Luck of the Draw

BY GARY THOMAS

If you think the way the Department of Natural Resources issues deer permits is a complicated process, you're right. At least it seems that way if you're a sportsman wanting a permit to hunt a particular county or hunting area. But we're here to explain the process so you'll have a better understanding of the system, and have a greater chance of getting the permit you want.

Firearm deer hunting is open in 98 of Illinois' 102 counties. (Because of high densities of people, Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake counties are closed to firearm hunting.) Permits are issued by county or for special hunting areas and are distributed via two lotteries, which are followed by a period of random daily drawings leading up to the hunting season in November.

Permits are made available to hunters applying for special hunts in the same manner as are applications for county-wide hunts.

Although the season doesn't take place until late fall, the process of issuing the permits actually begins in March when applications are mailed out to each hunter who received or applied for a deer hunting permit the previous year. Applications also are available in DNR offices and can be downloaded from the DNR homepage. Illinois residents can apply online at the DNR homepage (http://dnr.state.il.us ) using a credit card.

Applying

Prospective hunters have until April 28 to return filled out applications to DNR, along with a check or money order for the proper amount. Applications received on or before April 28 are processed in the first lottery.

Each application received by DNR is assigned a random number by a computer. The number doesn't have anything to do with when this application was received. In fact, the numbers aren't assigned until all the permit applications for the letter have been received, so the last application to arrive could be assigned the lowest number, while the first application could conceivably receive the highest number. The point is: Your chance of receivng the permit you want is the same whether your application was received the first day or the last. The most important thing to remember to get your application in before the deadline. Your application must in to the permit office within the prescribed time to qualify for the lottery.

Group Hunts

You don't get any preference applying as a group. And some times—in very extreme circustances—applying as a group can actually work against you. For example, if you are in a group of five applicants and there are only four permits remaining for the county

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DNR's Permit Office receives more than 200,000 deer hunting applications each spring.

you are requesting when your number comes up, none of you will receive one of those four permits.

The other hazard of going as a group hunt is that you have to make sure that each applicant fills out the group leader information exactly the same. If they don't, you won't be in the group together. Here's another example: If three applications list the group hunt leader's first name as "Ron" and three applications list the group hunt leader's first name as "Ronnie," the computer will put the three "Ron" hunters in one group and the three "Ronnie" hunters in another group. One group of hunters could receive permits for their first choice of counties, while the second group might receive their second choice for a county or even no permits at all.

Here's a good piece of advice. If you're applying as a group, send your applications to DNR in the same envelope. When applications arrive in the same envelope, DNR personnel check to make sure group information matches and that all applicants will be in the same group.

Preference System

This is a good place to discuss the preference system. There is a very small group of hunters who receive a preference for getting a permit for a particular county. Each year, eight to nine counties issue all of their full-season permits during the initial lottery (last year it was eight). Those applicants who did not receive their first choice of county because the county was already full will receive a preference for getting a permit for that county the following year. To be eligible, those hunters had to have checked the box on their application saying they would accept a second season permit for that county. If they didn't check it, they don't receive a preference the next year. And by the way, it is a preference, not a guarantee. Applicants wanting to take advantage of the preference also have to use the preaddressed application sent out by DNR the following year.

There is no preference system for hunters applying for special hunt areas.

The Lottery

Okay, let's talk about the lottery. The first lottery process is for Illinois residents only. Let's assume you have filled out your application correctly and your number comes up. It's your turn to get a permit. So how does the computer read your application?

Once your number comes up, the computer is going to go through your application and try every way it can to issue you a permit. It doesn't just check your first choice then go on to the next application. You will either get a permit or a refund.

The computer tries to give you your first choice for county or hunting area for a full season either-sex permit. If your first choice county or hunting area is available, the computer issues it to you. If your first choice doesn't have any full season permits available, the computer checks to see if you have listed a second county choice. If you have, and if there are full season permits available for your second choice, it issues you one of those permits. If no full season permits are available for your second choice, the computer looks to see if you have checked the box saying you will accept second season permits. If you have, the computer will go back and try to give you a second season permit for your first county choice. If those are gone, the computer will try to issue you a second season permit for your second county choice. If those also are gone, you'll receive a refund of your $15 from the Comptroller.

May 2000    5

Firearm deer hunting has become the most popular sport for Illinois hunters.

The lesson to be learned here is that if you would prefer a second season permit for your first county choice, then don't list a second choice county.

Explaining the second lottery is a lot easier than explaining the first one, because it is handled exactly the same way as the first lottery. The deadline for getting in applications for the second lottery is Aug. 14. The second lottery is open to hunters who were rejected in the first lottery, hunters who didn't apply for the first lottery and for non-residents. If you sent in a permit for the first lottery, but it arrived after the deadline, it automatically is placed into the second lottery even though it is marked for the first lottery.

Without going into all the intricacies of landowners permits, we'll just point out that if a landowner applies for a hunting permit in either of the first two lotteries, he forfeits his right for a free landowner/tenant permit. However, landowners receiving landowner permits are still eligible to get additional permits in the random daily drawings.

Now let's talk about those boxes you need to check at the top of your deer permit application. On the first line you're asked to indicate whether you're applying for the first lottery, the second lottery or for the random daily drawings that begin in mid-September. On the second line you have three options to consider. You can checkbox A to receive one either-sex permit for $15, box B to receive one either-sex permit and one bonus antlerless-only tag for $30, or box C to receive only the antlerless-only permit for $15.

Bonus Permits

The C box is only for applicants that have already been issued an either-sex permit, but didn't apply for the bonus tag initially. You cannot receive a bonus antlerless-only permit unless you also have a full-season either-sex permit for that county. Keep in mind that bonus antlerless-only permits are not issued for some counties. Most of those counties are listed on the application. There are fewer bonus antlerless-only permits issued than there are either-sex permits, so you can conceivably receive an either-sex tag, but be rejected for the bonus antlerless-only permit. If you have sent in $30 and you don't get the bonus tag, you'll receive an either-sex tag and a refund check for $15. And remember, if you decide after you receive your full-season either-sex permit that you want the bonus tag, you can still apply by checking the C box and sending in another application.

Random Drawings

Now we're up to the random daily drawing application process. These applications go into a pile and are assigned new random numbers. All of the applications received through Sept. 15 are processed, then the computer works its way through those received Sept. 16, Sept. 17, and so on, up until the hunting season.

Hunters can apply for as many random permits as they want. However, they have to fill out an individual application for each permit, marking whether they want only full season permits or will accept second season only permits. Hunters can also request a bonus tag for an extra $15 during the random permit process. And while you can get as many permits as you want through this process, hunters should keep in mind they are limited to only two antlered deer per year, whether they have two permits or 12. This also includes deer taken during the archery and muzzleloading seasons.

The archery season runs from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Archery hunting permits are sold across the counter and are good for every county in the state and are unaffected by the lottery system.

And that brings up our last point. DNR actually is running multiple lotteries, with some hunters applying for firearm permits, while others are opting for muzzleloading permits. Individuals cannot apply for both types of permits in the lottery system, but can obtain both types of permits once we've reached the random daily drawing stage.

The best piece of advice is to read over your deer permit application and then to use the pre-addressed application you received in the mail. By using that form, you know DNR already has your name and address in its system.

If you still have questions, call the permit office at (217) 782-7305.

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