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Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

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
Digital Map
Printable Map

All statewide hunting 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
Use Hunt Planner to find hunting seasons open at this site.
Tree stands may be left up during the season, but must be legibly marked with owner’s name, address and telephone number. All stands must be removed no later than 2 weeks after the final day of legal deer hunting
No ATV access
Species-specific rules:

Archery, Firearm, Muzzleloader, Youth
- Statewide regulations
- Note the tree stand rule for this site
Late Winter
- Open in the portion of the site that is in Hamilton County
- Statewide regulations
- Note the tree stand rule for this site

Fall Archery
- Statewide regulations
- Note the tree stand rule for this site
Spring and Fall shotgun
- Requires site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery
Youth
- Requires county-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery

Areas designated as waterfowl refuge are closed to all access during Canada goose season.
Teal, Snipe, Rail, Early Goose and Late Goose
- Statewide regulations
Youth
- Youth hunters must be 15 years old or younger
Regular season
- Hunting is on a first-come, first-serve basis
- No hunting in the designated waterfowl rest areas
- No permanent blinds allowed
- Hunting hours are legal opening-sunset
- Each hunting party is required to hunt over a minimum of 6 decoys. All decoys must be picked up a the end of each day’s hunt

Squirrels
- Statewide regulations
- Hunting with a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms, .25 caliber or smaller air rifle, or muzzleloading black powder rifles is allowed
Rabbits
- Statewide regulations

Statewide regulations
Non-toxic shot required
Areas designated as waterfowl refuge are closed to all access during Canada goose season

Crow
- Crow hunting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset
- All harvested crows must be removed from State property and disposed of properly
- No centerfire rifles allowed.

Woodcock and Snipe
- It shall be 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.

Dove
- Hours will be sunrise to 11:30 am daily September 1st-5th; season closes on the statewide closing.
- Hunting is restricted to managed field(s).
- Harvested doves must be kept in separate bags by each hunter
- No cleaning doves is permitted on the site
- It is the hunters responsibility to remove all refuse, including empty shotghun shells, from the hunting area once they have finished hunting.

Hunting
- Statewide coyote, striped skunk, and groundhog hunting allowed
  - .22 caliber or smaller rimfire rifles permitted 24 hours a day
  - Designated Waterfowl Rest Areas closed to hunting during open season for Canada Goose
  - Statewide regulations
- Windshield Card required
Trapping
- Site specific permit required. Contact site for more information
- Trappers must stay in their assigned areas
- 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