FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2005

DEER HUNTERS IN ILLINOIS TO REPORT HARVEST BY TELEPHONE OR WEBSITE

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will require deer hunters, in most Illinois counties, to register their harvest by telephone or by logging onto the IDNR web site. This registration process will begin with the 2005-06 archery deer-hunting season, which starts on Oct. 1. Harvest reporting through county check stations this fall will be conducted only during the firearm deer season in those counties where the IDNR will be doing surveillance sampling for chronic wasting disease (CWD) (see list of counties and check stations below).

“Telephone and internet harvest reporting through the new DNR Direct system will be more convenient for hunters and more efficient for our wildlife management program,” said IDNR Director Joel Brunsvold. “Turkey hunters have enjoyed the benefits of calling in their harvest in recent years and the convenience and efficiency of this new system makes sense for deer hunting, as well.”

Prior to this year, successful deer hunters were required to register their deer at a county check station by 8 p.m. on the same day it was harvested. Under the new reporting system, the temporary harvest leg tag that is part of the deer permit should be placed on the deer immediately upon retrieval and the deer must remain whole or field dressed until it is registered. Hunters will phone in or go online to report their harvest by 10 p.m. on the same day the deer is taken.

Except in CWD surveillance counties, successful deer hunters will register their harvest via a toll-free call to 1-866-ILCHECK (1-866-452-4325), or through the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/vcheck by 10 p.m. that same day. Hunters either calling in or using the web site to register their harvest will be given a confirmation number to verify that they registered their deer. The number must be written on the temporary harvest leg tag.

Hunters should examine closely their deer permits for details on the information they will be asked to provide when phoning in or going online to register their harvest. Hunters will be asked to provide information about the sex and age of the deer they are registering, the number of points on antlered deer and whether they saw any bobcats or wild turkeys while in the field. In some cases, they may be asked for a measurement from the deer’s antlers or hoof.
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“We require deer hunters to register their harvest to gather biological information that is necessary for proper wildlife management,” said IDNR Forest Wildlife Program Manager Paul Shelton. “Use of deer check stations on a statewide basis was a good way of doing business in the past. The new DNR Direct check-in system will provide us with the same kind of information and we will have access to the data right away.”

Hunters are reminded that while the way of registering deer is changing, checking in the deer they harvest is still mandatory.

“Enforcing the wildlife code and wildlife regulations is necessary to ensure that good data are being collected and that the Illinois deer herd is protected,” said IDNR Law Enforcement Chief Galen Westerfield. “While we are making it easier for hunters to check in their deer, those who decide to violate the law or regulations will face the same penalties as those who decided not to take their deer to the check station under the old system.”

Successful deer hunters will also have an opportunity to obtain a deer pin signifying their taking of a deer during the 2005-06 season. Those successful hunters interested in receiving a free deer pin may submit an application on the IDNR web site and their deer pin will be mailed to them.

The 2005-06 deer hunting seasons are:

Archery - Oct. 1-Jan. 12 (closed Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4 in firearm counties)
Firearm - Nov. 18-20 and Dec. 1-4
Muzzleloader-only - Dec. 9-11
Late Winter Firearm (select counties) - Jan. 13-15, 2006

For more information on Illinois deer hunting permits and regulations, check the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/systems/index.htm

2005 Firearm Deer Check Stations in CWD-Sampling Counties
(Firearm hunters register deer by phone or web site in all other counties)

Boone County - Boone County Fairgrounds, Illinois Rt. 76 and Business Rt. 20, Belvidere
DeKalb County - Shabbona Lake State Park, 4201 Shabbona Grove Road, Shabbona
Kane County - Shabbona Lake State Park, 4201 Shabbona Grove Road, Shabbona
McHenry County - Sportsman’s Choice, Intersection of Illinois Routes 14 and 47, Woodstock
Ogle County - Castle Rock State Park, Illinois Rt. 2, three miles south of Oregon
Stephenson County - County Fairgrounds, Illinois Rt. 26 and Fairgrounds Road, Freeport
Winnebago County - Rockford Speedway, Illinois Rt. 173 at Forest Hills Road

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