ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

J.B. Pritzker, Governor | illinois.gov

Wildlife Illinois

Hunt Planner

Announcements

Public Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permit First Lottery Begins August 16!

Kickapoo State Recreation Area

    Site Contact Info

    Site Map

    Site Characteristics

    • Huntable acres: 2,356
    • Habitat: A heterogeneous mix of upland and lowland vegetation, with mostly forest, shrubs and patchy grasslands. Some managed cropland fields on the site offer grain food for wildlife. River, streams and managed trails run throughout the site. Parts of site have steep topography and have active boating and mountain biking.

    Site Specific Regulations

    • All statewide hunting 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.
    • Use Hunt Planner to find hunting seasons open at this site.
    • Closed to all other activities during firearm and muzzleloader deer hunting seasons and during spring turkey hunting season during the season’s hours.
    • Must remove tree stands daily, and windshield card number must be displayed on tree stands.
    • Species-specific rules:

    Deer

    • Archery
      • Statewide regulations.
    • Firearm and Muzzleloader
      • Require site-specific permits issued through statewide lottery.
      • Muzzleloading is not permitted during the second firearm deer season, only during regular muzzleloader season.

    Turkey

    • Spring
    • Fall Shotgun
      • Not available.
    • Fall Archery
      • Statewide regulations.
    • Youth

    Waterfowl

    • Seasons: Open during regular duck and goose seasons. No hunting during early teal or early goose seasons.
    • Hours: Legal start to 1 pm during duck season, statewide hours for goose hunting after duck season.
    • Blinds: Hunting is only permitted at marked sites using portable blinds or boat blinds within 10 yards of blind marker stake.
      • Hunters must occupy staked blind locations within one hour after registering at check station.
      • Hunters who do not occupy their selected location by legal shooting time forfeit the right to hunt at that location.
      • No more than four hunters per boat blind.
      • Blind sites may be closed due to weather or special events.
    • Registration: Hunters must sign-in, select blind location, and obtain harvest report card. At the end of the day’s hunt, hunters must return the card and sign-out. Blind availability will be first-come first-serve basis.
      • Change in blind is also first-come first-serve basis as availability occurs when hunters wish to move to another blind, provided they include the blind change on the harvest card and report their harvest for each blind.

    Squirrels/Rabbits

    • Statewide regulations apply, except rabbit hunting closes at 4 pm daily.

    Upland birds

    • Pheasant, quail and woodcock
      • Statewide regulations, except hunting closes at 4 pm daily.
    • Dove
      • Statewide regulations, except must use non-toxic shot size 6 or smaller.

    Furbearers

    • Hunting
      • Statewide Regulation
      • 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.
      • Windshield Card required
    • Trapping
      • Trapping is permitted on designated areas. Contact site for information.

    Amenities