Announcements
Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area
Site Contact Info
Office Phone: 815-237-0063
Office Address: PO Box 126, Braceville, IL 60407
Site Coordinates: 41.2156 -88.269089
County: Grundy
Site Map
Printable Map – Waterfowl North Unit
Printable Map – Waterfowl South Unit
Printable Map – Deer, Upland Game, and Furbearer
Site Characteristics
Huntable Acres: Total Acres- 2150; Huntable Acres (Only in areas designated as open on the areas map): Habitat Types- Timber& Shrub 730; Grassland and Agricultural 940; Wetlands 480.
Habitat: Mazonia is characterized by extreme topography characteristic of strip mining operations. Numerous bodies of water ranging from 0.2 to 30 plus acres are found throughout the site.
Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year at this 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 unless noted hereafter.
Chronic Wasting Disease has been found at the site. Further information regarding CWD, including sampling locations, may be found here.
Fishing will be allowed in conjunction with the upland game season. Be aware of your surroundings.
Hunting will be prohibited in the event of adverse water and/or weather conditions, such as flooding, high winds, or heavy fog, national or local security.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
Hunting allowed in the South Unit (located in Kankakee County) only.
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
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- To participate, please send a card or letter to the Site Superintendent with the name of hunter, name of guardian (and hunter customer number), address, phone number, and email by the last Saturday in August.
- A random drawing will be made and successful applicants will be contacted with site rules, permit and maps.
- You will also be required to purchase a Youth Firearm Permit from an over-the-counter vendor.
Turkey
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Blinds are allocated annually by drawing on the last Saturday of July at the site office.
- Drawing rules will be posted.
- Blinds must be built within 10 feet of a marked location by the Blind winner and up to two partners. The partners must be named on the provided partner sheet and returned by August 31st.
- Once the completed blind is approved, a blind registration card will be issued and must be placed in the blind prior to hunting.
- Blinds are allocated for one hunting season only. Blind builders have until Feb. 1 to reclaim blind materials.
- You may not use Giant Reed Grass, Phragmites, or any other nuisance plant with the seed head attached, for camouflaging your blind. Remove seed heads prior to entering the park. Keep your blinds clean (including spent shells), you are responsible for them. Blinds in poor or trashed condition, will be red-carded. More information can be found here
- All hunters must report to the check station to fill out information cards and to turn in hunting licenses before proceeding to blinds.
- Registered blind builders or partners desiring to claim their blinds must report to the check station at least one hour before shooting hour each day and occupy that blind for at least one hour. Hunters wishing to move to another blind during their daily hunt must report back to the check station for reassignment.
- All hunting will be from registered blinds only and hunters must occupy their blinds within one hour after registering at the check station.
- Hunting is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Hunting hours are legal opening to 1:00 p.m. All hunters must be checked out by 2:00 p.m. At this time any harvest must be checked, and hunting licenses will be returned.
- It shall be illegal to fish or trespass upon the designated waterfowl hunting area or waterfowl refuge beginning ten days prior to the Central Zone Duck Season, until the end of Central Zone Duck Season.
- No person shall hunt, or attempt to hunt, waterfowl and coots except from within a registered blind.
- No person under 16 years of age shall hunt, or attempt to hunt, unless accompanied by an adult.
- All hunting parties shall hunt with at least 12 decoys. Decoys shall be staked, placed, or floating, be individually visible, be at least 8 inches long, and not be within a boat, blind, or container.
- No person shall trespass, for any purpose, on areas posted as Refuge or Waterfowl Rest Areas.
- Not more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind at one time.
- Blinds shall not be locked.
- Claiming or attempting to claim a blind which is legally occupied, and/or to harass, in any manner, the occupants of a blind which has been legally occupied is unlawful.
- During Duck Season, blinds not claimed by the builder or partners by one hour before shooting time will be assigned by a drawing at this time. No blinds will be assigned after 9:00 A.M.
- Blind 8 is wheelchair accessible. It must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance by calling the site office. If not claimed, it will be part of the daily draw.
LAND BASED WATERFOWL HUNTING AREA
- No hunting allowed until the Department stakes hunting location(s)
- Hunters must hunt within 10’ of Department stake
- No more than 4 hunters from staked locations hunting over at least 6 decoys.
- First come-first served; must check out by 1 p.m.
- Season stays open through the close of the goose season in the zone the site is located
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Blinds are allocated annually by drawing on the last Saturday of July at the site office.
- Drawing rules will be posted.
- Blinds must be built within 10 feet of a marked location by the Blind winner and up to two partners. The partners must be named on the provided partner sheet and returned by August 31st.
- Once the completed blind is approved, a blind registration card will be issued and must be placed in the blind prior to hunting.
- Blinds are allocated for one hunting season only. Blind builders have until Feb. 1 to reclaim blind materials.
- You may not use Giant Reed Grass, Phragmites, or any other nuisance plant with the seed head attached, for camouflaging your blind. Remove seed heads prior to entering the park. Keep your blinds clean (including spent shells), you are responsible for them. Blinds in poor or trashed condition, will be red-carded. More information can be found here
- All hunters must report to the check station to fill out information cards and to turn in hunting licenses before proceeding to blinds.
- Registered blind builders or partners desiring to claim their blinds must report to the check station at least one hour before shooting hour each day and occupy that blind for at least one hour. Hunters wishing to move to another blind during their daily hunt must report back to the check station for reassignment.
- All hunting will be from registered blinds only and hunters must occupy their blinds within one hour after registering at the check station.
- Hunting is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Hunting hours are legal opening to 1:00 p.m. All hunters must be checked out by 2:00 p.m. At this time any harvest must be checked, and hunting licenses will be returned.
- It shall be illegal to fish or trespass upon the designated waterfowl hunting area or waterfowl refuge beginning ten days prior to the Central Zone Duck Season, until the end of Central Zone Duck Season.
- No person shall hunt, or attempt to hunt, waterfowl and coots except from within a registered blind.
- No person under 16 years of age shall hunt, or attempt to hunt, unless accompanied by an adult.
- All hunting parties shall hunt with at least 12 decoys. Decoys shall be staked, placed, or floating, be individually visible, be at least 8 inches long, and not be within a boat, blind, or container.
- No person shall trespass, for any purpose, on areas posted as Refuge or Waterfowl Rest Areas.
- Not more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind at one time.
- Blinds shall not be locked.
- Claiming or attempting to claim a blind which is legally occupied, and/or to harass, in any manner, the occupants of a blind which has been legally occupied is unlawful.
- During Duck Season, blinds not claimed by the builder or partners by one hour before shooting time will be assigned by a drawing at this time. No blinds will be assigned after 9:00 A.M.
- Blind 8 is wheelchair accessible. It must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance by calling the site office. If not claimed, it will be part of the daily draw.
LAND BASED WATERFOWL HUNTING AREA
- No hunting allowed until the Department stakes hunting location(s)
- Hunters must hunt within 10’ of Department stake
- No more than 4 hunters from staked locations hunting over at least 6 decoys.
- First come-first served; must check out by 1 p.m.
- Season stays open through the close of the goose season in the zone the site is located
Snipe/Rail
Not available at this site.
Youth Waterfowl
Not available at this site.
Upland/Small Game
Controlled Pheasant
Not available at this site.
Crow
Not available at this site.
Dove
Not available at this site.
Pheasant/Quail/Partridge
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting allowed in the North Unit only.
- Season opens day after close of central duck season through statewide close.
- Hunters must sign in and sign out and report harvest.
- Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Christmas and New Years Day.
- May only hunt in areas designated as open onsite map.
- Blaze orange required (400 sq. in.).
- No non-hunters in the field.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting allowed in the North Unit only.
- Season opens day after close of central duck season through statewide close.
- Hunters must sign in and sign out and report harvest.
- Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Christmas and New Years Day.
- May only hunt in areas designated as open onsite map.
- Blaze orange required (400 sq. in.).
- No non-hunters in the field.
Squirrels
Not available at this site.
Woodcock
Not available at this site.
Furbearers
Furbearer Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Archery only
- Coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk, and opossum may be taken during their respective seasons that fall within archery deer season
- Statewide hours
Furbearer Trapping
Not available at this site.
Amenities
Boating