Announcements
Randolph County State Recreation Area
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-826-2706
Office address: 4301 S. Lake Dr., Chester, IL 62233
Site coordinates: 37.97956 -89.80711
County: Randolph
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 820
Habitat: This site is located in the scenic rolling hill country of southwestern Illinois. Woods are generally found along streams, draws, and on adjacent slopes too steep for cultivation. Some of the upland area and gentler slopes are open, devoted to wildlife food plots or maintained in a fallow condition. Grasslands, brushy draws, and hedgerows are interspersed throughout the area providing a diverse wildlife habitat.
Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site, including prescribed burning.
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.
Hunters may leave stands unattended from September 15 – January 31. Stands must be legibly marked with owner’s name, address and telephone number.
No hunting or trapping is permitted in posted areas or developed recreation areas, and within 100 yards of construction sites, residences and developed recreation areas
All hunters must sign in (and indicate license plate #) and check out and report harvest each day.
All hunting is by shotgun or archery only. (Exceptions exist for furbearer hunting regulations)
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except: open to archery hunters during statewide firearm deer seasons, but blaze orange is required by all hunters at these times
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
Not available at this site.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
All hunters must wear blaze orange during overlap with deer firearm seasons
Fall Shotgun
Not available at this site.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except: spring turkey hunting requires a site-specific permit issued via a Springfield drawing.
Youth Spring
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
Not available at this site.
Upland & Small Game
Controlled Pheasant
Not available at this site.
Crow
Not available at this site.
Dove
Available at this site. See further site-specific regulations below:
- Sept. 1 – 5, the hunting hours are noon – 5 p.m., and a drawing to determine hunter eligibility will be held if more hunters apply to hunt than can be accommodated.
- Sept. 6 – 30, statewide hours apply.
Rabbit
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Squirrel
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Upland Birds
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Furbearers
Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- 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. See further site-specific regulations below:
- Quota of 2 permits are issued. Contact site for details
- Water sets only, with the exception of Egg Traps, D-P(Dog Proof) traps, cage traps and traps of similar design may ONLY be used for land sets.
Disabled Opportunities
Handicapped hunting facility available for deer archery and spring turkey season. Contact site for more details.