SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) urges hunters to be mindful of the rules and best practices when using technology while hunting.
This includes the use of drones for recovering wildlife, artificial intelligence for reviewing hunting laws, and e-bikes to access hunting sites. The use of drones for any aspect of hunting is illegal in Illinois.
“Not only is drone use for hunting unlawful in Illinois, it goes against the spirit of fair chase and widely accepted hunting ethics,” said Jed Whitchurch, director of the IDNR Office of Law Enforcement. “Illinois Conservation Police officers are monitoring for drone use during the fall and winter hunting seasons. We encourage all hunters to familiarize themselves with the Wildlife Code and abide by the law.”
Artificial intelligence has grown in popularity, but can be shown to be wildly inaccurate as a resource for answering hunting questions, providing flawed, conflicting, or incorrect answers.
“AI-generated information can pose a real problem when it comes to hunting laws, which can be very specific and nuanced based on the season, site, or situation,” said Phil Borsdorf with IDNR’s Hunter Heritage Program. “Our advice is to rely on primary sources for hunting information, such as the Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, IDNR’s Hunt Illinois website, and the state wildlife code.”
E-bikes have also gained popularity, but are prohibited on IDNR-owned and operated lands for any reason, including hunting and trapping access, except on public access roads or designated bike trails. Hunters can access state park websites for information on bike trail accessibility.