Illinois Deer Hunting

IDNR Announces Deer Hunting Changes for Some Northern Illinois State Sites

Changes allow for the taking of antlered deer in select locations

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced modifications to deer management programs in several Northern Illinois state parks and nature preserves for the 2006-2007 deer hunting seasons to allow hunters to take antlered deer for the first time.

Deer management programs are designed to manage deer populations that threaten the composition and quality of natural areas and their protected woodlands, wetlands, grasslands and endangered species habitats. The changes being made will assist the department in its continued efforts to maintain a balanced deer herd in the state.

?Hunters are not simply recreationists, they are also valuable assets in deer management. Illinois has long been a leader in producing quality whitetails because of excellent habitat, coupled with a management program that strives to maintain a balanced deer herd at appropriate levels,? said Sam Flood, acting director of IDNR.

The deer hunting regulation changes for select Northern Illinois sites are outlined below:

Starved Rock State Park, Matthiessen State Park, Mitchell?s Grove Nature Preserve and Margery C. Carlson Nature Preserve (LaSalle County).
Firearm deer hunting at these sites will now coincide with the statewide firearm seasons. Site specific permits and initial standby permits will be antlerless-only permits. Once those permits are filled, hunters will be eligible to purchase a daily $5 either-sex standby permit at the site, as part of the new ?bonus buck? program. The new ?bonus buck? opportunity will also be implemented for the muzzleloader-only season at the four sites. The Late-Winter firearm season in January will remain antlerless only at these sites.

Deer hunting changes

For the 2006-07 archery season at Starved Rock, Matthiessen, Mitchell?s Grove and Margery C. Carlson, only antlerless deer may be taken during the month of October, while either-sex hunting will be allowed from November until the end of the archery season. Approximately 375 acres at Starved Rock will be open exclusively to archery hunting, 88 acres will be open exclusively to hunters with disabilities, and more than 4,000 acres at the four sites will be open for archery and firearm hunting. For more information, contact Starved Rock State Park at 815/667-5351.

Sandy Ford Land and Water Reserve (LaSalle County)
The 200-acre Sandy Ford Land and Water Reserve will open to firearm deer hunting for the first time this fall. Initial firearm and muzzleloader deer permits for the site will be antlerless-only, with hunters allowed to purchase an either-sex standby permit after harvesting an antlerless deer as part of the ?bonus buck? program. The Late-Winter firearm deer season in January at Sandy Ford will be antlerless only. For the archery season, only antlerless deer may be taken during the month of October, with either-sex hunting allowed from November until the end of the archery season. For more information, contact Starved Rock State Park at 815/667-5351.

Miller Anderson Woods Nature Preserve (Bureau and Putnam Counties)
The 500-acre Miller Anderson Woods Nature Preserve will be open to either-sex hunting for hunters that possess a Bureau County or Putnam County firearm or muzzleloader deer permit for the respective seasons. Hunters will sign-up daily at the site. Miller Anderson will also be open to county permit holders for the Late-Winter antlerless only firearm season in January. Archery hunting will be either-sex for the entire season. For more information, contact Donnelley-DePue State Fish and Wildlife Area at 815/447-2353.

Franklin Creek State Natural Area (Lee County)
The 660-acre Franklin Creek State Natural Area will again be open to firearm deer hunting this fall, with a switch to the ?bonus buck? program at the site. Initial firearm and muzzleloader deer permits will be antlerless-only, with hunters allowed to purchase an either-sex standby permit after harvesting an antlerless deer as part of the ?bonus buck? program. For the archery season, only antlerless deer may be taken during the month of October, but either-sex hunting will be permitted from November until the end of the archery season for the entire site. For more information, contact Franklin Creek State Natural Area at 815/456-2878.

Castle Rock State Park (Ogle County)
The 2,000-acre Castle Rock State Park in Ogle County will again be open to firearm hunting, with a switch to the ?bonus buck? program at the site. Initial firearm and muzzleloader deer permits will be antlerless-only, with hunters allowed to purchase an either-sex standby permit after harvesting an antlerless deer as part of the ?bonus buck? program. An either-sex archery season will be added to 708 acres within the George B. Fell Nature Preserve for the entire season. For more information, contact Castle Rock State Park at 815/732-7329.

White Pines State Park (Ogle County)
At White Pines State Park, the ?bonus buck? program will be implemented during the site?s special firearm seasons, Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 27-29. Initial firearm deer permits will be antlerless-only, with hunters allowed to purchase an either-sex standby permit after harvesting an antlerless deer as part of the ?bonus buck? program at White Pines. The site will open for the Late-Winter antlerless only firearm season in January. Archery hunting will open for the first time at White Pines each Monday thru Thursday only through the season. As part of this archery deer hunting opportunity, antlerless-only hunting will be allowed in October, with either-sex hunting permitted from November until the end of the archery season. For more information, contact White Pines State Park at 815/946-3717.

The 2006-07 statewide Illinois deer hunting seasons are:

Firearm ? November 17-19 and November 30-December 3
Muzzleloader-only ? December 8-10
Late-Winter Antlerless-only ? January 12-14, 2007
Archery ? October 1, 2006 - Jan. 11, 2007 (Exception: Archery season will close during firearm season in counties where firearm hunting is permitted).