Illinois Administrative Code
Title 17 - CONSERVATION
Part 590 - DUCK, GOOSE AND COOT HUNTING
Section 590.20 - Permit Controlled Department Sites Only - Duck, Goose and Coot Hunting
Universal Citation: 17 IL Admin Code ยง 590.20
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) Sites covered in this Section, which allow hunting by permit only, are:
Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area
Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (2)
Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area
Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area (2)
Fox Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)
Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Controlled Hunting Area
Kidd Lake State Natural Area (west of railroad tracks only)
Larry D. Closson State Habitat Area (2)
Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area - Duck Ranch Unit (2)
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Walk-in Units
Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Spring Lake Bottoms Unit
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area - Controlled Hunting Area
b) Permit Requirements
1) Permit applications shall be accepted
starting August 16. Initial acceptance dates and methods for making
applications will be publicly announced. A hunter can obtain up to 5 permits
for duck hunting and 5 permits for goose hunting as follows: Only applications
submitted by Illinois residents will be processed during the first lottery to
apply for up to one duck permit and one goose permit. Non-residents and
residents who did not receive a permit or did not apply in the first lottery
will be eligible to participate in the second lottery to apply for their first
duck and goose permit. Residents will have preference in the
2nd lottery. Residents and non-residents can apply
for a 2nd permit for duck and goose hunting in the
3rd lottery. Residents will have preference in the
3rd lottery. Residents and non-residents can apply
online for a 3rd, 4th and
5th duck and goose permit after the
3rd lottery. Successful applicants will be sent
confirmation via email or can access the Reservation Inquiry System to see if
they were awarded a permit.
2)
Permits shall be issued until the daily quota is filled. The daily quota is
determined by the formula: one hunter per 10 to 40 huntable acres. Huntable
acres are determined by, but not limited to, the biological studies on the
number of the species available; the condition, topography, and configuration
of the land at the site; the condition of the roads at the site; the number of
employees available to work at the site; and the number of blinds which can be
established on a site as set forth in Section
3.8 of the Wildlife Code
[520 ILCS
5 ]. Hunting locations (blind or stake number) shall
be assigned randomly by the permit office and listed on the permit at sites
that do not have a check station, but have multiple hunting
locations.
3) The permit shall be
for the use of the entire blind or staked site/area.
A) It shall be the responsibility of the
permit holder to bring one hunting partner or one non-hunting partner
(non-hunting partners are defined as persons under 21 years of age accompanying
the hunter in the blind) or 2 non-hunting partners (3 persons per blind but not
more than 2 hunters per blind) for:
Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area
Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area
B) It shall be the responsibility of the
permit holder to bring no more than 2 partners (hunters or non-hunters; 3
persons per stake/area) for:
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Walk-in Unit
Kidd Lake State Natural Area - units west of the railroad tracks only
C) It shall be
the responsibility of the permit holder to bring no more than 3 partners
(hunters or non-hunters; 4 persons per blind or staked site/area) for:
Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area
Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area
Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area
Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area
Fox Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Larry D. Closson State Habitat Area
Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area - Duck Ranch Unit
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Spring Lake Bottoms Unit
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area
4)
Unallocated blinds may be filled by a drawing at the sites. If no drawing
occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17 Ill. Adm. Code
510.10(d)(3)
shall apply.
5) Permits are not
transferrable.
6) Permits will be
issued from the Springfield Permit Office for permit-controlled sites. For
other information write to:
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Permit Office - Waterfowl
P.O. Box 19457
Springfield IL 62794-9457
c) General Regulations
1) All use other than permit hunting as
defined in subsection (b)(3) is prohibited at:
A) Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife
Area from 2 weeks before duck season through close of Central Zone Canada goose
season (except for archery deer hunting).
B) Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area from
October 1 through the close of the Central Zone Duck hunting season.
2) Hours, Permits and Stamp
Charges
A) Hunting hours are from legal
opening time until 1:00 p.m., except at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife
Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area, which close at 12 noon.
Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area - Duck Ranch Unit will have statewide
hours for early and late goose seasons.
B) At Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife
Area from opening day through November 30, all hunters must register at the
check station by 5:00 a.m. Permits are void after 5:00 a.m. From December 1
through December 31, all hunters must register at the check station by 5:30
a.m. Permits are void after 5:30 a.m. From January 1 through the close of goose
season, all hunters must register at the check station by 6:00 a.m. Permits are
void after 6:00 a.m.
C) At Banner
Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area, Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife
Area, Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Walk-in Units and Union County
State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters with permit reservations are required to
check in at the check station between 4:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Permits are void
after 5:00 a.m. A drawing may be held to allocate blind sites at all sites. If
no drawing occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17 Ill.
Adm. Code 510.10(d)(3)
shall apply.
D) At Anderson Lake
State Fish and Wildlife Area and Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area -
Spring Lake Bottoms Unit, hunters are required to check in at the check station
no later than one hour before legal shooting time; after that time, permits are
void.
E) At Double T State Fish and
Wildlife Area, hunters must check in by 4:30 a.m. at the Rice Lake check
station. Permits are void after 4:30 a.m. Check out is required at all sites
listed in this Section.
F) At
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area,
hunting hours are from legal shooting time to 1:00 p.m. Permit hunters have
sole access to the assigned, permanent blind sites for the day and may occupy
the site as desired during legal access hours but may not leave and re-enter
the site.
G) At Kidd Lake State
Natural Area, hunters may arrive at hunt sites 1 hour prior to legal shooting
time until 1:00 p.m. when shooting must cease. Hunters must remove all hunting
materials and vacate the area by 2:00 p.m. Only hunters with Public Duck and
Goose Hunting Area Permits and their partners may hunt the site.
H) A $15 Daily Usage Stamp must be purchased
at Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area. Partners between 16 and 20
years of age must pay daily usage stamp fee. Partners under 16 are not required
to purchase a daily usage stamp.
I)
A $10 Daily Usage Stamp must be purchased at Banner Marsh State Fish and
Wildlife Area, Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area - Duck Ranch Unit, Spring
Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area - Spring Lake Bottoms Unit, Horseshoe Lake
State Fish and Wildlife Area, Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Non-hunting partners between 16 and 20 years of age must pay daily usage stamp
fee. All partners under 16 are not required to purchase a daily usage
stamp.
J) At Embarras River Bottoms
State Habitat Area, hunters may arrive at hunt sites 1 hour prior to legal
shooting time until 1:00 p.m. when shooting must cease. Hunters must remove all
hunting materials and vacate the area by 3:00 p.m. Only hunters with Public
Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permits and their partners may hunt the
site.
K) At Mermet Lake State Fish
and Wildlife Area, permits will be valid each day the check station is open
during regular duck season. Drawing for blinds may take place 90 minutes before
shooting time and hunting hours are from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00
p.m. If no drawing occurs, then modifications will be posted at the site and 17
Ill. Adm. Code 510.10(d)(3)
shall apply.
3) Hunting
shall be done from assigned locations (blinds, stakes, areas or pits) only and
hunters shall not move from assigned location to another location or leave the
assigned location and return.
4)
Guns must be unloaded and encased at all times when not hunting. Except at
Union County and Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Areas, all hunting
parties shall hunt over a spread of at least 12 decoys during duck season and
Canada goose season. The decoys shall be staked, placed or floating, be
individually visible, be at least 8 inches long, and not be within a boat,
blind or container.
5) The legal
hunting seasons for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area and Union
County State Fish and Wildlife Area are the dates of the South Zone duck and
goose hunting seasons except that these areas shall be closed on Mondays,
Tuesdays (except for the Illinois Youth Waterfowl Hunt) and December 24 through
28. (These sites shall be open only for the Illinois Youth Waterfowl Hunt on
December 28, pursuant to 17 Ill. Adm. Code
685.110.)
6) The legal hunting season at Snakeden
Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area is the dates of the Central Zone goose
hunting season except that the area shall be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and December 24, 25 and 26.
7) The legal hunting season at Banner Marsh
State Fish and Wildlife Area and Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area -
Walk-in Units is the dates of the Central Zone duck hunting season.
8) The legal hunting season at Spring Lake
State Fish and Wildlife Area - Spring Lake Bottoms Unit is the opening day of
the Central Zone duck hunting season and every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday of
the Central Zone duck hunting season, except the second Sunday in November,
which is closed due to the Youth Hunt.
9) The legal permit hunting season at Double
T State Conservation Area will be every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday of the
Central Zone duck hunting season.
10) The legal hunting season at Marshall
State Fish and Wildlife Area - Duck Ranch Unit is every Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday during the Central Zone duck season.
11) At Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife
Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area, during duck season hunters
shall not possess more than 25 shot shells. When duck season is closed, hunters
shall not possess more than 5 shot shells for every Canada goose allowed in the
daily bag limit. During the Conservation Order Light Goose Season hunters may
possess 25 shot shells at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. At
Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area, hunters may not possess more than
5 shot shells for every Canada goose allowed in the daily bag limit.
12) At Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife
Area and Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters may bring up to 3
dozen decoys per party. No full bodied or supermagnum shell decoys are
allowed.
13) At Horseshoe Lake
State Fish and Wildlife Area hunters cannot take guns from the blind to
retrieve wounded waterfowl.
14)
Hunters must be at least 16 years of age (except for the Illinois Youth
Goose/Duck Hunt) to draw for a pit or blind. Each person under 16 years of age
must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
15) At Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
- Walk-in Units, hunting shall be by walk-in or boats without motors
only.
16) The legal hunting season
for Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area
will be every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the Central Zone regular duck
and Canada goose season.
17) The
permit dates for Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area will be every
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the waterfowl hunting zone the site is in
(Central Zone). Permit holders will have first choice of West Point Walk-in
area stakes or unclaimed yearly allocation blinds that would otherwise go in
the daily drawing. All site specific regulations apply.
18) The legal hunting season for Larry D.
Closson State Habitat Area will be every Sunday in October and November and
every Saturday in December and January of the regular Illinois duck hunting
season in the waterfowl hunting zone in which the site is located.
19) The legal hunting season for Kidd Lake
State Natural Area - units west of the railroad tracks only will be every
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in
the waterfowl hunting zone in which the site is located.
20) The legal hunting season for Embarras
River Bottoms State Habitat Area will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the
regular Illinois duck hunting season (except for the youth waterfowl season) in
the Waterfowl Hunting Zone in which the site is located. There will be no
waterfowl hunting during shotgun deer and deer muzzleloader seasons.
21) The legal hunting season for Black Crown
Marsh State Natural Area (marsh hunting area) will be Tuesday, Thursday,
Saturday and Sunday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in the
waterfowl hunting zone where the site is located. The legal hunting season for
the Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area (land hunting area) will be Tuesday,
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of the regular Illinois duck and goose hunting
seasons in the waterfowl hunting zone where the site is located. Walk-in
hunting only. Hunters may construct temporary blinds that must be removed at
the end of each day's hunt. Hunting hours are from legal opening until 1:00
p.m. Hunters must be off the site by 2:00 p.m. Sign-in/sign-out and report
harvest at parking area kiosk.
22)
The legal hunting season for Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area will be
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the regular Illinois duck hunting season in
the waterfowl zone where the site is located. Walk-in hunting only. Hunters may
construct temporary blinds that must be removed at the end of each day's hunt.
Hunting hours are from legal opening until 1:00 p.m. Hunters must be off the
waterfowl hunting site by 2:00 p.m. Sign-in, sign-out and reporting of harvest
required.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Illinois may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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