WILDLIFE CD-UAV TRACKING

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB4291

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4291

Introduced 1/14/2026, by Rep. Norine K. Hammond

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

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, 2027.
LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 b

A BILL FOR

HB4291
LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

Sec. 2.11.
Before any person may lawfully hunt wild
8
turkey, he shall first obtain a "Wild Turkey Hunting Permit"
9
in accordance with the prescribed regulations set forth in an
10
administrative rule of the Department. The fee for a Resident
11
Wild Turkey Hunting Permit shall not exceed $15.
12

Upon submitting suitable evidence of legal residence in
13
any other state, non-residents shall be charged a fee not to
14
exceed $125 for wild turkey hunting permits.
15

The Department may by administrative rule allocate and
16
issue non-resident Wild Turkey Permits and establish fees for
17
such permits.
18

It shall be unlawful to take wild turkey except by use of a
19
bow and arrow or a shotgun of not larger than 10 gauge nor
20
smaller than .410 bore. The Department may by administrative
21
rule restrict shot size, material, or density. No person while
22
attempting to so take wild turkey may have in his possession
23
any other gun unless in accordance with the Firearm Concealed

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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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; revised 10-23-24.)

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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.

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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

HB4291
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LRB104 15983 BDA 29228 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.

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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

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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).

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(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.

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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.

16

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect July 1,
17
2027.

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