ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

J.B. Pritzker, Governor | illinois.gov

Wildlife Illinois

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Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area

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Site Characteristics

  • Huntable acres: 14,000
  • Habitat: This site is a complex area of channelized river, oxbows, sloughs, backwater lakes, bottomland timber, cultivated fields, native grass patches, brushy areas, and fallow fields. The site also contains the 2,000 acre Baldwin Lake and surrounding area which is managed as a waterfowl refuge and public fishing area. The public waterfowl hunting area is Doza Creek Waterfowl Management Area (DCWMA). Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.
  • 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
  • Hunters may leave stands unattended but they must be legibly marked with the owner’s name, address and telephone number
  • All hunters must check in and out and report their harvest at one of the check stations each day following their hunt
  • The Doza Creek WMA is closed to all public use 7 days prior to the duck season, only archery deer/turkey and waterfowl hunters during duck season
  • Species-specific rules:

Deer

  • Archery
    • Statewide regulations prevail.
    • Archery hunting is prohibited within 50 yards of the main north/south road through the Baldwin Lake Waterfowl Rest Area.
    • Within this defined waterfowl rest area, hunters must take an antlerless deer before harvesting an antlered deer.
  • Firearm
    • State Regulations
    • Doza Creek is open to a special draw for firearm deer hunting during the second season
  • Handicapped hunting facilities are available.

Turkey

  • Statewide regulations, except:
    • Turkey hunting is prohibited east of and within 50 yards of the main north/south road through the defined Baldwin Lake Waterfowl Rest Area, within 100 yards of any house or building, and south of access road in the Dry Lake area
  • Handicapped hunting facility is available

Waterfowl

  • 2020 Waterfowl Hunting Procedures
    • Hunters will be contacted after an inhouse stake assignment takes place.
    • Any unwanted stakes will be re-assigned until the stakes are filled. 
    • Stake assignments will take place via two separate lotteries. One for walk in stakes and one for boat blind stakes. 
    • Hunters will be required to drop off a pre-paid post card with their name, day of hunt desired, phone number and either boat or walk-in preference selected.
    • One single entry per person is allowed each day for the lotteries.
  • Waterfowl (Duck and Canada Goose) Hunting, Regular Season:
    • Kaskaskia River follows statewide regulations except in the DCWMA
    • For areas outside of DCWMA
      • Statewide hunting hours except between Hwys 13 & 154, which closes at 1 pm
      • Must use a minimum of 6 decoys
      • Waterfowl hunters must maintain a distance of 200 yards between parties
    • For DCWMA
      • For the first four days of the duck season, all waterfowl hunting must occur within 10 yards of an assigned, numbered stake.
      • Staked locations shall be allocated on a daily draw at the Highway 154 boat ramp at 4 am
      • No less than 2 hunters and no more than 4 may register as a party
      • On the 5th day of the season hunting is on a first-come, first-serve basis and need not occur at a stake
      • No waterfowl hunters may remain in the area after 3 pm, except during the last 3 days of the duck and Canada goose season, which are statewide hours
  • Teal, Rail and Snipe
    • Statewide regulations
    • Snipe hunters must wear a solid blaze orange cap and vest while hunting snipe

Squirrels/Rabbits

  • Squirrels
    • .17 and .22 caliber rimfire and .25 caliber or smaller air rifles allowed
  • Rabbits
    • Statewide regulations

Upland Birds

  • Dove
    • September 1-5 hunting hours are noon-5 p.m. After September 5 hunting hours are statewide hours
    • DCWMA closes to dove hunting on October 14
  • Woodcock
    • Statewide regulations
    • Hunters must wear a cap and upper outer garment of solid and vivid blaze orange of at least 400 square inches
  • Quail
    • Statewide regulations

Furbearers

  • Hunting
    • Statewide Regulations
    • Doza Creek Waterfowl Management Area closed 7 days prior to and during duck season.
    • The defined Baldwin Lake Waterfowl Rest Area is closed.
    • Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used from sunset to sunrise.
    • 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
    • Coyote and striped skunk season coincides with the statewide fox season.
  • Trapping
    • Must have windshield card.
    • Trappers must report their harvest online by February 15, or two weeks after the season closes for those seasons ending after February 1
    • Water sets only

Amenities