Announcements
Pyramid State Recreation Area Denmark 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: 4, 385; Cropfields: 553; Timber: 282; Grasslands/Pastures: 3,156; Lakes/Wetlands: 394
Habitat: Habitat: The Denmark Unit is one of five management units that comprise Pyramid State Park. The reclaimed surface strip mine property was purchased from Ark Land Company on December 15, 2000. The area is dominated by large grasslands which are interspersed with crop fields, large lakes and small wetlands. A 539 acre seasonal waterfowl refuge (October 28 – February 28) has been established which provides land and water habitat for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. The site is open to deer, dove, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel and quail hunting by permit only. Hunter quotas and other site specific restrictions are in effect to improve the quality of the hunting experience. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site
Site 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. Failure to submit harvest data will result in loss of hunting privileges for the following year. Hunters must maintain accurate records of each hunt.
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.
Deer
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.
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Must possess a Perry County Permit to hunt this site.
Late Winter Antlerless
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Only when Perry County is announced open.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- County permits required during the muzzleloader only season.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Open for youth deer firearm season. Contact 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:
- Site-specific permit required.
Youth
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
The area is closed to all waterfowl hunting on Mondays.
The land and water portion of the Denmark 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.
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, however they must be a minimum of 200 yards from the nearest staked location
Must use at least 6 decoys.
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Teal hunting not permitted in the refuge
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Early Canada Goose hunting not permitted.
Snipe/Rail
Not available at this site.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Youth Waterfowl season is held the weekend preceding the South Central Zone duck opener.
Upland/Small Game
Controlled Pheasant Hunting
Not available at this site.
Crow
Not available at this site.
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.
Pheasant/Quail/Partridge
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- A Free Upland Game Permit issued by statewide lottery is required.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- A Free Upland Game Permit issued by statewide lottery is required. Applicants may apply only once and receive one permit per year. Each permittee will be allowed to bring up to 2 hunting partners.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- A Free Upland Game Permit issued by statewide lottery is required.
Furbearers
Furbearer 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.
Furbearer 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.
- Site-specific permit
- 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.