Illinois Mixed Bag: Judge Finds FOID unconstitutional in homes

Springfield — A White County judge has found the Illinois Firearms Owner’s ID card unconstitutional when enforced against someone possessing their firearms in their home.

Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson praised the ruling.

The case Illinois vs. Vivian Brown stems from a 2017 case where Brown separated from her husband. She possessed a single-shot .22 rifle in her home. Her husband filed a complaint against her alleging she fired the rifle inside the home. Police found the rifle had not been fired, but the state’s attorney charged her with possessing a firearm without a FOID card.

“After analyzing all the evidence in this matter, this Court finds that the Defendant’s activity of possessing a firearm within the confines of her home is an act protected by the Second Amendment,” wrote White County Resident Circuit Judge T. Scott Webb. “Additionally, there are no historical analogues to the FOID Act as required in Bruen.”

Brown’s case has bounced around Illinois’ judicial system for years. In 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court majority opinion didn’t make a decision on the constitutionality of the law in Brown’s case, but instead cited a court rule calling into question the process the circuit court used.

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Dead Ducks Wash Ashore as Avian Flu Lingers

Chicago — Residents in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana are being asked to avoid shorelines and beaches that have dead birds after dozens of dead ducks and other birds washed up on shore.

According to officials in Whiting, Indiana, more than 40 ducks washed up on shore at Whihala Beach in early February. While testing has not yet been conducted, it is believed the ducks may have been afflicted with avian flu. Similar incidents occurred on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago and in suburban Cook County the week before, with birds washing onshore at Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach, and Tower Beach, according to Illinois DNR.

A bald eagle was found on a DuPage County street, and was determined to have been suffering from bird flu, and was euthanized. A Chilean flamingo and a harbor seal at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo also died after contracting the virus.

Rare All-White Red-Tailed Hawk Found Injured

Fredericktown, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation recently rescued a very rare and completely white red-tailed hawk. A family in the Fredericktown area claimed they first spotted the bird last fall and contacted their local conservation agent when they noticed it was hurt on their property.

According to MDC biologists, the hawk has a condition called Leucism, which is a partial loss of pigmentation in an animal that can cause white, pale or patchy coloration. Unlike albinism, the MDC stated that the white coloring is caused by the lack of multiple types of pigments and not just melanin.

Birds can be completely leucistic, where all feathers lack melanin and the bird appears completely white. Partially leucistic birds can have one or more feathers that are white anywhere on their bodies, and the white is generally grouped on a feather tract like the tail or head.

Leucism can be genetic, a sign of nutrient deficiency, or a sign of aging. Missouri Conservation Agent Alan Lamb was able to safely capture the hawk and take it to the University of Missouri’s raptor rehabilitation facility for treatment.

Hoosiers Split on Proposed Bobcat Season

Franklin, Ind. — A new rule being considered by the Indiana DNR would enable a bobcat trapping season in 40 southern Indiana counties that would allow one bobcat per trapper and a statewide harvest cap of 250. State legislators passed a bill last year requiring the DNR to establish bobcat trapping rules by July 2025.

The proposed rule, like the rule passed to allow a bobcat season in Illinois, has been controversial in the Hoosier State. At the final public comment meeting in Franklin, Indiana, everyone except one person was against the idea of trapping bobcats at all.

A majority of those opposed to a bobcat season expressed concerns that the Indiana DNR has not released enough evidence that the bobcat population could survive more than a few years of this level of trapping. Now that the public comment period is closed, the Indiana DNR and Indiana Natural Resource Commission will review what they received on the rule and decide whether to change it before it becomes official on July 1.

If the new rule is approved, the first bobcat trapping season would begin this fall.

Nominations Sought for 2025 Illinois Outdoor News Person of the Year Award

Sparta, Ill. — Illinois Outdoor News once again is seeking nominations for its annual Person of the Year Award. We’re looking for people who have worked on behalf of hunting, fishing, and conservation in the state of Illinois.

Although most recipients are selected for their conservation achievements over a lifetime, we’ll consider citizens who have made remarkable contributions in the past year, too.

For the initial nomination, we don’t need extensive information – just a name and some basic background about why a state sportsman or woman deserves recognition.

Email ralph@outdoornews.com by March 1, 2025.