BY HANNAH SPANGLER
The Illinois House Friday night unanimously approved Illinois Farm Bureau-backed legislation addressing deer overpopulation, sending the bill to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature.
“This bill is the result of meetings with constituents who annually have to deal with significant financial loss to their crops as a result of nuisance deer and other wildlife,” said state Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, chief co-sponsor of Senate Bill 710. “Working together with the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those affected has resulted in a significant piece of legislation to address this problem.”
A key provision of the new legislation requires the IDNR to update its Deer Removal Permit (DRP) procedures. Among the changes: IDNR biologists must respond to DRP requests within a specific timeframe, helping farmers address deer-related issues more quickly. The department must also publish clear information about the DRP process, including eligibility criteria and application instructions, on its website. These updates stem directly from farmer feedback and discussions with IDNR facilitated by county Farm Bureaus around the state.
"Agriculture is the economic engine of Illinois, but many of our farmers have been bogged down by red tape that prevents them from eliminating nuisance wildlife until damage has already been done," said Rep. Marcus Evans Jr., D-Chicago, who was the sponsor of the legislation in the House. "I am proud of this bill because it empowers farmers and landowners to address problems proactively before they get out of hand."
For Saline County farmer and landowner Randy Anderson, the legislation could make a big difference. In 2024, deer damage was so severe that he didn’t harvest four acres of corn in a 36-acre field, meaning those four acres produced zero revenue to cover his expenses.
Under the new DRP provisions, landowners like Anderson who harvest at least 50% of the deer authorized under a permit will automatically qualify for additional antlerless-only permits during the regular hunting season. If they fulfill 80% of the permit, they become eligible for an additional nuisance permit — valid for harvesting up to five deer — usable between June 1 and Sept. 15 of the following year.
“This is very encouraging,” Anderson said. “Automatically getting permits for the next year would save so much time and hassle of me calling and asking a biologist to come to my farm, especially when sometimes there aren’t enough biologists to go around.”
Another provision allows landowners to designate a hunter to receive one guest landowner permit, which includes one either-sex permit and one antlerless permit for every 240 acres owned in Illinois. Anderson said this will also help him manage deer populations more effectively by enabling others to assist with the issue.
Anderson has been involved in the legislative effort from the start. As a delegate at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in December, he voted to include updates to wildlife management practices in the organization’s policy book. Now that this bill has passed through the General Assembly, he said, “It finally seems like our voices were heard.”
“That’s one of the things I feel is an advantage when you get a group together like Illinois Farm Bureau. It’s not just one voice, it’s the voice of many,” Anderson told FarmWeek.
"It’s great to see this much-needed, bipartisan legislation make its way to the governor’s desk,” said Anna McKinley, IFB assistant director of state legislation. “We’re grateful to Sen. Patrick Joyce and Rep. Marcus Evans for their leadership, to the Department of Natural Resources for their collaboration, and to the many County Farm Bureau members who helped advocate for this important change.”
Pending Pritzker’s approval, SB 710 will officially go into effect Jan. 1. For more details about the legislation, visit bit.ly/DeerNuisanceBill.
Content for this story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.