HuntingNet.com Forums - Remember Your Blaze Orange Opening weekend. (IL)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2007

Young hunters will Take to the Field Oct. 6-7 for the Annual Illinois Youth Deer Hunt

All hunters reminded of solid blaze orange requirement during youth hunt

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The 2007 Illinois Resident Youth Either-Sex Deer Hunt is Oct. 6-7 for those young hunters who have a valid permit issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) for the specific county they plan to hunt.

A new state law signed last summer by Governor Rod R. Blagojevich opened the youth deer hunt to all counties except Cook, DuPage, Lake and that portion of Kane County east of Illinois Route 47. The new law also allows youth deer hunt participants with a valid permit to take an antlerless or antlered deer.

The youth deer season is open only to Illinois residents who have not reached their 16th birthday by the first day of the hunt (Oct. 6 this year). All participating youth must have completed an IDNR-approved hunter safety education course.

Youth deer hunt participants must be accompanied by a non-hunting parent, guardian or responsible adult who has in his or her possession a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card. Both must wear the required blaze orange cap and upper garment with a minimum of 400 square inches of solid blaze orange material. Shooting hours for firearm deer hunting in Illinois are now a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset.

Youth who are successful in taking a deer during the hunt must register their harvest by 10 p.m. that day by going online at dnr.state.il.us/vcheck/ or by phoning 1-866-ILCHECK (1-866-452-4325).
The IDNR sites in the counties listed below are open to youth hunting during the youth deer hunt. It is expected that other IDNR sites will be open during the youth hunt in coming years. (Contact the sites listed below for special site regulations):

Adams - Mississippi River Pools 21 and 22
Adams/Brown - Siloam Springs State Park
Calhoun/Jersey - Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA)
Effingham - Wildcat Hollow State Habitat Area (SHA)
Franklin - Campbell Pond SHA
Hancock - Cedar Glen State Natural Area (SNA)
Henderson - Mississippi River Pool 18
Jackson - Kinkaid Lake SFWA, Giant City State Park
Jasper - Newton Lake, Meeker SHA
Jefferson/Franklin - Rend Lake SFWA and Corps of Engineers-managed areas of Rend Lake
Jefferson/Hamilton - Ten Mile Creek SFWA
Jo Daviess - Apple River Canyon State Park (Salem/Thompson Units), Rall Woods SNA (Falling Down Prairie), Hanover Bluff SNA, Tapley Woods SNA, Wards Grove SNA, Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge/Lost Mound Unit (special permit required from U.S. FWS)
Johnson - Cache River SNA, Cypress Pond SNA, Deer Pond SNA, Skinner Farm SHA, Ferne Clyffe State Park - Cedar/Draper Unit only, Glass Hill SNA, Skinner Farm
Lawrence - Chauncey Marsh
Lee - Green River State Wildlife Area
Perry - Pyramid State Recreation Area
Pike - Ray Norbut SFWA, Mississippi River Pool 24
Randolph - Turkey Bluffs SFWA
Randolph/St. Clair - Kaskaskia River SFWA
Sangamon - Sangamon River SFWA near Salisbury
Shelby - Hidden Springs State Forest
Schuyler/Brown - Weinberg King SFWA including Scripps and Spunky Bottoms units
Union - Devil’s Island SFWA, Trail of Tears State Forest, Union County SFWA

Hunters are reminded that archery deer season will be underway and archery hunters will be afield during the Oct. 6-7 youth hunt.

Archery deer hunters and all other hunters are reminded that they must comply with requirements to wear solid blaze orange the weekend of the youth deer hunt (except in counties closed to the youth deer season).

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