JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ill. — Hunters in Illinois are preparing for the state's first-ever whitetail deer rifle season.
Illinois Conservation Police Sgt. Tim Buhnerkempe believes the change to add rifles could help generations of hunters.
After six weeks of Archery season Illinois hunters are putting down their bows as the woods are slowly filled by 264,682 permitted hunters for firearm season.
"It's by far the busiest the woods are going to be for the entire season,” said Illinois Conservation Police Sgt. Tim Buhnerkempe.
Illinois Conservation Police are working overtime to try and educate hunters across the state about the requirements if they want to use a rifle.
"A lot of people hear rifles and they start thinking .30-06 and stuff like that,” said Sgt. Buhnerkempe. “Those are not legal. We've got that question a lot. Caliber restrictions are straight wall cartridges only. Bottleneck are allowed, but they have to be less than 1.4-inches."
Hunters must use at least a .30 caliber and they're limited to a single shot.
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"A lot of people are using AR platforms,” said Sgt. Buhnerkempe. “In order to do that you either have to have no magazine with you in possession and just load it through the ejection port or get what’s known as a sled.”
Conservation Police across Illinois will be checking any hunters who stray off-target from the law.
"The information has been out there for quite a while so we will be enforcing it,” said Sgt. Buhnerkempe.
While these restrictions may seem heavy to some in the Show Me State, where rifle hunting has been legal for years, Sgt. Buhnerkempe says the goal is to safely open up the sport to more people in Illinois.
"One of the biggest advantages are for people who are recoil sensitive, that have shoulder injuries, and especially kids,” said Sgt. Buhnerkempe. “My son killed his first deer at 5-years-old. My daughter killed her first deer this year at 6-years-old. There's no way either one of them could've shot a shotgun or a muzzleloader at that age."
If you have any questions or would like to request a safety check before you head out into the woods you're being encouraged to call your local game warden.
For more information on the rules and regulations on deer hunting with a rifle in Illinois click here.