Announcements
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 217-452-7741
Office address: 10149 Highway 11, Chandlerville, IL 62627
Site coordinates: 40.02358 -90.11447
County: Cass
Site Map
Site Specific Application
Nonresident Archery Deer Hunt Application
Site Characteristics
Huntable Acres: 16,400
Habitat: Jim Edgar Panther Creek is characterized by rolling to steeply rolling uplands; 3,615 acres of crop land; 6,500 acres of timberland; with the balance of acres in native grass, food plots, or idled farmland.
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.
Hunters can leave stands in the tree but must tag them with their name, address, and phone number. They must remove any stands at the end of the season. Stands not removed are subject to confiscation
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-residents must obtain a special permit to hunt during the period 28 days before the first statewide firearm deer season. Contact site office for details.
- The Open Unit is closed to archery hunting during the Youth Firearm Deer season.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery.
Late Winter Antlerless
Not available at this site.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery.
- Hunting is allowed in the Open Unit only.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Youth hunters must submit name to the site office by August 25.
- Permits are available over the counter at License Vendors.
- Hunting is allowed in the Open Units only.
- Those successful in the drawing will be notified
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Fall Shotgun
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- requires site-specific permit obtained via the statewide lottery.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- requires site-specific permit obtained via the statewide lottery.
Youth Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- requires site-specific permit obtained via the statewide lottery.
Waterfowl
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Blind sites area allocated at the hunter check station at 5:10 a.m. Closed on Christmas Day.
- Hunting on Prairie Lake is allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Coincides with the controlled pheasant hunting season.
- Required to hunt with at least 6 decoys, which must be removed after the hunt.
- Hunting within agricultural fields in the Controlled Hunting Unit allowed on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning the opening day of the controlled pheasant hunting season until the close of the statewide waterfowl season.
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting within agricultural fields in the Controlled Hunting Unit allowed on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning the opening day of the controlled pheasant hunting season until the close of the statewide waterfowl season.
- The Open Unit and Quail Unit allow Conservation Order snow goose hunting after the close of the regular Canada goose season.
Snipe/Rail
Not available at this site.
Youth Waterfowl
Not available at this site.
Upland/Small Game
Controlled Pheasant Hunting
Available at this site. For further information, see the Controlled Pheasant Hunting webpage.
Crow
Not available at this site.
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-toxic shot only; #6 steel or #7 bismuth & tungsten or smaller
- In Controlled Hunting Unit only, those hunters engaged in the controlled pheasant hunting program may take doves during the November portion of the dove season. In the Upland Game Management Unit only, those hunters with an Upland Game Management permit may take doves during the November portion of the dove season.
Sept 1-5
- Hunting Sept. 1-5 is by Springfield lottery-issued permit, only.
- Hunting hours are from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
- Permit holders must register at the site office prior to 10:00 am
- Permitted hunters who fail to complete their registration by 10:00 am shall have their permit voided.
- Following registration, a daily stand-by drawing, if needed, will be conducted for unclaimed or voided permits
- Field and stake selection will be made at the site office by permit hunters upon their successful draw.
- Hunters may be required to wear back patches while in the field
- Hunters must sign out and report harvest at the site office/sign-out box immediately following their exit from the field
- Hunters must hunt within 10 feet of an IDNR marked stake and their firearm will remain at their chair, when leaving the stake is necessary (retrieving birds, etc.)
- Hunters may bring 1 non-hunting, unarmed observer
- Free Dove Permit One Stop
Sept 6-30
- Permit not required.
- Hunting hours: Noon-Sunset
Youth/Adult Hunt
A youth hunt is scheduled annually for the first weekend day in Sept. or Labor Day, whichever comes first, and is by Springfield lottery-issued permit, only.
- Applicants must be between the ages of 10-17, with a valid Illinois hunting license.
- Each youth must be accompanied by a supervising adult. If the youth hunter does not have a valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, the supervising adult is required to have a FOID card
- The supervising adult may actively hunt with the youth hunter
- Hunting hours are from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
- Permit holders must register at the site office prior to 11:00 am
- Permitted hunters who fail to complete their registration by 11:00 am shall have their permit voided.
- Following registration, a daily stand-by drawing, if needed, will be conducted for unclaimed or voided permits
- Field and stake selection will be made at the site office through randomized draw following the standby draw
- Hunters may be required to wear back patches while in the field
- Hunters must sign out and report harvest at the site office//sign-out box immediately following their exit from the field
- Hunters must hunt within 10 feet of an IDNR marked stake and their firearm will remain at their chair, when leaving the stake is necessary (retrieving birds, etc.)
- Free Dove Permit One Stop
Pheasant/Quail/Partridge
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-toxic shot is required in all units.
- Open Unit is statewide regulations.
- Quail Unit requires a Free Upland Game permit. Controlled Unit requires a controlled pheasant hunting permit (see Controlled Pheasant Hunting section above).
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-toxic shot is required in all units.
- Open Unit is statewide regulations.
- Quail Unit requires a Free Upland Game permit. Controlled Unit requires a controlled pheasant hunting permit (see Controlled Pheasant Hunting section above).
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting is allowed in the Controlled Unit and Quail Game Unit from August 1- October 31.
- Quail Game Management Unit is closed to squirrel hunting from November 1 until the close of the rabbit season unless in in possession of special permit. Contact site office for details.
- Hunting in the Open Unit follows statewide regulations.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Restricted to the Open Units portion of the site during the controlled pheasant season, except those hunters who possess a valid Free Upland Game permit.
- Windshield card required.
Youth Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
A one-day youth/adult dove hunt will be held the first weekend day in September or Labor Day, whichever comes first, where both the youth and adult will be permitted to hunt.
Furbearers
Furbearer Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used from sunset to sunrise.
- Furbearer hunting closed during Firearm Deer Season except 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
- Statewide seasons for coyote and striped skunk.
- Centerfire rifle coyote hunting hours are from 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise during the controlled pheasant hunting season.
- Windshield Card required.
Furbearer Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- requires site-specific permit. Contact site office for more details.
Amenities
Archery range
Fishing
Boat access
Bike trails