Announcements

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 should be aware that Lake Shore Road is closed from Nov 1 – May 1, so vehicular access is not available for tree stand removal. Walk-in/walk-out access.

Only one tree stand or ground blind is allowed per deer permit holder. Tree stands and ground blinds must comply with restrictions listed in Ad Rule 17-510 and must be portable. 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.

Deer

Archery

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Hunting restricted to those areas posted as open to hunting and hunters are permitted in those areas only during hunting hours.
During the site’s pheasant hunting program (starting in Nov), archery deer hunting is permitted Wednesday through Sunday with hours from 2 pm to ½ hour after sunset, and statewide hours on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Any deer harvested must be checked in/reported

Disabled Hunting

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Season dates are the the first Thursday and Friday after November 1.
Permit applications may be obtained from the site office, and completed applications must be returned to the office by September 30.
Disabled hunters must possess a Class P2A disability card in order to be eligible for the drawing.
All participating hunters must show proof of passing the Illinois Hunter Safety Course or an equivalent State program for nonresidents unless otherwise noted in parentheses.
Additional regulations will be publicly announced.

Firearm

Not available at this site.

Late Winter Antlerless

Not available at this site.

Muzzleloader

Not Available at this site.

Special CWD

Not available at this site.

Youth Firearm

Not available at this site.

Turkey

Fall Archery

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

During the site’s controlled pheasant hunting program (starting in Nov), archery turkey hunting is permitted Wednesday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to half hour after sunset, and statewide hours on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hunting is restricted to those areas posted as open to hunting and hunters are permitted in those areas only during hunting hours.

Fall Shotgun

Not available at this site.

Spring

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Turkey hunters must possess a site-specific turkey permit issued through the statewide lottery.
In addition, turkeys harvested on this site must be reported via the statewide telephone reporting system as outlined on the turkey hunting permit. The report should indicate the turkey was harvested on the Special Hunt Area Johnson-Sauk Trail SRA and not in Henry County.

Youth Spring

Not available at this site.

Waterfowl

Not available at this site.

Upland/Small Game

Controlled Pheasant Hunting

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Site-specific permits are required and are available at the IDNR Controlled Pheasant Site.
Hunters must check-in and check-out at a manned check station, operated during the upland game season. Check-in time is 8am – 8:30am. Registered hunters will be randomly assigned a hunting location upon check-in. Hunters must hunt in assigned areas until 10 am. All fields must be cleared and game checked in by 4 pm.
Quota refills are not allowed. If hunters check-out, other hunters will not be permitted to hunt.
Hunting is permitted from 9 am – 4 pm and on Thanksgiving Day from 9 am – 1 pm.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Also closed the Thursday and Friday after the first Saturday in November (when the first Saturday in November is November 1 through 3).
Shotguns with non-toxic shot are required (as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 50 CFR 20). Permitted are size #3 or smaller steel, #4 or smaller bismuth, # 5 or smaller tungsten-iron, tungsten polymer, or tungsten-matrix shot. Only flu flu arrows may be used by archery hunters.
Harvest limits: 2 pheasants (either sex may be harvested), 8 bobwhite quail, 2 Hungarian partridges.

Crow

Not available at this site.

Dove

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

This site requires a site-specific permit issued through the Free Dove Permit One Stop lottery for the first 5 days of the statewide season. Hunting hours for the first 5 days are: Sunrise – 11:30 am.
Dove hunters with permits must check-in at the IDNR-staffed check station at 4:30 a.m. An on-site drawing will be held to assign stakes. A second drawing, held at 5 a.m., may be held for stand-by hunters without permits if stake availability exists. All hunters must hunt at assigned stake. Unfilled staked locations may be refilled by standby hunters as they become available. All hunters must check-out and report harvest at the IDNR-staffed check station. Check station is operated at the Marian building/restaurant (Red Earth Cafe) during the first five days of dove season.
September 6-30, there will be no daily drawing, and hunting is first-come, first-served. Use of a windshield card is required during this segment. Hunting hours during this segment will follow statewide regulations.
Hunters shall possess only lead or an approved non-toxic (as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 50 CFR 20) shot, such as bismuth, of size #7.5 or smaller, or steel shot size #6 or smaller.

Pheasant/Quail/Partridge

Not available at this site. Only controlled pheasant hunting is allowed (see Controlled Pheasant Hunting section above).

Rabbits

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Rabbit hunting DURING pheasant season:

Site-specific permits are required and are available at Free Upland Game Online Permit Application Site for rabbits; HOWEVER, a Controlled Pheasant Permit is ALSO required during the controlled pheasant season, a fee is charged.
Permit holders must check in at an IDNR-staffed check station and be present at the drawing. Stand-by hunting permits may be issued. Late-arriving hunters may register late. (For greater detail, see Upland Bird section.)
Hunting is permitted from 9 am – 4 pm during pheasant season and on Thanksgiving Day from 9 am – 1 pm. Hunters must hunt in assigned areas until 10 am. Hunters must check out and report harvest by 4 pm.
Closed on site on Mondays and Tuesdays, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Also closed the Thursday and Friday after the first Saturday in November (when the first Saturday in November is November 1 through 3).
Non-toxic shot required. Flu flu arrows must be used by archery hunters.
Harvest limits during fee upland season for rabbits are 4.
The Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt, during which rabbit may be taken, is the first Saturday following the opening of the season. Youth hunting opportunities on site are the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the Friday after Christmas. Youth hunters must have obtained a permit.
All hunting seasons may be subject to early closure.

Rabbit hunting AFTER pheasant season:

Rabbit hunting (non-fee) opens the Monday following the close of the controlled pheasant hunting season and runs through the close of rabbit season. All rabbit hunting before this date follows the regulations of the controlled (fee) upland game season (see above).

Squirrels

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Season begins the day after Labor Day through September 30. The season reopens the day after the archery deer season closes and remains open until the end of the statewide season.
Hunters are to sign-in/out at hunter parking lot kiosk and record their harvest.
May only use or possess lead, tungsten, or bismuth shot of size #5 or smaller; or steel of size #3 or smaller.

Woodcock

Not available at this site.

Youth Pheasant Hunting

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

The Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt is the first Saturday following the opening of the statewide upland game season.
Youth hunting opportunities on site are the Sunday after Thanksgiving and Friday after Christmas.

Furbearers

Furbearer Hunting

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Archery only
Fox and coyote hunting is by bow and arrow only and is open only when the site’s archery deer season is open. The site’s fox season begins when the statewide fox season opens, runs concurrently with the site archery deer season, and concludes with the archery deer season closing.
Hunting is restricted to those areas posted as open to hunting and hunters are permitted in those areas only during hunting hours.

Furbearer Trapping

Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:

Contact site for drawing information.
No foothold water sets allowed. Dog-proof traps are required

Amenities

Archery range

Camping

Boat access

Fishing

More information