From the Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources:
The Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources (IFOR) is warning Illinois hunters about the impact of the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PA 102-1116). Common sporting shotguns used by snow goose hunters in Illinois will no longer be allowed on public lands as of April 10th, even though snow goose season runs through April 30th in Illinois.
PA 102-1116 defines an “assault weapon” as a semi-automatic shotgun with a magazine capacity greater than 5 rounds, however federal regulations on snow goose hunting allow for the use of semi-automatic shotguns with unlimited magazine capacity and most hunters use shotguns with 8 round capacity. Under PA 102-1116, these shotguns are prohibited from being possessed on public lands including Fish and Wildlife Areas, State Parks, the Shawnee National Forest or Corps of Engineers properties as of April 10th, which is 90 days after the passing of the public act.
Turkey hunters are the next group to be affected by PA 102-1116. Illinois turkey season has begun in Southern Illinois and opens in the rest of the state on April 10th. Commonly used semi-automatic turkey shotguns such as the Mossberg 930 are also considered “assault weapons” banned from public land hunting under PA 102-1116. These shotguns have a pistol style grip which allows for easier handling but causes them to be banned under the new law.
“It is a shame that these commonly used shotguns which are legal to hunt with on Sunday, suddenly become illegal on Monday due to the short-sighted implementation of Public Act 102-1116” said Glenn Sanders, retired Conservation Police Supervisor and Vice-President of IFOR. “The law set a deadline of October 1 for the Illinois State Police and Illinois Department of Natural Resources to exempt these types of common hunting guns from rules, but possession on public lands is banned effective April 10th.This 6-month discrepancy is yet another example of how rushed and flawed this law was in its creation and passing.”
IFOR is also warning hunters that the presence of a plug in your magazine that limits capacity does not change its status as an “assault weapon” under PA 102-1116, and the law does not specify chamber size limitations in shotguns. 12-gauge shotguns can carry shells ranging from 1 3⁄4” to 3 1⁄2” in length depending on chamber size. A 3 1⁄2” chambered 12-gauge gun can hold more than 5 rounds of smaller rounds such as 2 1⁄2” or even 8 rounds or more of the mini shells such as 1 3⁄4” size.
Glenn Sanders of IFOR had this to say about the capacity issues in PA 102-1116, “Unfortunately, with the existence of smaller shells, and the lack of clarity in the law. It appears that nearly every semi-automatic shotgun in existence will have to be registered in Illinois and still won’t be able to be used for sporting purposes on Illinois lands. We made legislators aware of this issue for the few days that the law was debated in Springfield, but the final bill does appear to treat nearly all semi-automatic hunting guns as “assault weapons” for some reason.”
From the Illinois Federation for Outdoor Resources:
For more on the shotguns covered under the new Illinois Firearm Ban Act, watch these videos…
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