FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Illinois Youth Deer Hunt set for October 7-8

Blaze Orange required for all hunters in counties open to Youth Deer Hunt

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The annual Illinois Youth Antlerless-only Deer Hunt is Oct. 7-8 for those youth who have a valid permit issued earlier this year by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) permit office for the specific county they plan to hunt.

Youth hunters must be accompanied by a non-hunting parent, guardian or responsible adult who has in his or her possession a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card. Both participants must wear the required blaze orange cap and upper garment with a minimum of 400 square inches of solid blaze orange material. Shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.

Counties open to the youth hunt are Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, DeKalb, Edwards, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Knox, LaSalle, Lawrence, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Richland, Schuyler, Scott, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Williamson, and Winnebago.

The IDNR sites in the counties listed below are open to youth hunting during the youth deer hunt (contact the site for other special site regulations):

• Adams - Mississippi River Pools 21 and 22.
• Adams/Brown - Siloam Springs State Park.
• Calhoun/Jersey - Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA).
• Crawford - Crawford County SFWA.
• Franklin - Campbell Pond State Habitat Area (SHA).
• Hancock - Cedar Glen State Natural Area (SNA).
• Jackson - Kinkaid Lake SFWA.
• Jackson/Union - Giant City State Park.
• Jasper - Newton Lake, Meeker SHA.
• Jefferson/Franklin - Rend Lake SFWA and Corps of Engineers-managed areas of Rend Lake.
• Jefferson/Hamilton - Ten Mile Creek SFWA.
• Jo Daviess - Apple River Canyon State Park (Salem/Thompson Units), Rall Woods SNA (Falling Down Prairie), Hanover Bluff SNA, Tapley Woods SNA, Wards Grove SNA.
• Johnson - Cache River SNA, Glass Hill SNA, Cypress Pond SNA, Deer Pond SNA, Skinner Farm SHA, Ferne Clyffe State Park - Cedar/Draper Unit only;
• Lawrence - Chauncey Marsh.
• Perry - Pyramid State Recreation Area.
• Pike - Ray Norbut SFWA, Mississippi River Pool 24.
• Randolph - Turkey Bluffs SFWA.
• Randolph/St. Clair - Kaskaskia River SFWA.
• Schuyler/Brown - Weinberg King State Park including Scripps and Spunky Bottoms units.
• Union - Trail of Tears State Forest, Union County SFWA, Devils Island SFWA (Union county portion only).

All Illinois residents who buy or possess firearms are required by law to have a valid FOID card. FOID applications can be obtained from any firearms dealer, law enforcement agency, including the IDNR, or printed from the Illinois State Police website at www.isp.state.il.us. To obtain a FOID card, complete an application and forward it along with a $5.00 fee and a photograph to the Illinois State Police, Firearm Owner's Identification Unit, PO Box 19233, Springfield, IL 62794-9233.
Youth hunters are reminded that archery deer season will be underway and archery hunters will be afield during the Oct. 7-8 youth hunt.

All other hunters are reminded that if they are hunting in a county open to youth deer hunting, they must comply with requirements to wear blaze orange.

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