Illinois Administrative Code › Title 17 - CONSERVATION › Part 670 - WHITE-TAILED DEER HUNTING BY USE OF BOW AND ARROW › Section 670.40 - Statewide Deer Hunting Rules

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) The
			 bag limit is one deer per legally authorized either-sex, antlered-only or
			 antlerless-only permit. All either-sex permits and antlered-only permits are
			 subject to the following restriction: no hunter, regardless of the quantity or
			 type of permits in his/her possession, may harvest more than 2 antlered deer
			 during a year, including the youth, archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons.
			 For purposes of this subsection, deer seasons are considered to be in the same
			 year if their opening dates fall within the same 12-month period that begins on
			 July 1. A hunter in possession of an either-sex permit after having harvested 2
			 antlered deer during a year, as defined above, may only use the permit to
			 harvest an antlerless deer. Subject to this restriction, an either-sex permit
			 holder is allowed to take a deer with or without antlers; and an antlered-only
			 permit holder is allowed to take only a deer having at least one antler of a
			 length of 3 or more inches. An antlerless-only permit holder is allowed to take
			 only a deer without antlers or a deer having antlers less than 3 inches
			 long.
b) The Illinois Restricted
			 Archery Zone shall consist of Champaign, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie and Piatt
			 Counties. During the period October 1-October 31, only antlered deer may be
			 harvested in the Restricted Archery Zone, regardless of permits in possession.
			 An antlered deer is defined as a deer having at least one antler of a length of
			 3 or more inches. All restrictions listed in subsection (a) also apply in the
			 Restricted Archery Zone.
c)
			 Recipients of any type of Archery Deer Hunting Permit shall record their
			 signature on the permit prior to hunting and must carry it on their person
			 while hunting.
d) The temporary
			 harvest tag shall be attached and properly sealed immediately upon kill and
			 before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed. No person shall leave
			 any deer that has been killed without properly attaching the temporary harvest
			 tag to the deer in the manner prescribed on the permit.
e) Hunters shall not have in their
			 possession, while in the field during archery deer season, any deer permit
			 issued to another person (permits are non-transferable).
f) Permits will not be re-issued in cases
			 involving deer taken which are found to be diseased or spoiled due to previous
			 injury. Legal disposal of unfit deer taken shall be the responsibility of the
			 hunter. For those hunters participating in DNR's Chronic Wasting Disease
			 Surveillance Program, a free permit will be made available (during either the
			 current year or the subsequent year, at the discretion of the hunter) if their
			 tested deer is determined to have chronic wasting disease.
g) Unlawful take or possession of one deer is
			 a Class B misdemeanor (see
			 520 ILCS
			 5/2.24); unlawful take or possession of two or more
			 deer in a 90-day period is a Class 4 felony (see
			 520 ILCS
			 5/2.36a); unlawful take or possession of 2 or more
			 deer as a single act or single course of conduct is a Class 3 felony (see
			 520 ILCS
			 5/2.36a); and any other violation of this Section is a
			 Class B misdemeanor (see
			 520 ILCS
			 5/2.24).