Illinois Senate unanimously passes bill helping farmers with deer control

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday to give landowners and farmers more flexibility to hunt deer on their property.

Farmers across the state have told Democrats and Republicans that deer have caused expansive and costly damage to their crops and farmland.

Senate Bill 710 would allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to issue anterless-only deer removal permits based on the percentage of permits redeemed in the previous season by the recipient. The proposal could also expand youth hunting tags from one to two.

"Illinois farmers who are experiencing substantial crop damage and lower yields need a better way to manage deer populations on their farms," said Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex). "Let's give these farmers the tools they need to handle nuisance deer during the growing season."

The Illinois Farm Bureau said this change will protect precious natural resources and give farmers a way to protect their property. Bureau leaders said they were pleased to see member grassroots activism result in appropriate relief from this growing problem.

"I have a single farmer on the Coles Edgar County line who lost $45,000 to crop damage from deer," said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet). "Everybody in this room, everyone in this state buys food. At the end of the day, that food just went up by $45,000."

The measure now heads to the House for further consideration.