Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Illinois is one step closer to a $500+ deer license (total required fees).

Representative Dan Reitz and Senator Todd Seiben (the SUPPOSED leaders of the Legislative Sportsman's Caucus that is SUPPOSED to represent sportsmen) have quickly and quietly ramrodded a 2nd amendment of HB1074 through that would raise the NR archery cap to 20,000. The bill also says that the IDNR may in no way limit the number of resident archery permits. This bill never mentioned a SINGLE thing about archery permits (except raising the price which is higher now than first anticipated... $435), until the heat died down from the first two bills.

An annual NR hunting license cost is $50.75, application fee of $13, habitat stamp of $5.50, and the proposed maximum deer permit for $435.00 which would total $504.25. A 5 day temporary NR hunting license can be bought for $29.75 which would make the total $483.25 if a hunter hunted for 5 days only. The pervious deer permit cost $225.00 and would increase by $210.00 at the maximum of $435.00 as proposed.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS ! If it actually goes thru . I feel for the non- residents that would like to hunt this state, but can't now because of the increase. I use to live in Wisconsin, and moved to Illinois 7 yrs ago. I use to buy my non-resident archery tag, but I'll be honest with you, if I had to pay $500 for a tag, it probably would'nt happen. I think that's going overboard a bit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! [:@]

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

i don't think it is out of line at all. go out west and buy a non resident tag and you will pay just as much

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

So that makes it right? People in Cali. pay as much as or more than $100,000 for building permits. So, would you like to tag that added cost onto building your house? It's out of line. It's way out of line. It's a kin to them putting up a big fence with a sign on it saying

KEEP OUT. STRANGERS NOT WELCOME.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

nodog,

What people don't realize is that these rediculous prices do not help hunting, they hurt hunting, and hurt ALL hunters. This is coming from a resident hunter that looks at it from the standpoint that this will reduce competition in his hunting area while at the same time subsidising welfare for himself. Screw everyone else and the long term repercussions, like other states passing reciprocal fee legislation. Screw the fact his kids won't be able to hunt out of state someday. Screw the fact this fee increase will only go to paying for welfare checks instead of being used for hunting habitat. Really sick.

Besides that, this quote is absurd. Tags out west are literally a different animal. Whitetail are by far the most abundant game animal in north america. They are not bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, or even pronghorn.

That short-sighted selfish attitude is ruining our hunting heritage. Illinois is becoming the Utah of the midwest.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

hey you all have your opinion and i have mine but do not start with the name calling

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Zim, please respect others views. I agree with you but your post was a little too agressive.

I have 2 buddys that have not killed a deer in 2 years. Simply because they cannot afford the 100 bucks for a nonresident in Ohio. All this does it takes out the poor man. If they would raise residents by 5 bucks they could make the same amount of money.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

bob d,

You don't think it's out of line at all? Please educate us all and expound upon the statements I made in my prior post............with hard facts. Then since you are so educated about it please tell us what hunting habitat projects the extra $200 is going to be spent on, as opposed to state welfare checks. Do you even know what is going on in your own state?

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

They raised ours (Ohio) last year. I think it was $8. Don't give them anymore ideas.:(

BTW why haven't they taken a deer in their own state?

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

hey i never said i had the answers ,but you did , so what are they .


my kids can hunt in illinois cause they are residents , i make several trips out of illinois a year and i pay the non resident fees so it only makes sense to me that illinois should get a higher fee too .

and don't tell me about holding politicans responsible they do whatever they want too with the money , look at all the federal dollars that have not been put into wildlife

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

bob d,

With all due respect, your logic, and I don't know how to say this more politely, is just plain ignorant. When will people learn?

"i make several trips out of illinois a year and i pay the non resident fees so it only makes sense to me that illinois should get a higher fee too."

Where exactly "out of illinois" do you go and pay $500 for a whitetail tag anywhere in the world? You don't, because there is no such place. In fact, there is no place with a whitetail tag price even 60% of that. Bighorn, elk, mulie are not whitetail, the most prolific game animal in north america. This is setting the bar way, way too high. And in essence, tells all nonresidents, except rich ones, to go pound sand. Do you not see other states will also follow this with reciprocal rates? Do you know less and less of these fees are being returned to wildlife, instead ending up subsidising completely unrelated general fund entitlements? Do you see how this hurts all hunters......me, you, and our kids? Would you like your kids to be able to affford to hunt out of state someday?

How could any hunter anywhere possibly be in favor of this? And if so.....WHY? Your reasoning sounds like "hey.....they are screwing us so let's screw them even more" without any thought of the repercussions......or what animal we are talking about.

The answer is to pay attention to what is going on, instead of being greedy. Write your legislators and join wildlife groups who object to this raping. Write other states as well. Educate your fellow hunters. I do all of these things.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I had toyed with the idea of deer hunting Illinois ,
but between your new higher non-res fees and lack of access y'all just priced me out of the game . Sorry .

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Last year I bought a n. r. alaska moose tag for $400 AT WALLMART for $500 you can buy a brown bear tag. Montana charges $640 for year round fishing small game and birds; an elk tag and a deer tag . Ohio charges $140 for a yearly deer tag. Illinios dnr and politions are run by antihunters to charge $500 for an archery only deer tag this will only spread like wild fire out of the midwest. This will be the down fall of hunting as we know it enjoy it be for its gone.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I agree that some changes probably needed to be made in order to limit the amount of NR hunters in certain areas of the state such as the "Golden Triangle". But IMO raising prices to $500 was not the answer.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Double Creek,

Bingo!

All hunters, both Illinois resident & nonresident, lose.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I have made my last trip to the Midwest. The tag prices are getting out of hand and I refuse to be taken advantage of. The good news is that after hearing the news of Illinois deciding to molest the NR's really got me looking for some lease ground which I am about to close the deal on. So, I will just spend that money on leases and food plots instead of pouring it into the Illinois economy. The bad news is that I have already paid my deposit for this year[:@][:'(]:(

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

i would bet that if the tags were raised to $500 they would still sell out in a short time. I myself would never pay $500 to hunt any animal, greed is a bad bad thing. of course pay hunters have brought this on themselves, they have created the demand.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

t roy,

Legislation has passed the IL senate that would eliminate the NR cap for this year and increase the fee to $500. We will see, but I highly doubt they will sell the previous cap quota of 15,000. There are too many other options. I have a slammer spot I found on public land there after several years worth of scouting, and it's only 60 minutes from my door. However, due to the price, I will pass on it and go to Iowa this year. I have the preference points and this is a good year to burn them.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

i dont think another $250 to a guy already paying the landowner $1-1500 per week will make a huge difference; seems like most of these guys have money to burn. sure guys like you who hunt public land probably wont be back, but you are in the minority. good luck in Iowa.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I said it before..... Illinois politicians are sounding more like GREEDY outfitters all the time. We all as hunters should stick together and keep the cost within reason for all to enjoy. NOT JUST THE WEALTHY!!!! I would like my kids to have the opportunity like I have to hunt Illinois. It is no doubt a great state to hunt whitetail but a $500 deer tag is a little much. Hunting is suppose to be a fun and relaxing sport for all ages,genders,and incomes to be able to enjoy. The only ones they are putting the screws to are (US) the middle class workers who bust our a$$es to make ends meet with everything going up around us. I'm afraid Illinois has seen me for the last time if they raise their tags so dramatically. I will miss hunting there but I will not be takin advantage of.[:'(][:'(]

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Guys,

Theres some ammendments that where put in on this bill. Im not postive on the details but theres still going to be a cap and the price will not be 500 dollars. I will try to get the info on here tommorow.


Don

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Hey Don, I heard it would only delay the inevitable a season or two, while still raising it half way there this year. I guess trying to soften the blow.

t roy, If you believe the majority of Illinois nonresident hunters pay $1,500 for outfitters or leases you would be wrong. They are the only ones you hear about but that does not mean they are the majority. That is just publicity. Even the outfitters only expect 4-5,000 of the NR tags to go in the initial NR guided draw if that happens. The rest 10,000+, would go in the regular draw.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I've been watching the Illinois situation almost daily and this was a complete blindside!

Any time a law gets run through this quickly by total surprise usually means there is considerable but dubious power behind it. Cant quite figure out what special interest is behind this other than a 4 million dollar windfall for IDNR. [:'(][:'(][:'(]

We can only hope that the resident voters (outfitters, landowners, motels, archery shops, restaurants, campgrounds, small town merchants, etc) who will be hurt by this will make themselves heard

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

BT,

I think they are honestly overestimating the demand. There really are plenty of other quality areas to hunt whitetails in other states. This year I am talking with a lot of guys that have no choice because their leases are signed. Many would not renew their leases at $500. For those of us that hunt public many would change plans for 2005.

I would not doubt IL is looking at Iowa legislation that will increase the price in the $425 range. Looks like their new plan will be to match that for the next 2 years before dropping the full hammer.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

only time will tell. like i said most out of staters are paying bigger money for their outfitter or their lease.

how come no ones complaining about Iowa's plans for higher tag fees?

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I don't think even $500 tags will make any difference here. I'm in the so called "Golden Triangle". To be honest I doubt $1000 tags would do any good here.[:'(] Soon it's going to be hunters with money who will be the only hunters who can afford to hunt here. It's almost there now.[:@]

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

t roy, I'm not happy about Iowa either. But their increase would not be as high.....$425. And that bill has not passed their senate. I don't know what I'd do if they go over the current $300. Ha, You know all this has already affected my hunting. I used to apply for Iowa, Kansas & Illinois and draw two of these per year @ $150/each. When all this BS started a couple years ago I had to quit that. I was priced out at $300. Now with these $425 and $500 tags I can't even justify one. I am manicuring my 25 acres of private land here in Indiana better these days with the anticipation that is where I'll be hunting more. I will be set for this year in Iowa at $300, but I don't know about next year.

I think way too many people think that $500 & $1,000 tags prices are fair, as they are basing their judgement on the relatively small contingent of NR visiting the golden triangle. That is one small part of the state, and outfitted nonresidents are clearly in the minority when considering the entire state. It sucks we are all getting cast into the same pot with the rich folks that frequent there.

We have gone to one buck only here in Indiana for 3 years now. I hope they see the crap that is going on elsewhere, and manage our state for quality so I won't have to go anywhere else. The more states that adopt it, the more the supply will increase, and thus demand drop. Penna. and Missouri jumped on board. I hope we are next.

Anyway, it's time for me to stay home and start looking for some of these one buck residuals! Soon it will only be the wealthy that hunt out of state.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I'm just curious, are doe tags also that darn high? You may remember that CO. raised the price for elk to $450, from $250, in one year and that fall they didn't have near enough cow's shot, so the next year they lowered the cow tags back down to $250. Man, I can't imagine paying $500 for a whitetail tag! I payed $450 for a moose tag. Let's see, I got 640# of meat from my moose, heck, a whitetail on the hoof doesn't even weigh that!

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Doe Tags are $25 a pop. You still have to pay all the other stuff like NR hunting licsense and Habitat stamp and the rest but if a either sex permit is going to run you 504.25 with 425 of that being the either sex tag my poor math skills tell me that you can nock $400 of the 504.25 if you just want to shoot a doe which would leave you at $104.25 for all the nec. permits to to shoot a doe, or if you already had all those other permits you would just be looking at another $25..

As far as the rest of the State and NR's impact.. The Outfitting business is alive and well in the next of the woods too. It will probably grow state wide as well with unlimited NR tags being offered. Probably not explosive but a pretty steady growth. This is of course assuming that the buck population stays healthy and not out of balance with the doe herd.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

That will be interesting to see. I don't think it will but I am just speculating. I know myself and several others that I have talked to won't be going anymore if they raise the tag prices that high but we don't have the money that a lot of guys do. It will definitely knock a lot of the middle class hunters out of the loop.

That's one of the ironies of IL, Pike Co. inparticular, is that the buck to doe ratio is way out of wack and they appear to be overpopulated yet they still grow some great bucks. I think the predominant reason for that is the habitat and I am sure the genetics play a role in it as well.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

SA, I already know for a fact that outiftting is growing in this area and others and I am not in the Golden Triangle. Far from it. There are several guides around here that are leasing/buying up as much ground as possible one leasing in excess of 8,000 acres and several farmers I know are thinking of opening up shop too as soon as they think they can guarentee the business to take more ground out of production for animal habitat. It will happen, I don't know how much more it will happen but it will.

One would think that the high prices would keep NR's from coming in but most who are using the outfitters don't seem to care about another 100-200 bucks, as long as they are getting what they paid for which is a "good" hunt that hopefully ends in a big buck. I personally don't like the thought of $500 dollar tags to hunt in Illinois and could think of alternative measures to raise funding for the DNR (And have seen some interesting ones for other organizations in the state) but fortunately I am not King so what I want can't happen. I also don't think unlimted either sex tags are a good idea either (Prefer DNR have the right to regulate the herd how Biologists see fit, not pencil pushers in Chicago land see fit).

Pike County isn't the only county producing great bucks but I do understand what you are saying about their odd success rate with very poor (According to QDM principles) ratio's. Other parts of the state are not in the same situation as far as extreme unbalanced. From what the long time locals have told me this area has balanced out a lot since they put the two buck maximum in however many years ago that was. i have heard the same from other areas of the state that are not as known for Trophy bucks all though they still have some big ones.. The local Archery Check stations were telling me that they had never seen so many big bucks and does like they did this year.. It's a shame that they are elminating this because they couldn't get someone to collect the data... There were check stations that hadn't been visited by the DNR for 2 years.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

I know it is happening but whether it will continue to happen with the IL DNR raping the NR is the part that I am questioning. Only time will give us the answer to that.

That all depends on the hunters. I can tell you of 9 that I hunt with locally that have said they won't go back anymore. I am speaking from the perspective of the person that is going to have to pay the prices and I can tell you that after this year that I just won't do it, nor will several others that I have talked to. I don't know what kind of indication that is. Only time will answer that question. I am sure there will still be a lot of people willing to spend the money to go up there and hunt but I am also sure that they are excluding a major portion of their market base. So anyway you go about it there is going to be less guys willing to go up there and spend the money. Less hunters going doesn't look like a whirlwind for the outfitters. Three years ago it took several weeks for the tags to sell out. Two years ago it took 8 days. Last year it took 8 hours. That tells me there isn't just an unlimited numbers of hunters trying to get in and the price increase is going to have an effect on that IMO. To what extent it will have an effect is the question.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Well guys I think I will stay just accross the river from Pike county on the Missouri side. We have monster bucks over here to and it only cost me like 17.50 for 2 ewither sex tags and 5.00 apiece for unlimited doe tags. If you guys want to come to the midwest I believe out of state tags cost 175.00 unless you live in IL,IA, KS, or OK. Missouri Conservation department started penalizing people from those states due to the high prices for out of state tags. So if you live in one of those states there is a 75.00 surcharge on top of that 175.00. Still seems cheap comared to rich mans hunting states.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Senator Sieben filed yet another amendment on HB1074 today (5/13). Senate Amendment #4 calls for graudating the NR deer permit fees from $325 in 2005, to $375 in 2006 and $425 in 2007. The cap will remain at "no less than 20,000.

This amendment will have to go through the rules committee... onto the full senate floor for approval, and then back to the house again... before going to the governor.

What is not included in the NR permit fee is the required annual NR hunting license cost is $50.75 (5 day = $28), application fee of $13, habitat stamp of $5.50 which is an additional $69.25.

Of this passes in its current form, a NR deer hunter would pay $494.25 to hunt deer in Illinois in 2007.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

1sagitarius

Thanks for the update!

Do you have a link to your source for that info? The Ill legislature website only says that an amendment was filed but no detail. Trying to keep watch on the situation from 700 miles away is a bit tough.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Negotiations successful on hunting, Thursday, April 21, 2005

Illinois Farm Bureau negotiations helped move forward bills impacting non-resident deer archery permits and county stormwater commissions in the General Assembly last week. Lawmakers worked to meet last Friday’s deadline for passing legislation on third reading in their respective chambers.

IFB believes compromise wording added to HB1074 will move state archery permit restrictions closer to IFB policy, according to Kevin Semlow, IFB director of state legislation.

Under the amended HB1074, the number of non-resident deer archery permits would increase to a minimum of 20,000 from the current 15,000. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) also could increase the cost of a non-resident archery permit up to $435 each, compared to the current $225.

The IFB board agreed to the compromise after Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Steeleville) committed to a revisit of the issue later, Semlow explained. Reitz agreed to re-examine the restriction on non-resident archery permits after accurate information is obtained on the number of non-residents who apply for archery permits this hunting season.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Friday, May 6, 2005

If voting goes as expected, Fulton County residents can plan to see more license plates from Pennsylvania this fall. And from West Virginia, And Georgia. And from any other state with archers willing to pay nearly $500 to hunt whitetail deer.

That potential increase in non-resident hunters stems from a bill moving through the Illinois legislature. House Bill 1074 would increase the non-resident bowhunter quota from 15,000 to 20,000 and would increase the non-resident permit fee from $225 to $435.

Non-residents must also purchase a $50.75 license and a $5.50 habitat stamp, bringing the total cost to $491.25.

HB 1074 has already passed through the House. On Wednesday the bill passed out of Senate committee and is on second reading. Expectations are it will be put to a vote later this month. Officials at the Department of Natural Resources say any legislation needs to be in place before June 1, since that's the start of the non-resident application period.

Kevin Chapman, president of the Illinois Bowhunters Society, hopes there's still a chance to halt the bill. Chapman urges hunters to contact their senators to oppose the bill because he said the legislation circumvents DNR management, limits opportunities for resident hunters and caters mainly to wealthy non-residents.

"This is all about the Illinois Farm Bureau. They wanted this bill and the bottom line is the Farm Bureau is now managing the Illinois deer herd because they control the DNR and the legislature," Chapman said. "They got exactly what they wanted: high-dollar clientele coming into Illinois to hunt. "Now only the wealthy will be able to afford to come here to hunt and the little guys are squeezed out." Chapman said the fee increase could also impact Illinois hunters who travel to other states that have reciprocal fee structures. For instance, if you plan to rifle hunt for deer in Missouri this fall you might be asked to pay more as a result of HB 1074.

Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Sparta, who sponsored HB 1074, did not return a call Thursday. In other deer-related developments, check stations appear doomed. A comment period has passed for a plan to eliminate archery and firearm deer check stations. DNR officials say response was mixed, some speaking in favor of the plan, some against. "We're not planning on changing our proposal" based on comments, said John Buhnerkempe, head of the wildlife division.

For the change to become official, the rule still must be approved by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. JCAR is scheduled to meet May 17 and then again June 14.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

The 4th amendment to HB 1074 passed yesterday, May 19.

The amended HB 1074 may be voted on today, May 20.

That will bring fees up a bit and increase NR cap to 20,000.

It will then have to go back to the House for a vote.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Thanks for the update Arnie!

At this point, I just wish they would make a final decision and get on with things. I also think that a graduated increase makes more sense.

Hopefully this will stabilize things.

RE: Illinois closer to $504.25 NR deer license total
 

Today the amended motion to make tags $325 this year with increases over next three years passed. It further allocates no less that 20,000 tags for this year and subsequent years.

The amended bill now goes back to the House.