FREEPORT – State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is welcoming the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ decision to end its controversial deer sharpshooting program, a policy he has criticized for years.
“After years of frustration from hunters and landowners, IDNR is finally pulling the plug on a program that never should have existed in the first place,” Senator Chesney said. “This was a top-down approach that upset local communities and undermined the role of hunters in managing our deer population.”
For more than two decades, IDNR used targeted sharpshooting in an effort to control chronic wasting disease (CWD), including placing bait sites on private land to attract and remove large numbers of deer in specific areas. The program drew widespread criticism from hunters who correctly argued it was ineffective and disruptive.
Senator Chesney has long been a vocal opponent of the program. His first bill passed in the General Assembly increased transparency by requiring additional reporting to lawmakers on the state’s CWD management efforts. He has also supported legislation to eliminate the sharpshooting program entirely.
“It’s the hunters on the ground who understand and manage our deer population best,” Senator Chesney said. “This decision is a step in the right direction. We should be working with them, not against them.”
Moving forward, IDNR plans to shift its strategy toward increased public engagement, monitoring, and voluntary participation from hunters and landowners to help manage the spread of CWD.
Learn more about IDNR’s updated approach here.
