Update: This bill passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor on 08/16/07.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would allow the chasing of coyotes, rabbits, and raccoons in “hound-running events.”
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This bill would create more problems than it would solve. This bill would expose Illinois to an increased threat of disease outbreak among wildlife by allowing the capture and in-state movement of live animals as well as the import of wildlife captured in other states. There are many humane methods of addressing human/wildlife conflicts, but creating a program that essentially places a bounty on the heads of live coyotes and other wild animals is not the answer. This program would be ineffective, indiscriminate, and inhumane because it does not target offending animals individually. In addition, this bill fails to recognize that coyotes, raccoons, and rabbits play a vital ecological role in healthy ecosystems. Allowing the indiscriminate capture of coyotes and their subsequent cruel killing by being placed in a fenced area with packs of dogs chasing and injuring them is not a solution to any conflict between humans and wildlife.