Overview
Known For
Illinois is known for having ample wildlife for hunting, including trophy-class whitetail deer, eastern wild turkey, waterfowl, and upland birds. A new law effective in 2023 will allow hunters to use centerfire, single-shot rifles in certain calibers for deer hunting.
Terrain
From fertile lands and low hills in the Central Plains of Illinois to the forested northwest and western edges, the state’s terrain consists mostly of rolling farmlands, growing mostly soybeans and corn.
Illinois Hunting Seasons
| Season | Start Date | End Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Bobcat
Closed Nov. 17-19 and Nov-3 Dec 2023. |
Nov 10, 2023 | Feb 15, 2024 |
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Coyote
Closed during firearm Deer season Nov. 17-19 and Nov. 30- Dec. 3. |
Jan 1, 2023 | Dec 31, 2023 |
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Deer – Archery
Some counties have different dates. Check regulations booklet for specific dates.
|
Oct 1, 2023 | Jan 14, 2024 |
|
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Deer – Youth Firearm
|
Oct 7, 2023 | Oct 9, 2023 |
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Deer – Firearm Part 1
|
Nov 17, 2023 | Nov 19, 2023 |
|
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Deer – Firearm 3
Firearm |
Dec 1, 2023 | Dec 3, 2023 |
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Deer – Muzzleloader Part 2
Hunters may also use a muzzleloader permit with a muzzleloading rifle during 2nd Firearm Deer Season.
|
Dec 1, 2023 | Dec 3, 2023 |
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Deer – Muzzleloader Part 1
|
Dec 8, 2023 | Dec 10, 2023 |
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Deer – Firearm Part 2
Hunters may also use a muzzleloader permit with a muzzleloading rifle during 2nd Firearm Deer Season. |
Dec 30, 2023 | Nov 30, 2023 |
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|
Dove – Early
Daily bag limit 15.
|
Sep 1, 2023 | Nov 14, 2023 |
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Dove – Late
Daily bag limit 15.
|
Dec 26, 2023 | Jan 9, 2024 |
|
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Duck – Teal
Teal Season
|
Sep 9, 2023 | Sep 24, 2023 |
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Duck, Coot, and Merganser – North Zone
|
Oct 21, 2023 | Dec 19, 2023 |
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Duck, Coot, and Merganser – Central Zone
|
Oct 28, 2023 | Dec 26, 2023 |
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Duck, Coot, and Merganser – South Central Zone
|
Nov 11, 2023 | Jan 9, 2024 |
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Duck, Coot, and Merganser – South Zone
|
Dec 2, 2023 | Jan 30, 2024 |
|
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Fox
Closed during Firearm Deer season Nov. 17-19 and Nov 30 – Dec 3. |
Nov 10, 2023 | Feb 15, 2024 |
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Goose – Early Canada
|
Sep 1, 2023 | Sep 15, 2023 |
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Goose – North Zone
Canada, Snow, and Brant Goose
|
Oct 21, 2023 | Jan 18, 2024 |
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Goose – White-fronted Goose – North Zone
|
Oct 23, 2023 | Jan 18, 2024 |
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Goose – Central Zone
Canada, Snow, and Brant Goose. Canada goose closed 11/6-11/11. |
Oct 28, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
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Goose – White-fronted Goose – Central Zone
|
Nov 5, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
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Goose – South Central Zone
Canada, Snow, White-fronted, and Brant Goose
|
Nov 11, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
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Goose – South Zone
Canada, Snow, White-fronted, and Brant Goose
|
Dec 2, 2023 | Jan 31, 2024 |
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Pheasant – South
Daily bag limit 2. Roosters only |
Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 15, 2024 |
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Pheasant – North
Daily bag limit 2. Roosters only |
Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 8, 2024 |
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Quail – South Zone
Daily bag limit 8.
|
Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 15, 2024 |
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Quail – North Zone
Daily bag limit 8.
|
Nov 4, 2023 | Jan 8, 2024 |
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Turkey – Spring Youth 2nd Season
North and South zones open for youth.
|
Apr 2, 2022 | Apr 3, 2022 |
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Turkey – Spring South Zone
1st-5th season.
|
Apr 4, 2022 | May 5, 2022 |
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Turkey – Spring Youth Season
North and South Zones open for youth.
|
Apr 9, 2022 | Apr 10, 2022 |
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Turkey – Spring North Zone
1st-5th season.
|
Apr 11, 2022 | May 12, 2022 |
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Turkey – Spring Youth Season
North and South Zones open for youth.
|
Mar 25, 2023 | Mar 26, 2023 |
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Turkey – Spring Youth 2nd Season
North and South zones open for youth. |
Apr 1, 2023 | Apr 2, 2023 |
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Turkey – Spring South Zone
1st-5th season.
|
Apr 3, 2023 | May 4, 2023 |
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Turkey – Spring North Zone
1st-5th season.
|
Apr 10, 2023 | May 11, 2023 |
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Turkey – Fall Archery
Hunting allowed in certain counties. See regulations for more details. |
Oct 1, 2023 | Jan 14, 2024 |
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Turkey – Fall Shotgun
|
Oct 21, 2023 | Oct 29, 2023 |
Illinois Licenses, Permits and Regulations
Illinois hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Illinois hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Illinois hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunting units, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Illinois.
Hunting Layers
IL Private Lands
Over 4,300,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Illinois. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
IL Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate public lands maps with over 1,700,000 acres in Illinois to help you plan your next adventure. Tap any public land parcel to learn more.
IL Possible Access
onX has mapped 26,000 acres of possible access lands in Illinois including timber companies and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
IL Hunt Zones
Illinois Hunt Zones for six different species.
Includes 6 Sublayers
- Fall Turkey Hunt Zones
- Spring Turkey Hunt Zones
- Upland Game Bird Hunt Zones
- Waterfowl Hunt Zones
- Bobcat Hunt Zones
- Furbearer Hunt Zones
The #1 GPS Hunting App
- 975 million acres of public land
- 10,668 unique hunting units
- 421 map overlays and counting
- 5,000 game wardens approve