Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a)
Animal densities, running periods and animal removal from dog-proof escape
areas:
1) Coyote and fox hound running areas
shall contain not less than 2 animals and shall not contain more than 4 animals
per each full 20 acres.
2) Raccoon
hound running areas shall contain not less than 2 nor more than 3 animals per
each full 5 acres.
3) Rabbit hound
running areas shall contain 2 animals per each full acre.
4) The running period for coyote, fox and
raccoon hound running areas shall not be longer than 16 consecutive hours
within a 24-hour period.
5) The
running period for rabbit hound running areas shall be sunrise to
sunset.
6) Hounds shall not be
released for 14 consecutive days after an animal has been added to a hound
running area.
7) It shall be
unlawful to shake out, relocate, dislodge, move or extract an animal from a
place of refuge while hounds are present within a hound running area.
b) Hounds
1) Not more than 3 hounds per animal shall be
released into a hound running area during a running period.
2) Hounds less than 7 months of age shall not
be released in coyote, fox or raccoon hound running areas.
c) Signs:
1)
Signs purchased from the Department shall be conspicuously posted on the
perimeter fence of hound running areas at intervals of 500 feet or less with at
least one sign on each side of the hound running area.
2) The price for signs shall be set by the
Department. The price shall be the cost of the sign procured by the Department
plus the cost to ship the signs to Hound Running Area Permit holders.
3) Signs are available by calling
217/785-3423 or by writing to:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
License Consignment/Permits,
PO Box 19458
Springfield IL 62794-9458
d) Hound running areas shall meet the
following requirements:
1) Coyote and fox
hound running areas shall have an area of not less than 160 contiguous acres
with a dog-proof escape area in each 20 acre tract.
2) Coyote and fox hound running areas for
inexperienced hounds one year or less in age shall have an area of 10-80
contiguous acres with 2 dog-proof escape areas for tracts of 40 acres or less
and an additional dog-proof escape area for each additional 20 acre tract or
partial tract.
3) Raccoon hound
running areas shall have an area of not less than 20 contiguous acres with a
dog-proof escape area in each 5 acre tract.
4) Rabbit hound running areas shall have an
area of not less than 5 contiguous acres with a dog-proof escape area in each
2.5 acre tract.
5) Dog proof escape areas must be approved by
the Department, appropriate for the species of animal pursued, available for
use by pursued animals when hounds are present, and distributed evenly in hound
running areas.
e)
Perimeter fences shall completely enclose the hound running area, shall have
rounded corners designed to prevent animals from being trapped in corners by
hounds, and shall be of sufficient design and strength to prevent any released
animal from escaping or any wild free ranging animal from entering the hound
running area.
f) Perimeter fences
for coyote, fox and raccoon hound running areas shall meet the following
requirements:
1) Height - at least 5
feet.
2) At the top of the
perimeter fence, a minimum of 12 inches of additional fence shall be bent
inward at a 90 degree angle.
3) At
the bottom of the perimeter fence, a minimum of 12 inches of additional fence
shall be bent inward at a 90 degree angle and secured to the ground, or the
additional 12 inches of fence at the bottom of the perimeter fence may be
buried with no bend.
4) Electric
wires with sufficient current to contain coyotes, foxes and raccoons and deter
hounds shall be placed on and along the perimeter of hound running areas as
follows:
A) Coyote, fox and raccoon hound
running areas - on the perimeter fence on electric fence standoffs between 30
and 46 inches from the ground.
B)
Coyote and fox hound running areas - one foot inside and 8 inches to one foot
high along the perimeter fence.
C)
Coyote and fox hound running areas - 3 to 4 feet inside and 18 inches to 2 feet
high along the perimeter fence.
5) Perimeter fences and electric wires shall
be maintained and shall be clear of debris and vegetation.
g) Perimeter fences for rabbit hound running
areas shall meet the following requirements:
1) Height - at least 4 feet.
2) At the bottom of the perimeter fence, a
minimum of 12 inches of additional fence shall be bent outward at a 90 degree
angle and secured to the ground or the additional 12 inches of fence at the
bottom of the perimeter fence may be buried with no bend.
3) Perimeter fences shall be maintained and
shall be clear of debris and vegetation.
h) Competitive hound events (i.e., fox hound
field trials, beagle or basset hound field trials and hunt tests, or coonhound
night hunts, water races, treeing contests and field trials) conducted in hound
running areas must comply with the provisions of 17 Ill. Adm. Code 930 (Field
Trials on Private Lands).
i) The
breeds of dogs commonly referred to as sporting dogs may be trained or field
trialed in hound running areas. Sporting dog training and field trialing in
hound running areas must comply with the provisions of 17 Ill. Adm. Code 960
(Dog Training on Non-Department Owned or -Managed Land) and 17 Ill. Adm. Code
930 (Field Trials on Private Lands), respectively.
j) Compliance requirements:
1) Hound running areas established prior to
April 1, 2012 shall be in compliance with the perimeter fencing provisions of
this Part not later than 2 years after April 1, 2012.
2) The Department will waive the acreage
requirements for hound running areas in existence prior to April 1, 2012.
A) A waiver for up to 5 consecutive years
will be granted if the Hound Running Area Permit holder requests an acreage
waiver in writing.
B) Upon
expiration of the first waiver, an additional waiver for up to 5 consecutive
years will be granted if the Hound Running Area Permit holder requests an
acreage waiver in writing and has made reasonable progress towards meeting the
hound running area acreage requirements. Reasonable progress means having added
at least 25% of the remaining acreage needed to meet the hound running area
acreage requirement.
C) The
Department may place restrictions on the number of hounds loosed at any given
time in hound running areas with acreage waivers.
3) The Hound Running Area Permit holder must
be in compliance with all other provisions of this Part when the Hound Running
Area Permit is approved.
