A. Hunting And Trapping Restrictions Generally:
1. There shall be no hunting of any kind within the limits of the lake or the marginal lands, except for duck and goose hunting, as allowed by the city council. (Ord. 1918, 7-16-1979)
2. No person shall fire or discharge any firearm of any description within the limits of the lake or the marginal lands, except duck and goose hunters, participants in IDNR (Illinois department of natural resources) sanctioned, scheduled events, police officers, or the lake officers in the performance of their duties. (Ord. 3437, 8-3-2009)
3. The city may authorize or license any person to use firearms, traps or other means to destroy any predatory or otherwise undesirable animal, bird or aquatic life.
B. Duck And Goose Hunting:
1. Annual Review: Duck and goose hunting shall be allowed at Lake Taylorville only upon the decision of the city council on a year to year basis.
2. Permitted Areas: Subject to the existing state and federal laws, duck and goose hunting is hereby permitted by the city on Lake Taylorville in the areas described as follows:
Lake Taylorville lying within Section 23, Township 12 North, Range 2 West of the 3rd Principal Meridian in Christian County, Illinois, commonly known as the Lake area lying west of the Dappert Bridge and levees approaching thereto.
Beginning at the intersection of west shoreline of Lake Taylorville with the south line of Section 14, Township 12 North, Range 2 West, 3rd Principal Meridian, thence meandering northerly, thence easterly, thence northerly along said shoreline to the east sixteenth section corner of the northwest quarter of Section 13 of the aforementioned Township 12 North, Range 2 West, 3rd Principal Meridian.
Beginning at the intersection of the shoreline of Lake Taylorville with the west line of Section 18, Township 12 North, Range 1 West, 3rd Principal Meridian, (a point approximately 400 feet north of the southwest corner of said Section 18) then meander along the shoreline of Lake Taylorville easterly, westerly, northerly, thence southeasterly, thence northwesterly, thence northeasterly, thence southwesterly to a point on said shoreline situated 1700 feet east and 1950 feet north from the southwest corner of Section 7, Township 12 North, Range 1 West, 3rd Principal Meridian.
(Ord. 1918, 7-16-1979)
3. Hunting From Duck Blinds:
a. Location Of Blinds: There shall be thirteen (13) designated and marked places for duck blinds. The lake superintendent 2 shall determine the location of all of the thirteen (13) blinds and have such locations properly marked.
There shall be no duck blinds located within two hundred (200) yards of any public road, any residence, Boy Scout area, Girl Scout area or the Boyd Dappert Youth Reservation.
No duck blinds shall be on the lakeshore but must be on the lake waters during hunting. (Ord. 3687, 10-6-2014)
b. Construction Of Duck Blinds:
(1) All duck blinds shall be portable on the water, and there shall be no nonportable duck blinds.
(2) Each blind must have at least twelve (12) decoys.
(3) No trees or shrubbery may be cut down around the lake area to build duck blinds.
c. Hunting Ducks And Geese:
(1) There shall be no duck or goose hunting except from the blinds at the locations provided herein. All duck and goose shooting must take place in a duck blind designated in this section (unless after a cripple), and there shall be no shooting on the lakeshore.
(2) No more than three (3) persons are allowed to occupy any one duck blind at any one time during the course of the duck and goose season.
(3) Shooting time at said duck blinds shall be from sunrise to sunset.
(4) All boats used for duck hunting shall be licensed by the city.
(5) All persons duck and goose hunting must obey all state and federal laws while hunting.
d. Duck Blind Permits: All duck blind permits will be issued at a drawing to be conducted by the city. The time and place of said drawing shall be made public, and all persons must be at least sixteen (16) years of age in order to draw for a duck blind.
There shall be no charge for a permit to hunt ducks or geese on Lake Taylorville.
C. Trapping, Wounding Animals; Damage To Eggs Or Nests: No person shall trap, catch, kill or wound or attempt to trap, catch, kill or wound any bird or animal, take any bird egg or molest any nest of any bird or animal or cruelly treat any bird or animal in or on any portion of the lake or marginal lands thereto, excepting only when so authorized in writing for a particular purpose by the city. (Ord. 1918, 7-16-1979)
D. Archery Whitetail Deer Hunting:
1. Annual Review: Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, and if Whitetails Unlimited and/or Christian County Bow Hunters Associations pay for the costs to survey and to prepare a survey plat of the permitted area hereinafter mentioned and to record such survey plat with the recorder's office for Christian County, Illinois, and further pay for the local newspaper publication costs each time to publish the notice of the "annual onetime drawing for permits" hereinafter mentioned, then archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting shall be allowed within the permitted area described in subsection D2 of this section at Lake Taylorville, but only upon the decision of the city council on a year (deer hunting season) to year (deer hunting season) basis and if so approved only upon the additional terms and conditions as set forth in this subsection D.
2. Permitted Area: Subject to the existing state of Illinois and federal laws, approval of the city council as referred to in subsection D1 of this section, and the rules and regulations set forth in this subsection D, archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting is hereby permitted by the city at Lake Taylorville during the deer hunting season, as permitted and designated by the state of Illinois, within the area legally described below: (Ord. 3152, 11-3-2003)
Parcel A
Part of the North Half of the Northwest Quarter and the Northwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 20, Township 12 North, Range 1 West of the Third Principal Meridian, Christian County, Illinois, more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at the Southeast Quarter of said North half, South 89 degrees 46'49" West, 1996.47 feet; thence North 00 degrees 7'25" West, 1301.04 feet to the South right of way line of County Highway #8; thence North 89 degrees 34'41" East, on said right of way line, 1999.11 feet; thence continuing on said right of way line, South 89 degrees 58'58" East, 1332.74 feet; thence South 00 degrees 2'21" East, 1302.58 feet; thence South 89 degrees 46'49" West, 1333.43 feet to the point of beginning, containing 99.78 acres, more or less.
Parcel B
The East 42 acres of the Northwest Quarter of Section 36, and all that part of the Northeast Quarter of Section 36 lying North of the North right of way line of West Lakeshore Drive, West of the West right of way line of the Lincoln Trail bike path (former B&O Railroad right of way), all in Township 13 North, Range 2 West of the Third Principal Meridian, Christian County, Illinois.
No hunting on parcel B shall be allowed within seventy five (75) yards from any house and/or public road and/or bike trail that is included in the above parcel B legal description. (Ord. 3437, 8-3-2009)
3. Rules And Regulations:
a. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting on city property without a permit having been first issued by the city to such person or for any person who is not deemed a person authorized hereunder to accompany a person issued a permit hereunder during such deer hunting season. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any of the rules or regulations set forth in this subsection D3.
b. Such permits shall be issued by the lake superintendent and shall be limited to persons who are eighteen (18) years of age or older and who are bona fide residents residing within the corporate limits of the county of Christian, Illinois, and who are in possession of a valid and current Illinois resident hunting license, archery deer tag, and habitat stamp at the time of the "annual onetime drawing for permits".
c. Such permits shall not be issued to any person until and unless such person signs a hold harmless and indemnity and release agreement in favor of the city on a form as may be approved by the lake superintendent from time to time. (Ord. 3152, 11-3-2003)
d. A maximum of thirty (30) such permits shall be issued for parcel A as set forth in subsection D2 of this section. Such permits shall be available at a rate of one permit for every designated ten (10) acres within the aforesaid permitted area for archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting during any deer hunting season for the following designated time periods: ten (10) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from October 1 to October 31; ten (10) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from November 1 to November 30; and ten (10) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from December 1 to December 31, and for such extended continuous period of time after December 31 as is then designated by the state of Illinois for that current archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting season applicable to said parcels A and B. A maximum of forty five (45) such permits shall be issued for parcel B as described in subsection D2 of this section. Such permits shall be available at the rate of one permit for every designated ten (10) acres within the aforesaid permitted area for archery whitetail deer hunting during any deer hunting season for the following designated time periods: fifteen (15) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from October 1 to October 31; fifteen (15) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from November 1 to November 30; fifteen (15) permits shall be available for issuance for the time period from December 1 to December 31, and for such extended continuous period of time after December 31 as is then designated by the state of Illinois for that current archery (bow and arrow) whitetail deer hunting season applicable to said parcels A and B. Such permits will be available at an "annual onetime drawing for permits", on a date to be announced in the local newspaper by the lake superintendent. The lake superintendent shall conduct and prescribe the terms and conditions and the manner in which such "annual onetime drawing for permits" shall be conducted and issued, and his decision shall be final and conclusive. The fact that a person is issued a permit for a particular deer hunting season shall not guarantee or entitle such person to obtain a permit for any successive deer hunting season. (Ord. 3732, 10-5-2015)
e. Each person who has been issued a permit shall have such permit on his or her person or shall display such permit in the windshield of his or her motor vehicle parked within the hereinafter mentioned designated parking area while hunting.
f. Any issued permit shall be nontransferable and shall only allow the archery (bow and arrow) hunting of whitetail deer within the aforesaid designated ten (10) acres within the permitted area as designated in subsection D2 of this section. It shall be unlawful for any person to participate in or to engage in the activity of deer hunting outside the aforesaid designated ten (10) acres within the permitted area.
g. A permit shall allow the person issued such permit and one other person who is of the age of seventeen (17) years of age or younger or one other person assisting a disabled person issued such permit to participate in archery whitetail deer hunting within the aforesaid designated ten (10) acres within such permitted area with the person issued such permit.
h. The person issued such permit shall remove all tree stands, ground blinds, and any equipment used during the hunt each day.
i. It shall be unlawful to cut or injure any tree within the aforesaid permitted area provided, however, minor trimming of trees are permitted to provide for shooting lanes. For purposes hereof, "minor trimming" shall mean only the trimming of tree limbs that are less than four inches (4") in diameter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it shall be unlawful to use any device that pierces the bark of any tree (e.g., screw in steps, nails, bolts, and bow holders). Subject to the prohibition of tree bark piercing, climbing stands, ladders, strap on steps, and natural ground blinds are permitted.
j. Each person issued a permit shall park his or her motor vehicle, during the hunt, in a parking area as designated by the lake superintendent from time to time. Parking a motor vehicle on private property to access the aforesaid permitted area is unlawful.
k. It shall be unlawful to drive or operate or park any motor vehicle, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), snowmobile, or any off the road vehicle of any kind, nature, or extent whatsoever within the aforesaid permitted area.
l. It shall be unlawful to engage in or participate in the driving or organized effort to push or harass deer in the direction of another hunter or hunters.
m. While engaged in hunting on city property, it shall be unlawful for any person to violate any state of Illinois or federal law regarding hunting.
n. Each person issued a permit shall sign and complete a hunter's survey at season's end or when surrendering such permit. The lake superintendent shall designate the form of such survey from time to time.
o. It shall be unlawful for any person, except certified law enforcement personnel, to be in possession of or to use or to discharge any firearm on city property.
p. Any permit issued hereunder shall be a privilege only and is revocable at the will of the city council or by the lake superintendent with or without cause or reason whatsoever, and the issuance of any permit shall not convey any right or ownership of property to the person issued such permit or to any person as designated above who may accompany the person issued such permit while hunting.
E. Penalties:
1. Any person that the lake superintendent determines has violated any of the rules and regulations set forth in subsection D3 of this section or any state of Illinois or federal law regarding hunting, or any other city code provisions, rules, or regulations regarding the use of city property shall not be entitled to the issuance of any permit hereunder and shall forfeit hunting privileges of any kind, nature, or extent whatsoever on city property for a period of at least sixty (60) consecutive months thereafter.
2. Any person who violates any of the terms or provisions of this section or any other provisions, rules, or regulations of this code regarding the use of city property shall be subject to a fine and/or penalty, upon conviction, in accordance with the general penalty provisions set forth in sections 1-4-1 through 1-4-4 of this code. (Ord. 3152, 11-3-2003)
Notes
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| 2 | 1. See title 1, chapter 9, article H of this code. |