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“Interest in deer
hunting in Illinois appears to be at an all-time high, and we
appreciate the support of hunters participating in our deer
seasons,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director
Joel Brunsvold. “Hunters play a crucial role in our deer management
program, and we wish them a safe and successful season.”
Again this year,
hunters with permits for the firearm season may use shotguns,
muzzleloading rifles and handguns to harvest deer.
This year, for the
first time, permits were issued for firearm deer hunting in the
portion of Kane County west of Illinois Route 47. Hunters harvesting
deer in Kane County should take their deer to a check station in an
adjacent county, as no check station will be available in Kane
County for the firearm season.
Hunters who
harvest deer in 31 select counties are encouraged to participate in
the voluntary sampling for chronic wasting disease conducted at
check stations in those counties (see list below).
The Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the
Illinois Department of Agriculture, will collect and test more than
5,000 tissue samples from deer as part of the state's ongoing
surveillance program for chronic wasting disease.
New cases detected
during and following last year's deer hunting seasons in Illinois
brought to 65 the total number of chronic wasting disease cases
found in the state since the first was discovered in Illinois deer
in Boone County in November 2002. All of the cases found in Illinois
to date are from wild deer taken by hunters and wildlife personnel
in Boone, DeKalb, McHenry and Winnebago counties in northern
Illinois.
Illinois has
conducted increased surveillance for the disease since the discovery
of deer infected with chronic wasting disease in neighboring
Wisconsin during the 2001-2002 season.
Chronic wasting
disease is a fatal neurological disease found in deer and elk. It
has been diagnosed in both wild and captive herds in western states
for many years. The disease is not known to be contagious to people
or livestock.
The 65 deer in
Illinois that have been found positive for chronic wasting disease
were from more than 10,000 animals tested. All samples were taken
from deer harvested by hunters throughout the state and from deer
taken in northern Illinois by personnel from the Department of
Natural Resources, U.S. Department of Agriculture and local
agencies. The sampling results include 34 deer that tested positive
for the disease in Boone County, 23 in Winnebago County and four
each in DeKalb and McHenry counties.
During the 2004
firearm deer hunting season, sampling for chronic wasting disease
will occur at the following county check stations:
-
Boone -- Boone County Fairgrounds,
Belvidere
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Cass -- CCMI Warehouse, Route 78
and125, Virginia
-
Coles -- Department of Natural
Resources office, Route 16 west of Charleston
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DeKalb -- Shabbona Lake State Park
-
Edgar -- Paris Police Department
firearms range
-
Edwards -- Farmer's Packing, near
Albion
-
Gallatin -- Patton's Truck Stop,
Route 1 and 13 near the community of Junction
-
Grundy -- Gebhard Woods State Park,
west of Morris
-
Hamilton -- Hamilton County
Conservation Area, near McLeansboro
-
Henderson -- Vancil's Locker Service,
Stronghurst
-
Henry -- Johnson Sauk Trail State
Park, near Kewanee
-
Jersey -- Sheriff's Dept.,
Jerseyville
-
Jo Daviess -- Elizabeth Community
Building, Elizabeth
-
Kendall -- Silver Springs State Park,
Yorkville
-
Lee -- Lilja Tiling Co., Amboy
-
Livingston -- Pontiac Sportsman's
Club, Pontiac
-
Logan -- Edward Madigan State Park,
Lincoln
-
Marshall -- Marshall State Fish and
Wildlife Area, Kinmundy
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Mason -- Havana Fisheries
Headquarters, Havana
-
Massac -- Veaches Service Station,
U.S. 45 and 145, Metropolis
-
McDonough -- Argyle Lake State Park,
Colchester
-
McHenry -- Sportsman's Choice, Route
14 and 47, Woodstock
-
Menard -- New Salem Station, Route 97
south of Petersburg
-
Ogle -- Castle Rock State Park,
Oregon
-
Putnam -- Putnam County Natural Lands
Area, McNabb
-
Saline -- Strictly Outdoors,
Harrisburg
-
Scott -- Little Oil Co., Winchester
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Stephenson -- Tri--Lake Sporting
Goods, Route 20 and 73 south of Lena
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Wabash -- Beall Woods State Park,
Route 1 south of Mount Carmel
-
Warren -- Monmouth Grain and Dryer,
Monmouth
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Winnebago -- Rockford Speedway, Route
173 at Forest Hills
 The primary
sampling in the 31 counties will be conducted during the first
segment of the firearm deer season, Nov. 19-21. Sampling will also
be conducted at check stations in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, McHenry,
Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties during the second segment of
the firearm deer season, Dec. 2-5.
For more
information on state deer hunting regulations, check the 2004-2005
Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations or see
http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/systems/Digest/index.htm.
For
more information about chronic wasting disease, see
http://dnr.state.il.us/cwd/index.htm.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources news release] |
