SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Linda Holmes’ measure to keep a closer watch on Illinois’ gray foxes moved a step nearer to becoming law on Thursday.

The gray fox population in Illinois and much of the Midwest has been declining over the last 30 years, primarily due to diseases like canine distemper and competition with coyotes, but current law doesn’t allow the state to act on population changes and adjust the hunting season. House Bill 3760 would give the Illinois Department of Natural Resources the authority to set the hunting and trapping seasons for the gray fox based on current research and population data. Other states including Indiana, Ohio and Iowa, are also looking at potential legislation to address this issue.

“The Illinois Department of Natural Resources can be more proactive in managing the gray fox population to avoid further declines and remove extra pressure on the population,” Holmes (D-Aurora) said. “This applies for the 2025 hunting and trapping season only to provide adequate notice for hunters and trappers. IDNR can consider readjusting their season when the population rebounds.”

IDNR’s records show the numbers of gray fox pelts sold to Illinois fur buyers by hunters and trappers in the early 1990s were in the 200-350 pelts per year range. This number dwindled through the early 2000s and 2010s, with only a few seen in recent years.

Holmes’ role as an advocate for animal welfare is well established in the Senate. She has championed more than 20 laws protecting elephants, bears, primates, bobcats, dogs and cats and exotic animals.

House Bill 3760 passed the Senate Agriculture Committee Thursday.