Firearm deer season set
Hunters in Union County and throughout Illinois will head to the field this week for the state’s most popular hunting season as the 2009 Illinois firearm deer season opens.
The first weekend of the season is Friday through Sunday, Nov. 20-22. The firearm season will conclude on Dec. 3-6.
The weather outlook for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the region calls for partly sunny to clear conditions, with high temperatures in the upper 50s.
For information on remaining permits, check the IDNR web site at <a href="http://www.dnr.state.il.us/admin/firearm.htm">http://www.dnr.state.il.us/admin/firearm.htm</a>
The legal hunting hours for the firearm deer season are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Hunters successful in taking a deer during the firearm season in most counties must register (check in) the deer they harvest by going online at <a href="http://www.dnr.state.il.us/vcheck">www.dnr.state.il.us/vcheck</a> or by phoning 1-866-IL-CHECK (1-866-452-4325).
Hunters using the online or phone-in system must register their harvest by 10 p.m. on the day they take the deer.
IDNR recommends that hunters using cell phones to register their harvest wait until they are out of the field and have a clear cell phone signal before attempting to make the harvest report phone call.
For more information about Illinois deer hunting regulations changes for 2009-2010, check the IDNR web site at this link: <a href="http://www.dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2009/September/deer.html">http://www.dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2009/September/deer.html</a>
Hunting Safety Facts from IDNR
Illinois law requires that anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1980, must successfully complete a hunter safety course before a regular Illinois hunting license is issued.
The number one cause of hunting accidents in Illinois is falling from a tree stand.
Last year in Illinois, there were 38 reported hunting accidents; 30 were the result of tree stand falls and five of those resulted in fatalities.
So far during 2009, there have been 13 reported hunting accidents in Illinois, of which six have involved falls from tree stands.
When using a tree stand, IDNR advises hunters to remember the following:
Check ladder stands before you climb to make sure they are secure.
Wear a fall arrest system/full body safety harness the moment you leave the ground until you return.
Use a haul line to raise an unloaded firearm or bow into a stand.
When hunting with a firearm, IDNR says sportsmen should remember three primary rules of firearm safety:
Point the muzzle in a safe direction.
Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
Know your target and what is beyond your target.
“Deer hunting is part of our outdoor heritage in Illinois, and we want to encourage all hunters heading to the field this week for the start of the firearm season to make safety their first priority,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources, IDNR, director Marc Miller said in a news release.
“Hunters always need to be conscious of firearm and tree stand safety to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunt.”
Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 106,018 deer during the seven-day firearm deer hunting season in 2008.
More than 360,000 permits have been issued to date for the 2009 firearm season.