Illinois › Species › Bear, Wolf and Mountain Lion
No season
Illinois Rules for Bear, Wolf and Mountain Lion, No Season
Status, law and related seasons for black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion in Illinois.
Photo: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The rule for black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion in Illinois
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Black bear, gray wolf, mountain lion |
| Illinois season | Closed all year |
| Rule | No breeding populations in Illinois. Under Wildlife Code 520 ILCS 5/2.2b these may be taken only under certain circumstances; gray wolves are federally and state Endangered and may not be taken except in defense of life. |
IDNR prints no season, limit or permit for black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion, so there is nothing to apply for; the rule above is the whole entry (Digest PDF page 50).
From Digest rule (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
What is legal game instead of black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion
| Category | Animals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Big game | white-tailed deer and wild turkey | Deer and turkey by permit; deer total limit two antlered deer per year. No elk, bear or other big game season. |
| Upland game birds | ring-necked pheasant (roosters only), bobwhite quail and Hungarian partridge | Chukar partridge is defined as a game bird in the Digest but has no season in the season tables; hen pheasants illegal except on controlled hunting areas. |
| Game mammals | eastern cottontail and swamp rabbit, gray squirrel and fox squirrel and woodchuck (groundhog) | |
| Small game (migratory) | mourning and white-winged dove, woodcock and crow | HIP certification required for doves and woodcock, not crows. |
| Migratory waterfowl | ducks, mergansers, coots, teal (early season), Canada goose, light geese (snow and Ross's), white-fronted goose, brant, rails (sora and Virginia) and Wilson's snipe | |
| Furbearers | raccoon, opossum, red fox, coyote, striped skunk, bobcat (by permit), badger, mink, muskrat, weasel (least and long-tailed), beaver, river otter and woodchuck | Gray fox hunting and trapping seasons are closed. |
These six groups are the species Illinois treats as legal game; black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion is not among them, so the closest lawful options sit in these rows and on their species pages.
From Digest legal species pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Penalty entries for black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion
| Topic | Stated penalty |
|---|---|
| False turkey permit applications | Providing false or deceptive information on a turkey permit application, in addition to criminal charges, results in rejected applications, revoked permit and forfeited fees (17 Ill. Adm. Code 710.10(k)(4)). |
| Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact | A wildlife privilege suspension in a compact state is also a suspension in Illinois for the duration; a violator who fails to comply with a citation in a participating state may have home-state privileges suspended until the terms are met. |
| Statutory fines and jail terms | The Digest does not state criminal penalty amounts. The Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5) penalty sections were not retrieved (ilga.gov unreachable), so no fines or terms are listed. |
We do not print fines or jail terms for black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion because neither the Digest nor the sources we could read give them.
From Digest page and 17 Ill. Adm. Code 710 (LII mirror, unofficial) (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
How to report a violation involving black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion
If you see illegal take, write down place, time and description and report it to Target Illinois Poachers.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Wanton waste | Must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and include killed or crippled limited species in the bag; may not wantonly waste the usable meat (breast of a bird; hind ham and front shoulders of a mammal) or dump carcasses on a right-of-way or property without permission. |
| Possession limits and bags | May not possess game or furbearers over the daily or possession limit; each hunter must keep a separate bag; wildlife of another person must be tagged with name, address, species count and date unless in a home. |
From Digest page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Sunset over the Mississippi River with the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch and the Eads BridgePhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Snow on the bank of the Ohio River at Locks and Dam 53 near Grand ChainPhoto: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Bear, Wolf and Mountain Lion: common questions
Are black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion open to hunting this year?
IDNR lists no season. No breeding populations in Illinois. Under Wildlife Code 520 ILCS 5/2.2b these may be taken only under certain circumstances; gray wolves are federally and state Endangered and may not be taken except in defense of life.
What is the source for the black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion rule?
Read it in the Digest, on PDF page 50 (printed page 48).
Which Illinois game species have seasons?
Open seasons are on the seasons page; legal groups include big game, upland birds, small game, waterfowl and furbearers.
What penalties apply for taking black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion?
The Digest does not state criminal penalty amounts. The Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5) penalty sections were not retrieved (ilga.gov unreachable), so no fines or terms are listed. A wildlife privilege suspension in a compact state is also a suspension in Illinois for the duration; a violator who fails to comply with a citation in a participating state may have home-state privileges suspended until the terms are met.
Where can I report poaching in Illinois?
Use the Target Illinois Poachers program, dnr.illinois.gov/lawenforcement/target-poachers, which the Digest names for reports.
Do I need permission for legal game on private land?
Private land does not alter the status of black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion; the landowner permission rule concerns trespass for legal game.
Is a license needed to photograph black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion?
The fee table has hunting, trapping and permit lines only; nothing for observation, and we do not state a rule the sources do not contain.
Which animals are protected besides black bear, gray wolf and mountain lion?
Beyond this page, the Digest protects flying squirrel, red squirrel, white squirrel, eastern woodrat, golden mouse, rice rat, bats; black bear, gray wolf, mountain lion; trumpeter swan; gray fox.
Other photos on this page: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0); Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0).