ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

J.B. Pritzker, Governor | illinois.gov

Wildlife Illinois

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Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area

Site Contact Info

Site Characteristics

  • Huntable acres: 3,000
  • Habitat: Area is predominantly a freshwater marsh with several water bodies and patches of grassland and shrubland. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site, including prescribed burning.
  • Digital Map
  • Printable Map

Site Specific Regulations

  • All statewide hunting regulations apply at site unless noted hereafter.
  • Use Hunt Planner to find hunting seasons open at this site.
  • Primarily a waterfowl hunting area, Banner Marsh allows hunters with permit reservations to hunt waterfowl from registered blind sites.
  • The lake will be closed to boating and boat fishing 10 days prior to the start of waterfowl season.
  • All hunters are required to check-in and out at the sign-in box of check station.
  • Species-specific rules:

Deer

  • Archery
    • Follows statewide season except during the Central Zone Duck Season when the archery hours are 1 pm to ½ hour after sunset.
    • Only one tree stand or ground blind is allowed per deer permit holder.
    • Tree stands and ground blinds may be left unattended from September 15 through January 31, but must be legibly marked with the owner’s name, address, and telephone number, or site assigned identification number.

Turkey

  • No turkey hunting permitted.

Waterfowl

Duck Season

  • Duck permits are allocated by drawing. Applicants must apply online. 25 permits available per day during the Central Zone Duck Season.
  • Hunters with permit reservations are required to check in at the check station between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Permits are void after 5:00 a.m. A drawing shall be held to allocate blind sites.
  • It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder to bring no more than 3 partners (hunters or non-hunters; 4 persons per blind or staked site/area)
  • A $10.00 daily usage stamp must be purchased at the site. Permit fees are payable at the public hunting area only. (Fee should not be sent to the permit office.)
  • Non-hunting partners between 16 and 20 years of age must pay daily usage stamp fee. All partners under 16 are not required to purchase a daily usage stamp.
  • One blind will be allocated each day of the hunting season to a disabled person. Successful applicants must present a State Disabled person I.D. card showing a P2, P2A, H2 or H2A disability, along with their permit, at the check station when they check in.
  • All hunting will cease at 1:00 p.m. and all hunters must report to the check station within 1 hour.
  • Blinds, boats and decoys available.
  • Based on individual blind location, hunters may have the option to access their assigned blind by foot, bicycle, or personal boat. All blinds will be provided with a boat, oars, life jackets, and 24 decoys. There is a 10 h.p. limit on out provided boats. There is a 25 h.p. limit on the lakes for personal boats.

Late Goose Season

  • Statewide hours; opens the day after the close of Central Zone Duck season to end of Canada goose season
  • Hunting from a completed blind or staked site is waived after duck season.
  • Please check in and out at the check station.

Youth Waterfowl

  • Youth duck permits are allocated by drawing. Applicants must apply online.
  • Applicants must be between the ages of 10 and 17 at the time of the hunt
  • Each permit holder is required to be accompanied by a parent/guardian or responsible adult, who may not hunt
  • Youth hunters with permit reservations are required to check in at the check station between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Permits are void after 5:00 a.m. A drawing shall be held to allocate blind sites.
  • All hunting from registered blind sites only.
  • All hunting will cease at 1:00 p.m. and all hunters must report to the check station within 1 hour.
  • Blinds, boats and decoys available.
  • Based on individual blind location, hunters may have the option to access their assigned blind by foot, bicycle, or personal boat. All blinds will be provided with a boat, oars, life jackets, and 24 decoys. There is a 10 h.p. limit on out provided boats. There is a 25 h.p. limit on the lakes for personal boats.
  • Each youth and supervising adult may be accompanied by a non-hunting guide. The maximum number of people in a blind is 2 hunting youth, 2 non-hunting adults and a non-hunting guide.
  • No fee is required for the Illinois Youth Waterfowl Hunting Permit.

Squirrels/Rabbits

  • No squirrel hunting permitted.
  • Rabbits

Upland Birds

  • Dove
    • Non-toxic shot only
    • Sunrise to noon daily September 1-5, drawing at check station one hour before sunrise
    • Statewide hours from September 6-30
  • Quail and Pheasant

Furbearers

  • Trapping
    • Muskrat, Mink, Raccoon, Opossum, Striped Skunk, Weasel, Gray Fox, Red Fox, Coyote, Badger, River Otter, Beaver, Bobcat, and Woodchuck (Groundhog)
      • Statewide regulations
      • A site permit is required and must be in possession while trapping on the area.
      • Trappers must stay within assigned areas.
      • No trapping is permitted in sub-impoundments or designated waterfowl management units during duck season.
      • A drawing shall be held prior to the opening of the season. The date of the drawing shall be announced by the Department by public announcement here and the drawing shall be held at the site. Persons participating in the drawing must have either a current or previous year trapping license. The number of permits per site shall be determined pursuant to 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.20. Permit applicants must submit name and address to the site prior to drawing.
      • Only Egg Traps®, D-P (Dog-Proof) Traps®, Lil Grizz Get’rz®, box traps, cage traps, and traps of similar design may be used for land sets.
      • Only body-gripping traps with a jaw spread of 5 inches or less, foothold traps with a jaw spread of 4.5 inches or less, and square body gripping traps with a 10 inch jaw spread may be used for water sets.
      • Snares may be used for water sets.
      • .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted unless otherwise specified
  • Hunting
    • Coyote only
      • Coyotes can be taken with archery equipment when site is open to archery deer hunting
        • Archery shooting hours
        • Coyotes can be taken with shotguns on days when the site is open to upland hunting. Use of a shotgun with slugs prohibited.
        • Upland shooting hours

Amenities