WILDLIFE CD-MUZZLELOAD PISTOL

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB5153

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HB5153 - 104th General Assembly

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5153

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Patrick Windhorst

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

520 ILCS 5/2.25

from Ch. 61, par. 2.25

Amends the Wildlife Code. In provisions regarding allowing hunting
deer with muzzleloading rifles, allows hunting deer with muzzleloading
pistols. Provides that, within one year, the Department of Natural
Resources shall adopt rules that allow for hunting deer with a
muzzleloading pistol in the same seasons and under the same or similar
restrictions as hunting deer with a muzzleloading rifle.
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b

A BILL FOR

HB5153
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 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
Section 2.25 as follows:

6

(520 ILCS 5/2.25)

(from Ch. 61, par. 2.25)
7

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 104-58
)
8

Sec. 2.25.
It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer
9
except (i) with a shotgun, handgun, single shot centerfire
10
rifle,
muzzleloading pistol,
or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as
11
provided by administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during
12
the open season of not more than 14 days which will be set
13
annually by the Director between the dates of November 1st and
14
December 31st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only
15
season between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the
16
purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are
17
limited to centerfire handguns that are either a single shot
18
or revolver and centerfire rifles that are single shot. The
19
only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is a
20
bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with
21
a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches, or a
22
straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger,
23
both of which must be available as a factory load with the

HB5153
- 2 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1
published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a
2
capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.
3
The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches. Full metal
4
jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.
5

The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
6
management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
7
arrow season.
8

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
9
with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
10
set annually by the Director between the dates of September
11
1st and January 31st, both inclusive.
12

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
13
with (i) a muzzleloading
pistol or a muzzleloading
rifle or
14
(ii) bow and arrow during the open season for muzzleloading
15
pistols and muzzleloading
rifles set annually by the Director.
16

The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
17
forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
18
possession limits and those counties of the State where open
19
seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
20
Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
21

The Department may establish separate harvest periods for
22
the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
23
found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
24
or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
25
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
26
shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting.

HB5153
- 3 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1

The Department is authorized to establish a separate
2
harvest period at specific sites within the State for the
3
purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during
4
the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This
5
season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only
6
and shall be established during the period of September 1st to
7
February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publicly
8
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
9
shooting hours, and the counties and sites open to hunting.
10
The Department shall publish suitable prescribed rules and
11
regulations established by administrative rule pertaining to
12
management restrictions applicable to this special harvest
13
program. The Department shall allow unused gun deer permits
14
that are left over from a regular season for the taking of deer
15
to be rolled over and used during any separate harvest period
16
held within 6 months of the season for which those tags were
17
issued at no additional cost to the permit holder subject to
18
the management restrictions applicable to the special harvest
19
program.
20

Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter,
21
the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly
22
providing information regarding deer management programs
23
established by the Code or by administrative rule that
24
includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each
25
separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a
26
communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what

HB5153
- 4 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1
happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season.
2

Within one year after the effective date of this
3
amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Department
4
shall adopt rules regarding hunting deer with a muzzleloading
5
pistol that allow for hunting deer with a muzzleloading pistol
6
in the same seasons and under the same or similar restrictions
7
as hunting deer with a muzzleloading rifle.
8
(Source: P.A. 101-66, eff. 7-12-19; 102-314, eff. 1-1-22;
9
102-932, eff. 1-1-23
.)

10

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-58
)
11

Sec. 2.25.
It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer
12
except (i) with a shotgun, handgun, single shot centerfire
13
rifle,
muzzleloading pistol,
or muzzleloading rifle or (ii) as
14
provided by administrative rule, with a bow and arrow, during
15
the open season of not more than 14 days which will be set
16
annually by the Director between the dates of November 1st and
17
December 31st, both inclusive, or a special 3-day, youth-only
18
season between the dates of September 1 and October 31. For the
19
purposes of this Section, legal handguns and rifles are
20
limited to centerfire handguns that are either a single shot
21
or revolver and centerfire rifles that are single shot. The
22
only legal ammunition for a centerfire handgun or rifle is a
23
bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with
24
a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches, or a
25
straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger,

HB5153
- 5 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1
both of which must be available as a factory load with the
2
published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a
3
capability of at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle.
4
The barrel of a handgun shall be at least 4 inches. Full metal
5
jacket bullets may not be used to harvest deer.
6

The Department shall make administrative rules concerning
7
management restrictions applicable to the firearm and bow and
8
arrow season.
9

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
10
with a bow and arrow during the open season for bow and arrow
11
set annually by the Director between the dates of September
12
1st and January 31st, both inclusive.
13

It shall be unlawful for any person to take deer except
14
with (i) a muzzleloading
pistol or a muzzleloading
rifle or
15
(ii) bow and arrow during the open season for muzzleloading
16
pistols and muzzleloading
rifles set annually by the Director.
17

The Director shall cause an administrative rule setting
18
forth the prescribed rules and regulations, including bag and
19
possession limits and those counties of the State where open
20
seasons are established, to be published in accordance with
21
Sections 1.3 and 1.13 of this Act.
22

The Department may establish separate harvest periods for
23
the purpose of managing or eradicating disease that has been
24
found in the deer herd. This season shall be restricted to gun
25
or bow and arrow hunting only. The Department shall publicly
26
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and

HB5153
- 6 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1
shooting hours, the counties and sites open to hunting.
2

The Department is authorized to establish a separate
3
harvest period at specific sites within the State for the
4
purpose of harvesting surplus deer that cannot be taken during
5
the regular season provided for the taking of deer. This
6
season shall be restricted to gun or bow and arrow hunting only
7
and shall be established during the period of September 1st to
8
February 15th, both inclusive. The Department shall publicly
9
announce, via statewide news release, the season dates and
10
shooting hours, and the counties and sites open to hunting.
11
The Department shall publish suitable prescribed rules and
12
regulations established by administrative rule pertaining to
13
management restrictions applicable to this special harvest
14
program. The Department shall allow unused gun deer permits
15
that are left over from a regular season for the taking of deer
16
to be rolled over and used during any separate harvest period
17
held within 6 months of the season for which those tags were
18
issued at no additional cost to the permit holder subject to
19
the management restrictions applicable to the special harvest
20
program.
21

If the Department is using its sharpshooting program to
22
manage chronic wasting disease in a deer herd that is found in
23
a county in the State and if no cases of that disease have been
24
identified in that herd in the preceding 3 calendar years,
25
then the Department shall end the use of that program to manage
26
chronic wasting disease in that county. However, the program

HB5153
- 7 -
LRB104 16097 BDA 29397 b
1
may be reinstituted within the county if chronic wasting
2
disease is again identified in that herd.
3

Beginning July 1, 2019, and on an annual basis thereafter,
4
the Department shall provide a report to the General Assembly
5
providing information regarding deer management programs
6
established by the Code or by administrative rule that
7
includes: (1) the number of surplus deer taken during each
8
separate harvest season; (2) the number of deer found to have a
9
communicable disease or other abnormality; and (3) what
10
happens to the deer taken during each separate harvest season.
11

Within one year after the effective date of this
12
amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the Department
13
shall adopt rules regarding hunting deer with a muzzleloading
14
pistol that allow for hunting deer with a muzzleloading pistol
15
in the same seasons and under the same or similar restrictions
16
as hunting deer with a muzzleloading rifle.

17
(Source: P.A. 104-58, eff. 1-1-26.)

18

Section 95.
No acceleration or delay.
Where this Act makes
19
changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text
20
that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section
21
represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does
22
not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes
23
made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other
24
Public Act.

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|
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