Pyramid State Recreation Area Captain Unit
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-357-2574
Office address: 1562 Pyramid Park Rd., Pinckneyville, IL 62274
Site coordinates: 38.00583 -89.4172
County: Perry
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 6,105
Habitat: The Captain Unit is one of 5 management units that comprise Pyramid State Park. The area is dominated by large grasslands/pastures which are interspersed with crop fields, large lakes and small wetlands. A 1,968 acre seasonal waterfowl refuge has been established which provides land and water habitat for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.
Site Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species regulations apply at the site unless noted hereafter.
Site requires use of windshield card displayed on vehicle dashboard to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February.
Tree stands must be portable and removed from the area at the end of each day’s hunt.
The windshield card number must be displayed on the tree stand.
All bikes (including electric bikes) are not allowed on site except only on posted bike trails or roadways designated for vehicular use.
Designated as a Quality Deer Management Area. Only antlerless deer or deer having at least four points on a side may be taken. This applies to all deer hunting.
The area is closed to all waterfowl hunting on Mondays.
The land and water portion of the Super Lake refuge will be closed to all access from Oct 29 through Feb 28.
A daily lottery will be conducted for staked waterfowl locations during duck season only at the Denmark multi-purpose building beginning at 4:30 am in Nov, 5 am in Dec, and 5:30 am in Jan.
Shooting hours are legal opening to 1 pm
Waterfowl hunters not participating in the daily lottery may not access Pyramid State Park property until 4:30 am in Nov, 5 am in Dec, and 5:30 am in Jan.
After duck season is closed, hunters may not possess more than 5 shot shells for every Canada goose allowed in the daily bag
Must use at least 6 decoys
Waterfowl hunters may not hunt on main lakes other than staked locations. Hunters may hunt in crop fields and wetlands which have not been staked, they must be a minimum of 200 yards from the nearest staked location.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that a Perry County Permit, issued through the statewide lottery, is required.
Late Winter Antlerless
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except only when Perry County is declared open through public announcement.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that a county permit, issued through the statewide lottery, is required.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except interested hunters should contact the site for more information.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Fall Shotgun
Not available at this site.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that a site-specific permit, issued through the statewide lottery, is required.
Youth
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that teal hunting is not permitted in the refuge.
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that Early Canada Goose hunting is not permitted.
Snipe & Rail
Not available at this site.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that Youth Waterfowl season is held the weekend preceding the South Central Zone duck opener.
Upland & Small Game
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Designated Dove-Management Fields:
- September 1-5 hunting hours are sunrise to 11:30 a.m. For these first five days, a drawing will be held at 5 a.m. at the Denmark multi-purpose building. For the drawing, all hunters must register as a group not to exceed 4 names per card; a hunter’s name may only appear on one draw card and cards shall be in possession of the hunters or group while hunting. No dove hunting is allowed within 200 yards of a Designated Dove-Management Field during Sept 1-5, except for hunters who are part of the hunter quota for that field.
- September 6-30, there will be no daily drawing, and hunting is first-come, first-served. Hunting hours during this segment will follow statewide regulations.
- Areas outside of the Designated Dove-Management Fields:
- There is no daily drawing to hunt outside of the Designated Dove-Management Fields. However, from September 1-5, these hunters may only hunt in a designated area, which is: all land West of the Western Haul Road and all land East of the Eastern Haul Road to the shore of the super lake to South Haul Road.
- September 6-30, dove hunting may occur in all areas of Captain, East Conant, Glum, and Denmark Units on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Dove hunting closes September 30.
- Non-toxic shot size number 6 or smaller must be used.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Requires a lottery-based Free Upland Game Permit that you can apply for online between Aug 1 and Aug 31. Harvest reporting materials will be mailed to successful permit holders via the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). You must report your harvest to INHS by February 15th to avoid the loss of hunting privileges for the following year.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Upland Birds
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Requires a lottery-based Free Upland Game Permit that you can apply for online between Aug 1 and Aug 31. Harvest reporting materials will be mailed to successful permit holders via the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). You must report your harvest to INHS by February 15th to avoid the loss of hunting privileges for the following year.
Woodcock
Not available at this site.
Furbearers
Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- No hunting on waterfowl refuge
- 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
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- A site-specific permit is required and must be in possession while trapping on the area.
- Only Egg Traps, D-P (Dog-Proof) Traps, Lil Grizz Get’rz, box traps, cage traps, and traps of similar design may be used for land sets; only body-gripping traps with a jaw spread of 5 inches or less and square body-grapping traps with a 10 inch jaw spread may be used for water sets; snares may be used for water sets
- Water sets must be submerged.