Firearm Deer Season Opens Friday in Illinois
Deer hunters in Illinois will be busy this weekend, as firearm hunting season begins this Friday and continues through Sunday, November 24. A second round of firearm deer hunting will be coming in two weeks, from December 5 through 8.
During Firearm Season, hunters can use shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, and centerfire rifles. Vertical, traditional, and crossbows can also be used, but only on private property. Hunters also must adhere to clothing requirements, which call for a solid blaze orange or blaze pink hat and an outer garment that displays at least 400 square inches of orange or blaze pink material. In 2018, Rep. Tony McCombie co-sponsored legislation that allowed deer hunters to wear solid pink gear in addition to solid orange.
“Deer hunting is a way of life in Illinois, including for thousands of outdoor enthusiasts in my district,” stated Rep. Dennis Tipsword (R – Metamora), an avid deer hunter in District 105. “There’s nothing like waking up on opening morning and finding your way to a deer stand just before dawn. Please enjoy this Firearm Deer Season and exercise all safety precautions!”
Hunting hours during this period are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Hunters must also have proper deer permits and a valid hunting license. The bag limit is one deer per hunter, and over a 12-month period that begins on July 1, no hunter may harvest more than two antlered deer. Upon killing a deer, hunters must adhere to reporting/registering guidelines as outlined by the IDNR. Find license and permit information here.
Deer harvests in counties with Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance must be reported by 10 p.m. on the same calendar day by calling 1-866 IL-CHECK or through this online portal. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of the central nervous system in deer and elk. Since the first case was discovered in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) started a ‘targeted surveillance program’ for CWD.
Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, IDNR’s wildlife disease program identified 369 CWD-positive deer in 18 northern Illinois counties. Wildlife biologists monitor the distribution of CWD through testing of hunter-harvested deer. The disease is not transmissible to humans, but the CDC does not recommend consumption of CWD-positive deer meat. Hunters in CWD counties are strongly encouraged to have their harvested deer tested. Find more information here.
Leader Tony McCombie has met with representatives from IDNR and sought input from residents in her district in northwest Illinois about CWD. Concerns have been expressed about IDNR’s policies to address CWD.
“The CWD program has been considered to affect the deer population of northwest Illinois, and as I continue to engage with hunters and the DNR to find a solution, I want to hear from those impacted on their ideas as to how we can move forward,” McCombie stated.
Deer hunters provide a valuable service to the environment, helping control overpopulation. An overabundance of deer can threaten other species and human health and safety. When deer migrate into residential areas and roadways, the risk for vehicle collisions and serious injuries escalates. Please exercise caution and follow all of the rules and regulations as they relate to deer hunting during the upcoming Firearm Season.