Illinois § 3.27

§ 3.27.

Any person owning, holding or controlling, by lease, which possession must be for a term of 5 or more years, any contiguous tract of land having an area of not less than 200 acres, and not more than 1280 acres, with at least 100 acres of suitable wildlife habitat, who desires to establish a game breeding and hunting preserve area, to propagate, preserve and hunt game birds shall make application to the Department for a license as herein provided. Such application shall be made under oath of the applicant or under oath of one of its principal officers if the applicant is an association, club or corporation. In the case of releasing and harvesting hand reared mallards, the tract of land, with the approval of the Department, may be smaller than that required in this Section but in all other respects the applicant shall conform to the provisions of this Act. The application shall be accompanied by a license fee of not to exceed $100 for a Class A license or a license fee not to exceed $200 for a Class B license. Every licensee under this Section shall release not less than 250 Bobwhite quail or pheasants each season. Upon receipt of such application, the Department shall inspect the proposed licensed area described in such application and the premises and facilities where game birds are to be propagated and the cover for game birds and the ability of the applicant to operate a property of this character. If the Department finds that the area meets the requirements of all applicable laws and administrative rules and that the game birds are reasonably healthy and disease free; and that the issuing of the license will otherwise be in the public interest; the Department shall approve the application and issue the license for the operation of the property described in the application with the rights and subject to the limitations in this Act prescribed. All game breeding and hunting preserve area licenses expire on April 30 of each year. Upon receipt of such license, the licensee shall promptly post such licensed areas at intervals of not more than 500 feet with signs to be prescribed by the Department. The boundaries of such licensed game breeding and hunting preserve areas shall also be clearly defined by natural or artificial boundaries and by signs. (Source: P.A. 93-554, eff. 8-20-03.)