23 Code.
24 (x) It is unlawful for any person to wantonly or
25 carelessly injure or destroy, in any manner whatsoever, any
26 real or personal property on the land of another while engaged
HB1462 - 16 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 17 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 17 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 17 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 in hunting or trapping thereon.
2 (y) It is unlawful to hunt wild game protected by this Act
3 between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before
4 sunrise, except that hunting hours between one-half hour after
5 sunset and one-half hour before sunrise may be established by
6 administrative rule for fur-bearing mammals.
7 (z) It is unlawful to take any game bird (excluding wild
8 turkeys and crippled pheasants not capable of normal flight
9 and otherwise irretrievable) protected by this Act when not
10 flying. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a person from
11 carrying an uncased, unloaded shotgun in a boat, while in
12 pursuit of a crippled migratory waterfowl that is incapable of
13 normal flight, for the purpose of attempting to reduce the
14 migratory waterfowl to possession, provided that the attempt
15 is made immediately upon downing the migratory waterfowl and
16 is done within 400 yards of the blind from which the migratory
17 waterfowl was downed. This exception shall apply only to
18 migratory game birds that are not capable of normal flight.
19 Migratory waterfowl that are crippled may be taken only with a
20 shotgun as regulated by subsection (j) of this Section using
21 shotgun shells as regulated in subsection (k) of this Section.
22 (aa) It is unlawful to use or possess any device that may
23 be used for tree climbing or cutting while hunting fur-bearing
24 mammals, excluding coyotes. However, coyotes may not be hunted
25 utilizing these devices during open season for deer except by
26 properly licensed deer hunters.
HB1462 - 17 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 18 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 18 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 18 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 (bb) It is unlawful for any person, except licensed game
2 breeders, pursuant to Section 2.29 to import, carry into, or
3 possess alive in this State any species of wildlife taken
4 outside of this State, without obtaining permission to do so
5 from the Director.
6 (cc) It is unlawful for any person to have in his or her
7 possession any freshly killed species protected by this Act
8 during the season closed for taking.
9 (dd) It is unlawful to take any species protected by this
10 Act and retain it alive except as provided by administrative
11 rule.
12 (ee) It is unlawful to possess any rifle while in the field
13 during gun deer season except as provided in Sections 2.25 and
14 2.26 and administrative rules.
15 (ff) It is unlawful for any person to take any species
16 protected by this Act, except migratory waterfowl, during the
17 gun deer hunting season in those counties open to gun deer
18 hunting, unless he or she wears, when in the field, a cap and
19 upper outer garment of a solid blaze orange color or solid
20 blaze pink color, with such articles of clothing displaying a
21 minimum of 400 square inches of blaze orange or solid blaze
22 pink color material.
23 (gg) It is unlawful during the upland game season for any
24 person to take upland game with a firearm unless he or she
25 wears, while in the field, a cap of solid blaze orange color or
26 solid blaze pink color. For purposes of this Act, upland game
HB1462 - 18 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 19 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 19 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 19 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 is defined as Bobwhite Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Ring-necked
2 Pheasant, Eastern Cottontail, and Swamp Rabbit.
3 (hh) It shall be unlawful to kill or cripple any species
4 protected by this Act for which there is a bag limit without
5 making a reasonable effort to retrieve such species and
6 include such in the bag limit. It shall be unlawful for any
7 person having control over harvested game mammals, game birds,
8 or migratory game birds for which there is a bag limit to
9 wantonly waste or destroy the usable meat of the game, except
10 this shall not apply to wildlife taken under Sections 2.37 or
11 3.22 of this Code. For purposes of this subsection, "usable
12 meat" means the breast meat of a game bird or migratory game
13 bird and the hind ham and front shoulders of a game mammal. It
14 shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, dump, or
15 abandon a wildlife carcass or parts of it along or upon a
16 public right-of-way or highway or on public or private
17 property, including a waterway or stream, without the
18 permission of the owner or tenant. It shall not be unlawful to
19 discard game meat that is determined to be unfit for human
20 consumption.
21 (ii) This Section shall apply only to those species
22 protected by this Act taken within the State. Any species or
23 any parts thereof, legally taken in and transported from other
24 states or countries, may be possessed within the State, except
25 as provided in this Section and Sections 2.35, 2.36, and 3.21.
26 (jj) (Blank).
HB1462 - 19 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 20 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 20 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 20 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 (kk) Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit the
2 Director from issuing permits to paraplegics or to other
3 persons with disabilities who meet the requirements set forth
4 in administrative rule to shoot or hunt from a vehicle as
5 provided by that rule, provided that such is otherwise in
6 accord with this Act.
7 (ll) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the
8 taking of aquatic life protected by the Fish and Aquatic Life
9 Code or birds and mammals protected by this Act, except deer
10 and fur-bearing mammals, from a boat not camouflaged or
11 disguised to alter its identity or to further provide a place
12 of concealment and not propelled by sail or mechanical power.
13 However, only shotguns not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller
14 than .410 bore loaded with not more than 3 shells of a shot
15 size no larger than lead BB or steel T (.20 diameter) may be
16 used to take species protected by this Act.
17 (mm) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the use
18 of a shotgun, not larger than 10 gauge nor smaller than a 20
19 gauge, with a rifled barrel.
20 (nn) It shall be unlawful to possess any species of
21 wildlife or wildlife parts taken unlawfully in Illinois, any
22 other state, or any other country, whether or not the wildlife
23 or wildlife parts are indigenous to Illinois. For the purposes
24 of this subsection, the statute of limitations for unlawful
25 possession of wildlife or wildlife parts shall not cease until
26 2 years after the possession has permanently ended.
HB1462 - 20 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462- 21 -LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b HB1462 - 21 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
HB1462 - 21 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b
1 (oo) It is unlawful while deer hunting:
2 (1) to possess or be in close proximity to a rifle that
3 is not centerfire; or
4 (2) to be in possession of or in close proximity to a
5 magazine that is capable of making a rifle not a single
6 shot.
7 (Source: P.A. 102-237, eff. 1-1-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22;
8 102-932, eff. 1-1-23; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)
9 Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes
10 changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
11 that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
12 represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
13 not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
14 made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
15 Public Act.
HB1462 - 21 - LRB104 03074 BDA 13092 b