This is great news! While I do think it's dumb I have to purchase a firearm tag and it's only valid for private property it's still nice that I have the option of using my bow. From the Illinois DNR Conservation Police Facebook page "UPDATE: For those who may have heard the rumors about archery hunting during the Firearm Season the following information is being published by the Department of Natural Resources: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources would like to remind hunters of a new rule change. Archery devices legal for the first half of the archery deer season are now a legal device to be used during the firearm deer season if hunting private property. Furthermore: - Crossbows may only be used by those with a valid crossbow permit or by persons age 62 and older. - Hunters must be in possession of a valid firearm permit. Archery permits are not valid during the firearm deer season. - Archery devices may only be used by hunters legally hunting private property, and does not extend to IDNR hunting areas - An archery device may not be used to fill a firearm permit during the late-Winter Antlerless deer season"
Good news for felons or others who have had their 2nd amendment striped from them but don't understand the rules against archery on public land during firearms season. Most of our WMA only have short firearms seasons and unless it's a lottery hunt archery is welcome during those as we'll, as long as you wear the required amount of orange. I don't agree with the crossbow thing though. It should be legal for everyone especially during firearms season. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
