IRAP has Archery Deer Hunting Sites Available on Private Land

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Don’t have a place to archery deer hunt but would like to go hunting this October?  Look no further than the Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP), the popular Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) program linking outdoors enthusiasts with landowners.

IRAP leases land from private landowners for specific outdoor activities, one of which is archery deer hunting during the month of October.  This October will be the second year IRAP has offered archery deer hunting on leased sites.  In 2015, more than 90 applications were received for 33 sites.

This year, archery deer hunting opportunities are available on IRAP sites in Clark, Franklin, Greene, Lee, Macoupin, Monroe, Sangamon and Schuyler counties with a total of 56 hunting sites.  Applicants can hunt either the first 15 days of the month (October 1-15) or the last 16 days of the month (October 16-31).  The deadline for IDNR to receive IRAP archery deer hunting applications is Tuesday, August 30, 2016.

To apply for an archery deer hunting site through IRAP, go to: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP/Pages/Archery-Deer-Hunting.aspx

As a landowner, the benefits of leasing land to IRAP are many.  For starters, IRAP will pay a nominal lease fee dependent upon acreage and type of activities the landowner is willing to allow on their property. IRAP also provides a $2 million liability policy for all IRAP activities.  In addition, an IRAP biologist will write a management plan on the enrolled acreage and will offer assistance in implementing the plan (which can be as great as a 90/10 cost-share).

If you are a landowner and would like to learn more about IRAP, please contact Tammy Miller at 217-524-1266.

For more information on IRAP and its other public access outdoor activities, visit their website at:http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/IRAP   

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