Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-643-2862
Office address: 4283 State Route 14, McLeansboro, IL 62859
Site coordinates: 38.08205 -88.62555
County: Hamilton; Eades Unit is in Jefferson County
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: 4,995
Habitat: Site is located in Hamilton and Jefferson counties and composed of 4 separate units managed for public hunting. The two Jefferson county tracts were mined prior to acquisition. The Belle Rive unit (1460 acres) contains a Waterfowl Rest Area. It is approximately 56% mined land with new mine law reclamation completed. The Eads unit (1550 acres) was approximately 83% mined and reclaimed under pre-law standards. The two Hamilton county tracts remain unmined. The Dahlgren unit (1120 acres) contains a good mix of farm fields and forest habitats typical to this part of Illinois. It ranges from high and dry, to low and wet. Much of the wetland had been prior converted to cropland in the Big Creek watershed. The Goshen Trail unit is the southernmost unit (1690 acres) and is mostly upland. A good mix of cropland, woodland, and open fields makes this area very attractive to a wide variety of wildlife. In addition to the strip pit lakes, numerous ponds dot the landscape of this site.
Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.
Site Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species 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
When hunting or scouting, all vehicles must be parked at designated areas. There is no ATV access.
It is unlawful for any person to consume an alcoholic beverage while on the site property for the purpose of hunting or trapping. Any person who violates site-specific regulations shall be guilty of a Class B Misdemeanor.
Only one tree stand or ground blind is allowed per deer permit holder. Tree stands may be left up during the season (unattended), but must be legibly marked with owner’s name, address and telephone number.
No hunter shall place a tree stand or ground blind prior to two weeks before the opening of archery deer season and all hunters must remove their deer stands no later than two weeks after the final day of legal deer hunting.
Areas designated as waterfowl refuge are closed to all access during Canada goose season.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
County permit is required. Note: Hunters must possess a Hamilton or Jackson County permit, to hunt respective parts of the site.
Late Winter
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
County permit required.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Deer Firearm. See the section above for more information.
County permit required.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Deer Firearm. See the section above for more information.
Youth deer hunting permit required.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Fall Shotgun
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery.
Youth Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Youth turkey hunting permit required.
Waterfowl
Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting is allowed in all locations, except the designated Waterfowl Rest Areas, and on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Hunting hours are from legal opening until sunset.
- No permanent blinds allowed.
- Each hunting party is required to hunt over a minimum of 6 decoys at each blind site, and all decoys must be picked up at the end of each day’s hunt.
- Areas designated as Waterfowl Rest Areas are closed to all access during the Regular Duck/Goose Waterfowl Seasons only.
Goose
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers. See the section above for more information.
Snipe & Rail
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers. See the section above for more information.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Upland & Small Game
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting hours will be from sunrise to 11:30 a.m. daily, September 1-5; the season closes on the statewide closing. A drawing will be held one hour before sunrise if there are more hunters present than can be accommodated.
- Hunting is restricted to the managed field(s).
- NON TOXIC SHOT only required in areas posted as rest area (Goose Refuge), No. 6 steel shot or No. 7 ½ bismuth shot or smaller is allowed.
- Harvested doves must be kept in separate bags by each hunter.
- No cleaning of doves is permitted on the site.
- It is the hunter’s responsibility to remove all trash, including empty shotgun shells, from the hunting area once they have finished hunting.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- In waterfowl refuge areas, hunting is only allowed from statewide season start until the beginning of the regular waterfowl season.
- Areas designated as waterfowl refuge are closed to all access during duck and goose seasons.
- Nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of size #3 steel or tin, #4 bismuth shot or #5 tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix or smaller may be used or possessed on posted waterfowl rest areas.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting with a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms, a .25 caliber or smaller air rifle, or muzzle-loading black powder rifles is allowed
- In waterfowl refuge areas, hunting is only allowed from the statewide season start until the beginning of the regular waterfowl season.
- Areas designated as waterfowl refuge are closed to all access during duck and goose seasons.
- Nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of size #3 steel or tin, #4 bismuth shot or #5 tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix or smaller may be used or possessed on posted waterfowl rest areas.
Upland Birds
Available at this site. Follows the same regulations as Rabbits. See the section above for more information.
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except that it is unlawful, while attempting to take woodcock, to have in possession any shotgun shells not approved as non-toxic by federal regulations while hunting in Waterfowl Rest Areas.
Furbearers
Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Coyote and striped skunk are allowed year-round.
- Groundhog hunting is permitted.
- 22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted for use 24 hours per day.
Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- A valid Site permit is required for trapping. Permits are allocated at the Site office upon request.
- Trappers must stay in their assigned trapping areas. All traps must be tagged with the trapper’s name.
- 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, foothold traps with a jaw spread of 4 1/2 inches or less and square body-gripping traps with a 10 inch jaw spread may be used for water sets; snares may be used for water sets
Amenities
Firearms range
Archery range
Hand trap range