McHenry County Conservation District

MCCD offers three programs for archery deer hunting: a full season and 2.5-month recreational program and a special season deer reduction program. All three archery programs, plus the comb deer hunt, are on one application.

Recreational: Full season

Sites:

Alden Sedge Meadow Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed four (4).
Bailey’s Woods Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed three (3).
Camp Algonquin: number of zones not to exceed two (2).
Fox Bluff Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed three (3).
Kloempken Parcel: number of zones not to exceed two (2).
Indian Ridge: number of zones not to exceed one (1).
Stickney Run South: number of zones not to exceed four (4).
Wolf Parcel: number of zones not to exceed one (1).

Hunters may indicate their site preference on their application.
Season:
The season will be October 1 through January 15. At all sites with an active volunteer stewardship program, hunting will be prohibited on designated Saturdays (normally one morning per month) to allow site steward volunteers to conduct management practices. Specific dates will be given to participants at the orientation meeting.

Recreational: 2.5-month season

Sites:

Detrana Fen: number of zones not to exceed one (1).
Hickory Grove Riverfront: number of zones not to exceed one (1).
High Point Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed four (4).
Lyons Prairie Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed three(3).
Silver Creek Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed seven (7).

Season:
The season will be November 1 through January 15.

Deer Reduction: Special Season Eastside Program

Site:

Stickney Run North Conservation Area: number of zones not to exceed three (3).

Season:
MCCD is offering one nine-day season. Participants may hunt at Stickney Run from November 5 to November 13.

General Information for all three options

Zones:

A total of 39 zones are proposed.
Special accommodations may be granted to persons with disabilities. Please contact the Brookdale office (815-338-6223) for more information.
District staff will set zones within each site. Zones will be set so that they remain at least 400 feet from any occupied dwelling. The state statute for this distance is 300 feet.
Participants may set up anywhere within their assigned zone.

Qualifications:
Each participant must qualify to participate in the Archery Deer Hunting program by hitting 4 out of 5 arrows in an 8-inch circle with the equipment carried in the field. You must use broadheads or practice broadheads (no field points).The distance for this qualification will be twenty (20) yards for compound and cross bows, and fifteen (15) yards for recurve and long bows. Participants will receive two (2) opportunities to qualify. The qualification will occur before the lottery has been conducted, and will be supervised by District staff. This year’s qualifications will be held on August 13, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to noon at Brookdale. Participants are encouraged to complete a certified Bowhunter’s Education course. For more information about courses, contact the National Bowhunter Education Foundation at 309-647-7128.
Participant Selection:
Once an applicant has qualified, participants will be selected through a lottery. Applicants may submit their application with one or two partner(s). Each zone can accommodate a single participant or a set of two or three partners. It is not necessary to have a partner. Partners are expected to meet the same qualifications as other participants.
Lottery point system: During the 2010 season, a hunter received one point for each female deer harvested. An applicant who was not chosen in the lottery for the 2010 season will receive five points. This point system will be used in the 2011 lottery to give preference to hunters who harvest does and those who did not get into the program the previous year. The total of all the applicants’ points on a partner application will be used for the lottery.
Harvested Animals:
Participants must record harvested animals on the sign-in sheet on site and call in the harvest to a MCCD police officer between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.