SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced changes to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) check station procedures during the 2020 seven-day Illinois Firearm Deer Hunting Season (Nov. 20-22 and Dec. 3-6). The changes, health and safety protocols implemented in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, will provide greater protection to both the hunting public and IDNR staff during the season.
Hunters should follow all public health guidelines issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Through responsible actions, hunters can help ensure that site hunting programs continue to offer Illinoisans healthy outdoor recreation opportunities.
IDNR is reminding deer hunters that in the counties of Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will, and Winnebago, successful firearm deer hunters must take their deer (either whole or field-dressed) to a designated firearm deer check station on the same day it is harvested. Daily check station hours are 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. For the dates Nov. 20-22 and Dec. 3-6, all deer harvested by hunters using a firearm deer permit in CWD counties are required to be checked at a CWD check station; these deer should not be checked through the online or telephone system.
*New for 2020*
Carroll County now has a CWD check station at Mississippi Palisades State Park on Illinois Route 84 north of Savanna. All deer harvested in Carroll County during the seven-day Firearm Deer Season must be taken to a CWD check station. More information can be found on pages 20-21 of the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations or online at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/programs/CWD/Pages/default.aspx.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the following changes will apply to CWD check stations:
1. Hunters should remain in their vehicles until approached by IDNR staff. Hunters are encouraged to arrive at
