Hunters upset state won’t issue refunds for seasons canceled by coronavirus pandemic
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People who hunt and fish in state parks were upset when the Illinois Department of Natural Resources closed the parks.
Now they are upset again because they can’t get refunds on permits purchased for canceled events or hunting seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Facebook page was flooded with over 330 comments after Director Colleen Callahan announced the refunds could not be made. The majority of the comments criticized the state for not giving refunds and for not allowing hunting and fishing in open spaces while Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said that getting out for fresh air while the stay-at-home order is in place would be a good idea.
“Our current administrative rules under the state’s wildlife code prohibit the issuance of refunds or transfer of permits,” Callahan said in a letter posted on the agency’s Facebook page on Monday.
“We understand the problems these laws create for our sportsmen and women and are reviewing all possible solutions.”
Illinois state parks were closed on March 15 as part of the state’s effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Pritzker’s shelter-in-place order remains in effect until April 7.
All scheduled events and hunting and fishing seasons on state parks and other state-owned sites have been canceled while the parks are shut down.
Callahan’s letter did not say how many people are affected by the decision not to issue refunds.
She noted that you can still hunt and fish on private property or other land that has not been closed.
