The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will hold a public drawing for trapping permits at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, the agency announced.
Registration begins at 1 p.m. at the site headquarters southeast of Chandlerville in Cass County.
One permit for each of the six trapping zones will be allocated through a lottery-style drawing, according to the DNR. Applicants must be present and have a valid 2026-2027 trapping license in their possession to enter the drawing.
Trap rules
The DNR said dog-proof traps, live traps and traps of similar action may be used. Homemade dog-proof traps must be designed with a foothold trap no larger than a No. 2, enclosed in a wood, metal or durable plastic container with a single access opening no larger than 1.5 inches in diameter. All body-gripping traps must be completely submerged.
Permits and reporting
All successful applicants must obtain a free windshield card permit online, the DNR said. Trappers must report harvest and hunter trips online no later than Feb. 15 each year, or within two weeks after the season closes, ending after Feb. 1.
Failure to report as required for two consecutive years will result in forfeiture of hunting privileges at the site for the following year.
Details
The Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area is at 9430 County Highway 11 in Chandlerville. For more information, call 217-452-7741.
According to Wikipedia, the roughly 16,550-acre site in Cass County is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and is named for former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar. The state acquired the land in June 1993.
Source: the original release