Pritzker signs bill to protect gray fox, gives IDNR control over hunting season

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — A measure aimed at protecting the gray fox population in Illinois was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker on Monday. 

House Bill 3760 creates a designated hunting season for the gray fox, according to Pritzker’s office. And, it allows the Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to set the hunting and trapping season for the gray fox, based on current research and population data.

State Senator Linda Holmes, one of the sponsors of the measure, said the gray fox population has been in decline for the last 30 years. Homes cited diseases, like canine distemper, and competition with coyotes, as part of the reason for the decline.

But despite the decline, Illinois law did not allow the state to adjust the hunting season based on population numbers — until now.

“The Illinois Department of Natural Resources can be proactive in managing the gray fox population to avoid further declines and remove extra pressure on the population,” Holmes (D-Aurora) said in a news release. “This applies for the 2025 hunting and trapping season only to provide adequate notice for hunters and trappers. IDNR can consider accommodating their future seasons when the population rebounds.”

The law was signed on Monday and takes immediate effect. Other states such as Indiana, Ohio and Iowa, are also looking at similar legislation to address the gray fox decline.