If you plan on hunting close to a house in Illinois, you should know that you need to be at least 100 yards away from it. Additionally, if you’re hunting outside the 100 yard distance, but are still within 300 yards of an inhabited dwelling, you need to obtain permission. This rule applies even if you’re hunting on your own property.
Read the newest version of Illinois regulations
The information from the previous paragraph came from page 6 of the 2022-2023 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Illinois DNR seems to make new rules and regulations every year and also makes changes to existing rules.
To make sure you are abiding by the rules, make sure you read the latest version of the hunting and trapping digest. Illinois DNR publishes an updated copy of the handbook every year. They make it easy to see which rules were added or changed because they highlight those items in yellow on the handbook.
Tips for hunting close to a house
Even if you are hunting far outside the distance that requires you to get permission from a neighbors house, it’s still a common courtesy that you should consider asking for. This is the respectful thing to do and it could go a long way towards building a good relationship with the neighbor. Keeping a good relationship with them is important for several other reasons.
If you shoot a deer and it runs on the neighbor’s property, you want to be on good terms with them so they give you permission to retrieve the deer. They aren’t required to give you permission to go on their property to find a deer.
Don’t forget to put yourself in your neighbor’s shoes and consider their feelings before doing something that could ruin a relationship. For example, I don’t know about you, but if I plan on sleeping in late on a Saturday and my neighbor blasts a shotgun near the house at 7am, it’s going to wake me up. That circumstance could potentially take you and your neighbors relationship down the wrong road.
Tips for dealing with an awful neighbor
We don’t all have great neighbors. Some people just hate hunting and people that hunt. Some will worry that you are going to shoot their dog. Others will come up with excuses why they don’t like you hunting close by. I have heard of some crazy excuses, but you want to try to be respectful and keep the peace the best you can.
Abide by the law and the Illinois DNR handbook. If you are within 300 yards of a neighbors house and they don’t want you there, move outside the barrier to make sure you are staying legal. Chances are they will call the DNR on you if you are breaking the law, especially if they are a bad neighbor.
Try and do everything you can to fly under the radar. If your neighbor doesn’t know you are there, they are less likely to cause you problems. Try driving and parking so they can’t hear or see you. Try not to inconvenience them as much as possible.
Lastly, maybe you’r better off not hunting the spot close to the neighbors house. I’m sure there are several situations out there where this isn’t an option based on the amount of land and space you have to hunt on. Perhaps is time to find a different place to hunt, even though that can be difficult to do.
If you are able to back away from the neighbors house a good ways, then that is best. Odds are that someday you will end up shooting a deer that will run onto the neighbors land. That would turn into an awkward situation if you had to go ask an awful neighbor for permission to retrieve your deer.
If you do happen to kill a deer that run’s on your neighbors land and dies, you are legally required to attempt to get permission to get your deer. If you aren’t granted permission then you’re in the clear, but unfortunately you won’t be able to legally retrieve your deer. What a waste that would be! I hope you never have this happen to you.
Conclusion
I know there are some awesome hunting spots out there that are close to houses. Don’t be afraid to hunt these locations, but understand what the latest laws and regulations are. Use common sense when dealing with neighbors and treat them how you would want to be treated. You won’t always see eye-to-eye with your neighbor, but its important to keep your cool and try to keep the relationship as civil as possible.
Everything that was mentioned in this article regarding Illinois laws and regulations was sourced from the 2022-2023 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Odds are that these rules won’t change for a long time, but they could change next year. It is each and every hunter and trappers responsibility to understand the latest rules and regulations when they are published.