SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 11 - Illinois' archery deer season is underway, and the Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters of key dates, regulations, and safety practices for the season.

Illinois' statewide archery deer season opened Oct. 1. In counties with a firearm deer season and west of Illinois 47 in Kane County, archery hunting will be open for three periods:

• Oct. 1 through Nov. 21
• Nov. 25 through Dec. 4
• Dec. 9 through Jan. 19

Archery deer season runs Oct. 1 through Jan. 19 in counties with no firearm deer season, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, and east of Illinois 47 in Kane County.

Restricted Archery Zone

Only antlered deer may be harvested during the Oct. 1-31 period of archery season in Champaign, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie, and Piatt counties to improve the deer population in those counties. An antlered deer is defined as having at least one antler 3 inches or longer.

Harvest limits

Hunters should also note regulations regarding harvest limits. Illinois statewide regulations allow for one deer per archery permit.

No hunter, regardless of the quantity or type of permits in their possession, may harvest more than two antlered deer during a year, including the youth, archery, muzzleloader, and firearm seasons, except as allowed during the special chronic wasting disease (CWD) season. For this harvest limit, deer seasons are in the same year if their opening dates are within the same 12-month period that begins July 1.

Tree stand safety