Illinois Predator Hunters - Night Hunting Extension Petition

HTRN57

HTRN57

New member
I have petitioned the State of Illinois to consider extending the 24 hour season for coyotes to "year-round" with no bag limits. Coyotes are currently not protected in the State other than through the current night season which is limited to November 10th through February 15th. The current daytime hunting season is year-round with no bag limits. I am requesting the extension because most of us (US citizens) work for a living and generally limit our hunting activities to weekends. The current season gives the night hunter only 24 weekend days with no consideration given to weather conditions that might keep us out of the field. The State also closes the coyote night hunting season during the first 2 deer hunting seasons which eliminates 4 weekend days. Although I seriously doubt thay many in the State would hunt coyotes at night during the summer and whelping months, I don't see the need to discriminate between daytime or nighttime hunting especially in light of the modern technology now available for hunting at night. I would like to hear from Illinois residents who support, as well as those who do not support extension of the night hunting season. The State currently has not asked for support signatures but that might be the next step. At this stage I am trying to gauge the level of support from those who do hunt at night, as well as those who only hunt during daytime hours. In your response could you please indicate if you are predominately a nighttime hunter, daytime hunter, or both. Thanks, Kevin
 
It would be nice to have a longer night hunting season even if it was only extended from sept till march. I would support a 24hr year round season.
I hunt day and night
Wes
 
I've hunted them over there in the day time. I'd buy an annual non-res tag if I could hunt them at night. Over here season is open from mid Oct to mid March. The only hunting after is with written permission from landowner. KY has year round but no night hunting them at all, they do have bobcat season though. You'd think in IL as big a cash crop that the deer are, they'd let you take them at all times.
 
Who should we contact to voice our support. Thanks for starting the topic, it might take a couple of tries to get this changed.
 
I have contacted State Wildlife Biologist Bob Bluett who referred me to Barb Frey in legal. According to Bob it requires an administrative rule change to get this accomplished. Barb requested that I forward a letter describinng why the rule change would benefit hunters as well as the State which I did. In the letter I asked her if she needed to see a show of support (signatures) and I will await her reply. I thought I would start this PM topic to let everyone know that the process has started and I may need your support down the road. As everone knows who lives in IL, the people who control this state (politically) could care less about DNR. Therefore the legal department is likely well understaffed and this may take awhile. I have this topic posted on both the Predator Hunting and the Night Calling Forums and will try to keep updates posted every couple of weeks or so. Thanks for everyone's support thusfar and I will let you all know who to contact for a show of support when (if) that time comes. Kevin
 
Last edited:
If non-residents can sign I will too. To tell the truth I'm suprised they don't already charge for a seperate tag to night hunt and wouldn't be suprised if they go that route. I'd be nice if the money collected went back to wildlife rather than welfare in Chicago but thats a whole different can of worms. I'd push the fact that less coyotes means more deer and turkey, where they make the bulk of the money.
 
not all year long. End of feburary. Too many people out after dark camping and stuff when it warms up. Plus crops and weeds will be too high to see. A bad accident waiting to happen.
I talk to some of the farmers and land owners the other day about this deal and they told me NO WAY IN [beeep]!! would they allowed any one on their land after dark when it warms up. Plus you got to realize that we have a deer problem bad and the only way we can keep them in check is by letting the coyotes have at them during fawning season.
I hunt both day and night, mostly night though.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: ilcoyotenot all year long. End of feburary. Too many people out after dark camping and stuff when it warms up. Plus crops and weeds will be too high to see. A bad accident waiting to happen.
I talk to some of the farmers and land owners the other day about this deal and they told me NO WAY IN [beeep]!! would they allowed any one on their land after dark when it warms up. Plus you got to realize that we have a deer problem bad and the only way we can keep them in check is by letting the coyotes have at them during fawning season.
I hunt both day and night, mostly night though.
So do you think the current season from 11/10 to 2/15 is acceptable ? I don't know of too many people that start camping in March nor do the weeds get high until around June or July. Plus, I know of a lot of deer hunters that would not want a prized fawn from a super buck to be snatched up from momma doe before it even has a chance at life. If the State wants to thin out the deer herd then they should basically open up the doe only season in October and not require a 15.00 permit every time you shoot one. I don't see how letting predators take out the fawn crop in an indescriminate manner is a way to control the deer population. The State has basically mismanaged the deer herd which is why they have a problem today. Also, even though I am petitioning for year-round night hunting season, I doubt there will be that many hunters out after coyotes after it warms up....just like there are not that many out hunting them now in daylight when it starts getting warm. Kevin
 
Here is an update on the current situation. I initially contacted the State Wildlife Management Department to ask specifically what actions were needed to get the season extended. They responded that an administrative law change was necessary and refered me to someone in the legal department. I contacted that person and they informed me that the procedure required a three step process....fist describe what you would like to have changed, describe how the change will benefit sportsmen in general, then describe how the change will benefit the state in general. I spent approximately a day on the letter and support. All total the letter was around 5 pages single spaced. About a week later I received a response back from the legal department that basically said, "Rulemaking on this particular area is not currently in the amendment process, and staff in our Wildlife Office has advised they have no plans to amend it for the 2012 hunting season". "Because this rule is currently not in the amendment process, we are not required by the Administrative Procedures Act to respond to your proposal, however, we will forward your letter to our Wildlife Office for consideration the next time the rulemaking is amended". So I contacted the legal division and asked what procedures were necessary to get the Wildlife Office to begin making plans to amend the area for the 2012 season. I was then refered to my original contact in the Wildlife Office who has since not returned my voicemail or email messages. I am going to give them another week or so to respond and after that I will share names and email addresses and phone numbers so all interested parties (pro or con) can voice their opinions on the issue. At this point there seems to be more support to extend the season in some form or another. I will try to post another update in a couple of weeks. Kevin
 
I can tell you that many farmers (including myself) will not support night hunting in Illinois past the end of February to maybe mid March.

Once the crops are planted there just are not many places that you could hunt here anyway.

Corn planting has already started here.
 
As noted before, most spostsmen are good stewards of the land like most farmers are so I don't see them out trying to hunt places that are not safe. Even though corn fields are planted, they really don't get high enough to block safe shooting until maybe June, then you have bean fields that get planted in May/June that you could probably hunt until July. Then there are always pasture land and fresh cut hay fields, etc that could be safely hunted. If the landowner doesn't feel it is safe to hunt on their property they can sure tell you "no hunting". The key here is that hunters and landowners should have the freedom to make those decisions....not the government. Kevin
 
I make my living farming and would like to night hunt over some of my fields after planting. Illinois is a big state planting in the north starts mid April and lasts through June.

Every landowner and hunter should make that decision not the state.
 
Just so everyone knows...there is also a duplicate posting in the predator hunting forum so you can go there to see other's opinions on this proposal. This is a really good debate and I do appreciate and understand everyone's opinions (Pro & Cons). Thanks, Kevin
 
It not the corn or beans that will be high but the wheat since some of it is already knee high. I guess you have never clean a combine when a fawn goes thru it from cutting wheat. Yes there is lots of people out when it warms up past 50.
If people think coyotes are pressured now what do you think going to happen if they do past a all year long on them.
another thing what going to happen to the coyote carcasses after they are shot? left out in the fields so we can run them over and maybe get flat tires. They will be full of fleas and ticks so who is going to pick them up and carried out.
what you need to do is push for a bobcat season like we been tring to do for years, hunt with suppressor, conceal carry law. I would have to say no to all year night hunting also.
 
forgot to mention that when the weather is right, we farmers will be out late planting our crops. Some of us wouldn't like the idea or a stray bullet hitting the equipment or us.
 
Do you plant with some new stealth technology so the neighbors can't see or hear you. With that line of thinking I bet you never drive down a country road at night between November and February 15.

Your land your choice what happens on it. Please support freedom and the right of each land owner to make that choice.
 
Back
Top