Hunters at Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area are no longer required to earn-a-buck.  The Illinois Nature Preserves Commission no longer requires the earn-a-buck criteria for the BCCD hunting program.  Hunters may now harvest a deer of either sex (contingent on your hunting license tags).

 

Hunters at Distillery Road Conservation Area are no longer required to harvest two does or antlerless deer on Saturday prior to harvesting bucks.  Hunters may now harvest a deer of either sex (as permitted by your hunting license tags).

Gate Code for Both Sites is: Not yet available.

 

Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area

   

Distillery Road / Anderson Bend / Nelson Ford Conservation Areas

 

	Saturday, May 17th from 8:00 a.m. to Noon.
	Tuesday, May 20th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
	Thursday, May 22nd from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

Demonstrate skill with bow and arrow by qualifying:  To qualify, hunters must hit a six-inch target placed a distance of 20 yards from the shooting line.   Each qualification attempt consists of 5 arrows, in which 4 must hit the six-inch target.   Note: Applicants using a re-curve or, other non-mechanical type bow, will be allowed to qualify at a distance of 15 yards.  All arrows/bolts must be tipped with legal broadheads.

 

Applicants that fail on their first attempt to qualify will be allowed a second attempt immediately following the first attempt if the applicant chooses to do so.  If the applicant declines that opportunity, the applicant may be allowed a second attempt, at a later time– so long as the maximum number of qualified hunters hasn’t been achieved.  As in the past, applicants may be allowed a third attempt, but are only allowed two attempts on any given day and are allowed no more than three attempts to qualify.

 

Applicants that desire an opportunity to “warm-up” prior to a qualification attempt will be allowed no more than 4 shots at the warm-up target.  The warm-up target is not intended to be an area for “target practice or sighting in.”

On a first come – first served basis (the day an individual qualifies), qualified hunters will be offered a choice of hunting either Kinnikinnick or Distillery Road & Anderson Bend Conservation Areas (note: hunters will not be able to hunt both conservation areas).  The maximum number of hunters at Distillery will be 48 people; and the maximum number of hunters allowed at Kinnikinnick will be 40 people.  Once the maximum number of hunters at either Distillery or Kinnikinnick has been reached the remaining qualifying hunters will be assigned to hunt at the other site until that site has reached capacity.  Once both sites reach the maximum limit of hunters any individuals remaining may be allowed to qualify, but will be placed on a waiting list (in the order they qualified) of replacement hunters.  Those individuals whose names are placed on the waiting list will pay a deposit fee equal to ½ the archery permit fee.  Persons on the waiting list that are provided an opportunity to hunt will pay the remaining balance of the permit fee before being issued a hunting permit.  Persons who are placed on the waiting list will be refunded their deposit if they do not obtain an opportunity to hunt.  Note: The BCCD reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of hunters allowed to qualify or participate.

Payment of hunting fees:  All qualified hunters shall pay the permit fee on the same day they have successfully completed the qualification.

Hunting Groups:  Every hunter will be part of a hunting group.   (Note: Additional information about hunting groups is discussed in the information that follows.)

At Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area:  The number of hunters per group will be based on the hunting zone or area.  The number of hunters per group will be: Zone 1 & Zone 2 combined = 5 hunters; Zone 3 = the open zone; Zone 4 = 5 hunters; Zone 5 = 5 hunters; and Zone 6 = 5 hunters per weekend for a total of 20 hunters per weekend.  Hunters that typically hunt as a group will be allowed to form a hunting group, but the group size must conform to the numbers just discussed.  All other hunters will be assigned to a hunting group. 

 

Each hunting group shall select a person to function as the group coordinator.  The group coordinator will serve as the liaison between the BCCD and the group.

Gate Keeping:  Hunters will no longer be required to perform gate keeping.  A new gate at Distillery will permit hunters to enter and leave by unlocking the gate themselves.  All hunters will be provided a code for the orange gate lock.  The gate must be kept locked at all times during the hunt except to allow yourself in and out.  Everyone must log in and out at the gate keeper’s box. 

Lottery Drawing for Weekend Hunts:  The drawing will be held in early July.  A BCCD Trustee will oversee the drawing.  The results of the drawing will be made available for distribution shortly after the drawing has taken place.

All hunters are required to have the deer they harvest from a BCCD site tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).  This requirement is in effect so long as the IDNR provides BCCD Hunting program participants the testing service for free.

 

Distillery Road Conservation Area hunters will meet at the BCCD Administration Office located at 603 North Appleton Road on Monday, September 15th at 5:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to review the rules and other criteria required of participants in the BCCD archery-hunting program.

 

Kinnikinnick Creek Conservation Area hunters will meet at the BCCD Administration Office located at 603 North Appleton Road on Monday, September 15th at 7:30 p.m.  The purpose of the meeting is to review the rules and other criteria required of participants in the BCCD archery-hunting program.

 

Please respect the fact the District Administration Office has limited capacity for both parking and meeting space.  We ask that Kinnikinnick hunters wait to arrive until after 7:00 p.m. and that the Distillery hunters plan to clear the meeting room and parking area soon after their meeting ends.  We thank you in advance for your cooperation!

 

At Distillery Road, Nelson Ford, and Anderson Bend Conservation Areas:

See table at the end of this page for the corresponding dates of each weekend hunt:

 

See the table  the end of this page listing dates & sites for potential bonus hunts.

Individuals hunting at Distillery and Anderson Bend Conservation Areas will be allowed to select their stand location beginning at 5:00 a.m. on the Thursday preceding their weekend hunt.  This is done on a first come first serve basis with hunters placing a small sticker with their hunting permit number on the map at the back of the kiosk located at the Distillery Road Conservation Area parking lot.  Placing a sticker on the kiosk map before 5:00 a.m. on Thursday will lead to the loss of all hunting privileges for that hunting season.