Grackles, blackbirds and cowbirds may not be hunted for recreational
purposes. However, any person may remove or destroy, by use of
a shotgun, air gun or traps and only on or over the threatened area,
any red-winged blackbirds, Brewer’s blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles and
crows when found committing or about to commit damage to ornamental
or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife, or when concen-trated
in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard
or other nuisance, without a permit, so long as he or she has authori-zation
from the landowner or tenant and non-lethal control methods
have been tried prior to lethal control. Only non-toxic shot may be used
with shotguns. Rusty and yellow-headed black birds are protected.
No hunting license or stamp is required for this removal. No calls,
decoys, etc. may be used when using this rule to take the above birds
causing damage. Crows may be hunted for recreational purposes
by properly licensed hunters using shotguns, calls, decoys, etc.
during the crow hunting season listed on page 2 of this Digest. It is
illegal to recreationally hunt crows with airguns, rifles or handguns.
For reporting requirements and other federal rules, see 50 CFR 21.43.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
22
Dove Banding
Steel – see pg. 42 for steel shot
lethality table
Bismuth – use shot sizes that are 1 size
smaller than steel.
Tungsten-iron –
-matrix –
-polymer – use shot sizes that are 2 sizes
smaller than steel.
Hevi-shot – use shot sizes that are 3 sizes
smaller than steel
Hevi-13 – use shot sizes that are 4 sizes
smaller than steel
Heavyweight – use shot sizes that are 6 sizes
smaller than steel
Examples: Equivalents to #2 steel would
be #3 Bismuth, #4 Tungsten-iron,
#5 Hevi-shot, #6 Hevi-13
and #8 Heavyweight.
Suggestions for
Non-toxic shot sizes ATTENTION
Dove, Waterfowl and Other Migratory Game Bird Hunters
HIP REGISTRATION
Registration with HIP (National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program) is required to
hunt migratory game birds in Illinois every year.
Do you hunt doves, ducks, geese, snipe, woodcock, coots or rails in Illinois? All licensed hunters
must register with HIP if they intend to hunt migratory birds. It’s free and it’s easy.
When purchasing your 2011 hunting or sportsmen’s license be sure to get your HIP certifi-cation.
NOTE: Hunters also can register for HIP by calling 1-888-6PERMIT. If you get your
HIP certification by phone record the transaction number on your license.
You cannot hunt migratory birds without a HIP certification.
Lifetime License holders are automatically registered with HIP and crow hunting is exempt.
Cooperation and support from hunters make sound resource management possible. The
National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program is required nationwide. You must reg-ister
separately with HIP in each and every state where you hunt migratory game birds.
Lead Poisoning in Mourning Doves
The hazards of lead poisoning in waterfowl
from consuming spent shotgun pellets have
been well-publicized. An estimated 2-3 million
ducks and geese annually have been spared
since national laws were passed prohibiting
the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting in
1991. Recent research has determined that
doves are also at risk from acute lead poison-ing
due to consuming spent shotgun pellets in
hunted fields. In fact, emerging research sug-gests
that many more doves may be dying per year than waterfowl
did prior to the ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunting. While non-toxic
shot is not required on all hunting areas, dove hunters are en-couraged
to use steel or other non-toxic shot types in order to
spare doves and other wildlife from potential lead poisoning. Num-ber
6 or 7 steel shot used with shotgun chokes one size more
open than what is typically used for lead are very effective in har-vesting
doves. Improved cylinder or skeet is the best choke to use
with steel shot for doves. Even though non-toxic shot is a little
more expensive than lead, the cost is justified to help conserve
our valuable dove resource.
Permit Limit
Two wild turkey hunting permits may be obtained
for the fall shotgun season, subject to availability.
Archery Turkey Permits
Fall archery turkey permits will only be available over-the-
counter from license vendors. Two fall archery
turkey permits may be purchased per season.
Blaze Orange Clothing Requirements
When and where it is legal to archery turkey hunt dur-ing
any gun deer season, archery turkey hunters must
comply with the same blaze orange requirements as
gun deer hunters.
Shotgun Permit Application Period
First Lottery – Residents: Applicants may apply for
one turkey hunting permit. Applications must be re-ceived
by July 5, 2011.
Second Lottery – Residents/Non-residents: Indi-viduals
who were rejected for a wild turkey permit
during the first lottery, who are applying for their
first permit, or who are non-residents may apply for
one permit. Applications must be received by Aug.
22, 2011. Eligible Illinois residents have preference
over non-residents in this lottery.
Random Daily Drawings – Residents/non-residents:
Anyone with less than two permits may apply for
remaining permits to be allocated in random daily
drawings from Sept. 19 through Sept. 26, 2011.
Hunters are encouraged to apply early, because
drawings are conducted from the pool of permits
received each day.
Statewide Migratory Game Bird Hunting Information
Blackbirds and Crows Doing Damage
Dove hunters are urged to check the legs of harvested doves for bands.
Most Midwestern states including Illinois are currently banding doves to
gain information regarding survival, migration routes and harvest rates.
This new information will be used to develop new federal dove hunting reg-ulations
in the future. Please report any band numbers to www.report-band.
gov or call 1-800-327-BAND (2263). See page 25 under Dove and
Waterfowl Bands for more information.
