Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Illinois resident hunters must have an
unfilled deer permit valid for the previous firearm, muzzleloader or youth deer
season and valid for one of the open counties or a valid Late-Winter Deer
Season permit ($17.50) . Nonresident hunters must have an unfilled deer permit
valid for the previous firearm, muzzleloader or youth deer season and valid for
one of the open counties. A Late-Winter Deer Season Permit is issued for one
county or special hunt area and is valid only in the county, where permission
to hunt has been obtained from the property owner, or special hunt area stated
on the permit. Unfilled firearm, muzzleloader or Youth Deer Hunt Permits are
valid only for the county for which they were originally issued, except that
Youth Deer Hunt Permits issued as part of the statewide youth-only deer hunting
season Pilot Program, as described in 17 Ill. Adm. Code
685.20,
are valid for all of the open counties and unfilled landowner property-only
hunting firearm deer permits are valid only for the farmlands that the person
to whom it was issued owns, leases, or rents within the open counties/portions
of counties.
1) Unfilled firearm,
muzzleloader or Youth Deer Hunt Permits that were originally issued for special
hunt areas are not valid during the Late-Winter Season unless:
A) the hunter's name is redrawn at the daily
site lottery to hunt at the same special hunt area during the Late-Winter
Season; or
B) the special hunt area
is open to persons with a county permit and the special hunt area does not
conduct a daily site lottery.
2) Sites conducting a daily site lottery will
be announced publicly.
b) Resident Late-Winter Deer Permits will be
available for sale over-the-counter (OTC) from agents designated by the
Department (pursuant to 17 Ill. Adm. Code 2520) beginning the second Tuesday in
December through the last day of the Late-Winter Deer Season. There shall be no
limitation on permit sales; resident hunters may purchase as many permits as
they wish for any or all of the included counties.
c) For a Special Hunt Area permit, resident
hunters may apply online at www.dnr.illinois.gov for a site-specific
permit valid for one of the Department's Special Hunt Areas. The application
period begins the last Tuesday in October and ends the fourth Monday in
November. Permits will be allocated via a lottery drawing.
d) For the applicant to be eligible to
receive a Late-Winter Deer Permit ($17.50), he/she must be an Illinois resident
and not have had deer hunting privileges suspended or revoked in this State
pursuant to Section 3.36 of the Wildlife Code [520 ILCS
5/3.36] . Lifetime licenses issued after August 15,
2006 shall not qualify a non-resident of Illinois for a resident deer
permit.
e) Hunters purchasing
Late-Winter Deer Permits must supply all necessary application information to
the agents in order to properly complete the permit.
f) Recipients of the Late-Winter Deer Hunting
Permit shall record their signature on the permit and must carry it on their
person while hunting.
g) Permits
are not transferable. For the purpose of this Section, "transfer" means the
modification or changing, by the Department or any other person, individual or
group, of the name or the location on an issued permit to another person or
location.
h) A $3 service fee shall
be charged for replacement permits. Monies derived from this source shall be
deposited in the Wildlife and Fish Fund.
i) Refunds and Cancellations
1) A refund shall be issued by the Department
for a permit that has been granted, or for an application that has been
submitted, under the following circumstances:
A) The State managed or owned site for which
the permit was issued was closed due to a national or State issued emergency or
disaster declaration or any other emergency circumstance that resulted in the
Department closing access to the hunting site, park or area. Issued permits
shall be cancelled by the Department. This subsection (i) shall include, but is
not limited to, closure of State parks, fish and wildlife areas, and recreation
areas by the Department as a response to a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation
or executive order;
B) The
applicant for a permit was unsuccessful in obtaining a permit in the lottery
for which the applicant applied; or
C) Upon the request of the permit holder, a
permit was issued due to an error of the Department, the OTC point-of-sale
vendor or the applicant. The permit that was issued in error and the request
for a refund must be delivered to the Department before the first day of the
season listed on the permit. Permits shall be considered delivered to the
Department if the permit is received or postmarked before the first day of the
season listed on the permit; or
D)
Upon the return of an issued permit to the Department before the first day of
the season listed on the issued permit. Permits shall be considered delivered
to the Department if the permit is received or postmarked before the first day
of the season listed on the permit. No refund shall be issued under this
subsection (i)(1)(D) if the permit is returned or postmarked after the first
day of the season listed on the permit.
2) A permit shall be cancelled if a refund is
approved pursuant to subsection (i)(1)(A), (C) or (D). Once a permit has been
cancelled, the cancelled permit shall not count towards the total number of
permits that an applicant may obtain for the hunting season for which that
cancelled permit was issued.
3)
Upon the request of a permit holder, a refund may be issued by the Department
for a permit that has been granted under the following circumstances:
A) A medical condition or death of the permit
holder that prevented the permit holder from hunting. A death certificate or
medical documentation showing that the permit holder was unable to or advised
not to hunt may be required by the Department before any refund is issued.
Requests must be made within 90 days after the start of the season that the
permit was issued for and must accompany the return of the permit to the
Department at its headquarters in Springfield, Illinois. No refunds shall be
issued under this subsection if the request or permit is delivered or
postmarked to the Department at its headquarters in Springfield, Illinois 90
days after the first day of the season listed on the permit; or
B) The permit holder was unable to travel or
use the permit that was issued due to a national or State issued emergency or
disaster declaration that resulted in a danger to the health or safety of the
permit holder had they attempted to use the issued permit. Requests must be
made within 60 days after the start of the season for which the permit was
issued and must accompany the return of the permit to the Department at its
headquarters in Springfield, Illinois. No refund shall be issued under this
subsection (i)(3)(B) if the request or permit is delivered or postmarked 60
days after the first day of the season listed on the permit.
C) A permit that was issued due to an error
of the Department, the OTC point-of-sale vendor, or the applicant, if the
permit is returned to the Department before the last day of the season for
which the permit was issued.
