DEFINITIONS
Case. A container specifically designed for the
purpose of housing a gun or bow and
arrow device that completely encloses
such gun or bow and arrow device by
being zipped, snapped, buckled, tied or
otherwise fastened, with no portion of the
gun or bow and arrow device exposed.
Daily Limit. The maximum number or amount
of species that can be lawfully taken by
one person in one calendar day.
Department. Department of Natural Resources.
Floating Blind. A floating blind is any water-craft
or floating structure that is capable of
carrying a person and which is camou-flaged,
disguised or altered in appearance
to offer a place of concealment. Such float-ing
blind may be mechanically powered as
long as such power is used only for move-ment
to and from the place of hunting and
no attempt is made to hunt during such
movement.
Freshly Killed.Any carcass, remains or parts of
the body of any dead mammal or bird that
has not been prepared for immediate con-sumption
or storage for later consumption.
Furbearing Mammals. Mink, muskrat, raccoon,
striped skunk, weasel, opossum, beaver,
red fox, gray fox, badger, bobcat, river otter
and coyote.
Game Birds. Bobwhite quail, Hungarian par-tridge,
chukar partridge, ring-necked
pheasant and wild turkey.
Game Mammals. Cottontail and swamp rab-bits,
white-tailed deer, fox and gray squirrel
and woodchuck (groundhog).
Green Hide. Any hide or pelt which has not
been tanned.
Gun. Shotgun, rifle, handgun or airgun.
Hunt. The act of a person possessing a weapon
or being accompanied by a dog for the pur-pose
of taking species protected by the Illi-nois
Wildlife Code in any location such
species may inhabit.
Land Set. Any trap or similar device that is not
placed or set in contact with flowing or im-pounded
water.
Migratory Game Birds. Mourning dove, sora
rail, Virginia rail, American woodcock, com-mon
snipe, American coot, ducks, geese,
swans and American crow.
Possession Limit. The maximum number or
amount of species that can be lawfully held
or possessed by one person at any time.
Resident. ‘‘Resident’’ means a person who in
good faith makes application for any license
or permit and verifies by statement that he
or she has maintained his or her permanent
abode in this State for a period of at least 30
consecutive days immediately preceding
the person’s application, and who does not
maintain permanent abode or claim resi-dency
in another state for the purposes of
obtaining any of the same or similar licenses
or permits covered by this Code. A person’s
permanent abode is his or her fixed and per-manent
dwelling place, as distinguished
from a temporary or transient place of resi-dence.
Domiciliary intent is required to es-tablish
that the person is maintaining his or
her permanent abode in this State. Evi-dence
of domiciliary intent includes, but is
not limited to, the location where the person
votes, pays personal income tax, or obtains
a drivers license. Except for the purposes of
obtaining a Lifetime License, any person on
active duty in the Armed Forces shall be
considered a resident of Illinois during his or
her period of military duty.
Sale. To sell, barter or otherwise offer goods
to another for consideration. The term sale
shall include serving the same as a part of
a meal by any restaurant, hotel or other
commercial establishment.
Take. To hunt, shoot, pursue, lure, kill, de-stroy,
capture, gig or spear, trap or en-snare,
harass or to attempt to do so.
Transport or Ship. To convey by means of par-cel
post, express, freight baggage or ship-ment
by common carrier of any description;
or by automobile, motorcycle, or other ve-hicle
of any kind; or by water or aircraft of
any kind or by any other means of trans-portation.
Trap. To capture, or attempt to capture, by
setting or placing a leghold trap, body-grip-ping
trap, cage or live-trap or other similar
device permitted by the Illinois Wildlife
Code to capture, hold or kill any protected
wildlife.
Vehicle. Any device capable of transporting a
person on land, on ice, on water, in water
or in the air.
Wildlife. Any bird or mammal living in a state
of nature without the care of man, including
all protected wildlife.
Water Set. Any trap or similar device that is
placed or set in contact with flowing or im-pounded
water.
PROTECTED SPECIES
All wild birds (EXCEPT the house sparrow,
European starling and domestic pigeon) and
parts thereof (their nests and eggs) are pro-tected.
Wild mammals and parts thereof, which
shall include their green hides, are protected
EXCEPT as authorized by a hunting or trap-ping
season, and include: woodchuck, gray
squirrel, fox squirrel, eastern cottontail rabbit,
swamp rabbit, white-tailed deer, muskrat,
beaver, raccoon, opossum, least weasel,
long-tailed weasel, mink, striped skunk, red
fox, gray fox, badger and coyote.
Wild mammals and parts thereof, which shall
include their green hides, are protected
throughout the year and include: grey/timber
wolves, river otter, bobcat, flying squirrel, red
squirrel, eastern woodrat, golden mouse, rice
rat and bats.
It shall be unlawful for any person to take any
other living wild animal not covered above
without the permission of the landowner or
tenant.
It is unlawful to take, possess, sell, or offer
for sale, any such wild birds (dead or alive)
and parts thereof (including their nests and
eggs), or such wild mammals (dead or alive)
and parts thereof, including their green hides,
contrary to the provisions of the Illinois
Wildlife Code.
It is unlawful to bring into Illinois for the pur-pose
of holding, releasing, propagating or
selling any other living wild animal not listed
under the Protected Species section above
without first obtaining a permit from the Di-rector.
Contact Division of Wildlife Resources
(217) 782-6384.
AUTHORITY OF STATE
CONSERVATION POLICE
OFFICERS (CPOs)
All Conservation Police Officers are empow-ered,
pursuant to law, to enter all lands and
waters to enforce the provisions of the
Wildlife Code and Administrative Rules.
FIREARM OWNER’S I.D. CARD
(Issued by Illinois State Police)
Regardless of who owns the gun, individuals
who have a firearm or firearm ammunition in
their possession must also have in their pos-session
a valid Firearm Owner’s I.D.
(F.O.I.D.) Card unless they are:
A licensed out-of-state sportsman hunting
in Illinois.
A resident who is hunting within a licensed
commercial club (licensed by the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources), pro-vided
he/she is accompanied by a person
who has a valid card.
Under the age of 21 and under the imme-diate
control of a parent, guardian or re-sponsible
adult who has in his or her
possession a valid F.O.I.D. card.
For F.O.I.D. card information, call the Illinois
State Police at (217) 782-7980.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
9
Statewide Regulations
