Illinois Launches Hunt Illinois Website To Encourage Hunting And Streamline Licensing, Permitting Process

From The Center Square:

By Zeta Cross

For the past two decades, the number of hunters in Illinois has been declining.

To promote hunting and streamline getting licenses and permits, the state has launched a new website called HuntIllinois.org.

Jared Duquette, a program manager with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said fewer people learn the sport from their parents and other mentors in their communities.

Duquette said there are a lot of misconceptions about the sport. Illinois wants to encourage more people to give it a try.

Duquette said experienced Illinois hunters need to step up and show would-be hunters what makes hunting appealing.

A place to start is wild turkey hunting in the spring, Duquette said.

"It's a great time to be outdoors and it is a lot of fun," he said.

HuntIllinois.org has useful information – no matter what species individuals want to hunt or what season someone plans to go. The site explains the regulations, points to classes and programs and shows beginners how to get started.

"Novice hunters can get overwhelmed by the process," Duquette said.

For example, if someone wants to go duck hunting, they need an Illinois wildlife stamp and a federal wildlife stamp, along with a permit and a license. The website shows how to get the necessary documents.

The Hunt Planner tool provides information about Illinois hunting seasons and places to hunt.

The License Finder tool walks people through the process of obtaining the proper licenses, stamps and permits.

Duquette said Illinois is a cheap place to hunt – the cost of the fees and stamps are minimal. Fees collected from licensing and permitting fund wildlife habitat conservation. Because hunters spend a lot of time outdoors, many of them are environmentalists who care about animals and the wetlands and woods and forests where they live, Duquette said.

The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center in East Alton helped develop the new website with IDNR. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Restoration Program contributed some of the funding.

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