(1) A person may discharge a long, recurve, or compound bow, or - when necessary to accommodate a documented disability - a crossbow, as permitted by regulations of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the laws of the State of Illinois, on private property within the corporate limits of the City if the following requirements are met:
a. The person must possess a valid deer archery permit issued by the State of Illinois and must comply with all of the conditions of the permit and all applicable laws and regulations of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources relating to archery deer hunting. A person desiring to use a crossbow must provide documentation to the City of Moline that a crossbow is a necessary accommodation to a disability.
b. The person must possess a deer hunting permit issued by the City. The cost for this permit shall be seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per hunter. The application procedure necessary for obtaining a permit shall be according to the City of Moline deer management rules and restrictions for deer hunting in subsection (2) of this section. Applications are accepted only between August 1 – October 31 of any given year for that year's hunting season.
c. There shall be no more than eight (8) sites permitted for deer hunting. All sites must be located on private property. The size of each site must have a minimum of three (3) contiguous acres. City staff shall review and approve, if warranted, all sites on an annual basis.
d. Each hunter shall be authorized to hunt from an approved stand located on the permitted hunting sites. Each stand located on an approved site shall have a minimum platform height of six (6) feet.. No person shall knowingly direct an arrow across the boundary of or off the designated site. Only one (1) hunter per stand at any one time will be allowed. If multiple stands are to be located on a site, each stand shall have a density of no less than five (5) acres.
e. Locating appropriate hunting sites will be the responsibility of the hunter. The hunter shall provide site information to the City’s account’s and finance department to determine if the site information complies with this section and the rules and procedures for deer hunting in subsection (2). The site information submitted by the hunter shall include a description and address(es) of the proposed hunting site.
f. Deer archery hunting will only be allowed on those specific dates annually designated as deer bow season by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
(2) Deer Management Rules and Regulations. The City of Moline permits an archery hunting program for deer in an effort to better control the deer population within the boundaries of the City, contingent, however, upon annual review by the City Council. The intent is to give control of hunting to the property owners, yet enable archery hunters to harvest the deer for their use or to provide meat for social agencies. Hunting sites will be selected based on criteria including deer concentration, safety, and overall impact. There are stipulations required of hunters in an effort to make the program as safe as possible, yet achieve the goal of thinning the number of deer within the City limits.
a. Hunters.
1. Obtaining a Permit. Hunters must obtain a permit in order to participate in the Moline deer management program. In order to obtain a permit, hunters will need to provide the following:
a) Written permission from the property owner(s) of the site(s) they desire to hunt;
b) Hunters are encouraged to obtain permission from owners who are adjacent and abutting the hunting site;
c) Hunters must obtain approval from any owner or tenant of an inhabited dwelling that is one hundred (100) yards from a hunting site;
d) Archery proficiency certification from an approved provider;
e) Copy of a current Illinois hunting license;
f) Completed City of Moline deer management permit application form.
2. Hunting Rules and Regulations:
a) Hunters must adhere to all State of Illinois and Department of Natural Resources guidelines, rules, and restrictions;
b) Hunters must obtain appropriate state permits and tags;
c) Hunters must have a valid City of Moline permit;
d) Hunters must harvest two does before harvesting a buck;
e) All deer harvested as part of the deer management program must be reported to the Moline Police via online form with date, time and location of harvest of deer;
f) All remains must be removed from the hunting site;
g) Hunters will obtain permission from property owners before tracking or retrieving a deer that travels out of the approved hunting area. Illinois is not a right to retrieve state.
b. Hunting Sites. Sites will be approved by the City based upon criteria including deer concentration, safety, and overall impact.
1. Restrictions and Requirements:
a) Consist of no less than three (3) contiguous acres;
b) One hundred (100) yards from a school, park, or church, unless approved;
c) Situated in a manner that all shots are taken at a downward angle;
d) Shots must not be taken in a way they may carry into an open or occupied area;
e) Only one hunter active per site at any time;
f) Certain sites may have a time restriction when hunting is allowed;
g) Hunters must set up their stand at least one hundred (100) feet from buildings, roads and sidewalks;
h) Hunters must post a sign, provided by the City, notifying the public that hunting is occurring; the sign shall be placed in the most visible location to notify neighbors and the public;
i) Hunting acres cannot be shared or combined to create another hunting site.
2. Multiple Hunters:
a) Additional hunters may be allowed when using a separate stand at a density of no less than one (1) hunter per five (5) acres;
b) Property owners may coordinate with multiple hunters to utilize a site, but only one (1) hunter may actively use a stand at any one time.
3. Property Owners:
a) Property owners reserve the right to deny hunting on their property;
b) Property owners wishing to hunt or allow hunting on their property must submit their site for approval to the City’s accounts and finance department;
c) The City will notify property owners that are adjacent to and abutting an approved hunting site in advance via letter;
d) Property owners with objections or concerns regarding hunting in their vicinity should state their concern in writing or contact the finance department.
4. Unpermitted Hunting:
a) Any hunting that takes place without appropriate permits will be considered poaching and treated as such;
b) Any hunting on property which is not approved by the City will be considered poaching and treated as such;
c) Hunting on property without the property owner’s explicit permission is impermissible.
(3) Any violation of the deer management program rules and guidelines will result in the permanent revocation of City hunting privileges and subject the hunter to a possible fine for said violation.
(Ord. No. 3033-2018; new Sec. 7-1109A enacted; 08/07/18 re: bow and arrow hunting of deer; Ord. No. 3030-2019; Sec. 7-1109A (1), (1)(a), (1)(f), (2)(a)2.e) repealed; new subsections (1), (1)(a), (1)(f), (2)(a)2.e) enacted; 11/19/19; Ord. No. 3055-2022; Sec. 7-1109A repealed; new Sec. 7-1109A enacted; 12/13/22)