Officials enact ban on longstanding hunting practice: 'A responsible change'

State officials in Illinois have enacted an indefinite suspension of the hunting and trapping of an elusive canid.

The Journal Courier reported that a worrying decline in the state's gray fox population compelled officials to enact the ban. It was a measure made possible due to a recent change in the language of the Illinois Wildlife Code, which empowers the Department of Natural Resources to open or close hunting by administrative rule.

A press release explained the reasoning behind the ban: "The closure of the hunting and trapping seasons is a responsible change to protect the species and is supported by most hunters and trappers."

The gray fox was once abundant throughout the state, but its population has dwindled, as the Outdoor Illinois Journal has detailed. Though hunting and trapping aren't believed to be the chief causes of the decline, it's hoped the ruling can aid the fox's long-term recovery. Disease, competition, predation by larger predators like coyotes, and habitat loss are the main threats the foxes face.

As a mid-level predator and scavenger, according to the state, the gray fox has a useful role to play in the ecosystem. As a species profile by Pajarito Environmental Educational Center noted, gray foxes aren't particularly picky eaters and will scarf down pretty much whatever's around.

They have a wide range across North and Central America. Gray foxes are quite unique among American canids in that they can climb trees, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Globally, the raccoon dog (known in Japan as the tanuki) is the only other known canid capable of clambering up trees, as Treehugger reported.

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Any ban or restriction on hunting or fishing can attract controversy, but such bans also have a decent track record of helping threatened species get back on their feet. Initiatives that involve local stakeholders in the process tend to succeed long-term. With productive dialogue and decisive local action, the gray fox could once again thrive in Illinois.

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