Announcements
Burning Star State Fish and Wildlife Area
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-521-8873
Office address: 483 Mine Road, DeSoto, Illinois 62824
Site coordinates: 37.83872 -89.18171
County: Jackson
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 4,508
Habitat: Area is dominated by large tracts of forestland which are interspersed with cropland, lakes, wetlands, shrubland and grasslands. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.
Site/Species Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species regulations, in accordance with the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, apply at site unless noted hereafter.
Site requires use of windshield card, displayed on vehicle dashboard, to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February.
ATTENTION! – The site is a Restricted Hunting Area November 1- March 1. Only vehicles/hunters with a valid windshield card are allowed on site.
The site is closed from 10:00 PM to 4:30 AM (except to waterfowl hunters who may enter the site at 4:00 AM.).
One non-piercing, portable tree stand or ground blind allowed per deer hunter. Tree stands and ground blinds must be portable and must be removed at the end of each day.
The area will be closed to fishing November 1 through the last day of February.
Hunters should not park in such a way to block a gate or access point.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except hunters must park in the designated hunter parking lots.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery.
- Hunters must park in the designated hunter parking lots.
Late Winter Antlerless
Not available at this site.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except hunters must park in the designated hunter parking lots.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except hunters must park in the designated hunter parking lots.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Not available at this site.
Fall Shotgun
Not available at this site.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except requires a site-specific permit issued through statewide lottery.
Youth Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except requires a site specific-permit issued through statewide lottery.
Waterfowl
Island Lake waterfowl rest area closed November 1 – February 28.
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting from staked locations only.
- One hunting party per hunting stake area.
- Hunters must park at the stake’s designated parking location.
- Hunters may not enter the site prior to 4:00 AM.
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- This site is not open to Early or Late Season Goose.
- Hunting from staked locations only.
- One hunting party per hunting stake area.
- Hunters must park at the stake’s designated parking location.
- Hunters may not enter the site prior to 4:00 AM.
Snipe/Rail
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except hunters may not enter the site prior to 4:00 AM.
Youth Waterfowl
Not available at this site.
Upland/Small Game
Controlled Pheasant
Not available at this site.
Crow
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-toxic shot required (shot size #6 or smaller).
- Hunters hunting the managed dove fields must hunt from the perimeter of the field only and hunters must shoot towards the managed dove field (no shooting over the standing row crops or surrounding habitat).
Rabbit/Quail
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Site-specific permits are issued through the Free Upland Game Hunting Permit lottery.
- Permit allocated hunts occur on Wednesdays in November and December.
- Two hunting partners may accompany the permit holder.
- Non-toxic shot required.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except hunters must park in designated parking lots.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Furbearers
Furbearer Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. See further site-specific regulations below:
- Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used.
- Furbearer hunting closed during Firearm Deer Season.
- Hunters with a valid, unfilled firearm deer permit for the hunt area may take coyotes during legal hours of the firearm deer season. Otherwise, the use of shotgun slugs to take furbearing mammals is prohibited on state sites.
- Site closed to furbearer hunting until after 1:00 PM each day during spring turkey season, unless hunting with a valid site turkey permit. Otherwise, hunters may not enter the site before 4:30 AM.
- Coyote and striped skunk hunting season on this site coincides with the statewide fox season dates.
Furbearer Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. See further site-specific regulations below:
- Trappers are advised to stop by the site office for additional guidance prior to setting traps.
- No trapping on Island Lake Waterfowl Rest Area Nov 1 – Feb 28.
- Trappers may not enter the site before 4:30 AM.
- Site-specific permit is required
- 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 4½ 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.
Amenities
Fishing except not allowed in the waterfowl hunting areas during the waterfowl hunting season.
Boating
Paddling