Illinois

Centerfire single-shot straight-walled cartridge rifles (.30 to .50 caliber, case length 1.06 to 1.8 inches, e.g., .350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, .444 Marlin, .45-70) are legal during firearm deer seasons. Semiautomatic and repeating magazine-fed rifles are prohibited for deer; rifles must be single-shot or have magazines disabled. Bottleneck cartridges illegal.

10, 12, 16, and 20 gauge shotguns firing single rifled slugs or sabot slugs are legal during the 7-day firearm deer season. Capacity must be plugged to 3 shells maximum. Buckshot is illegal for deer hunting statewide. Non-toxic shot required for waterfowl hunting along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

Single-barrel muzzleloaders .44 caliber or larger firing a single projectile. Modern in-line muzzleloaders with 209 primers, sabots, and magnifying scopes are legal during the regular firearm season and the dedicated 3-day December Muzzleloader-only season. Black powder or Pyrodex only.

Compound, recurve, and longbows with minimum 30 lb draw weight. Broadheads must have minimum 7/8-inch cutting width. Mechanical expanding broadheads are legal. The archery deer season runs from October 1 through mid-January (temporarily closed during the two firearm weekends in firearm counties).

Legal for ALL licensed hunters during the entire Illinois archery deer season without requiring a doctor's disability permit. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 125 lbs, a minimum overall length of 24 inches, a working mechanical safety, and shoot bolts with hunting broadheads measuring at least 7/8 inch wide.

Centerfire revolvers and single-shot handguns .30 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches are legal for deer. Semiautomatic handguns are prohibited for deer hunting in Illinois. Expanding bullets mandatory.