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County seat: Virginia
Hunting in Cass County
Cass County rules in one place: open firearm deer, CWD not found, north turkey zone and a 1,475 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: Gerry Dincher (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Start here for Cass County
Cass County belongs to the West Central region on IDNR public land fact sheets, a stretch of Illinois made up of the Illinois and Mississippi river bottoms, the Pike County hills and the Metro East. County business runs from Virginia; the 2024 population estimate is 12,713, 2.5% down from the 2020 base of 13,034. Its 376 square miles of land, roughly 240,483 acres, rank 79th among Illinois counties by area.
Drive any direction and you stay in Illinois: Brown County, Mason County, Menard County, Morgan County, Sangamon County and Schuyler County are the adjoining counties. Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Tim Kelley, the district biologist for the Kelley area.
County facts from the Census Bureau (2024 estimates and Gazetteer), IDNR wildlife districts and the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); key dates for this county, checked November 13, 2026.
; biologist contacts https://wildlifeillinois.org/idnr-district-wildlife-biologist/){kind=link}
Cass County deer permits and firearm rules
IDNR lists Cass County among the firearm counties, which means the November weekend and the December four-day season both apply. Expect archery windows of October 1 to November 19, November 23 to December 2 and December 7 to January 17 in Cass County. 813 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 574 either-sex and 239 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 574 | 239 | 813 |
| Muzzleloader | 56 | 51 | 107 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts Cass at number 48. Muzzleloader permits left: 56 either-sex and 51 antlerless, 107 together. We call these leftovers rather than quotas, since the first-round county allocations are not in the sources we could read. Illinois caps antlered deer at two a year per hunter, adding up youth, bow, muzzleloader and gun harvests, and lets Special CWD deer fall outside that count.
Quick deer rules for Cass County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 813 |
| Hunter orange | Gun seasons |
| Bait or feed deer | Illegal |
| Antlered limit | Two per year |
| Harvest report | By 10 p.m. |
Firearm and archery rules from the 2026-27 Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); Restricted Archery Zone from IDNR; leftover permits from the IDNR deer permit inquiry system (counts after Lottery 3, checked November 13, 2026); hunter orange from the Digest; baiting from the Digest.
Cass County CWD status and turkey zone
Cass County is not one of the 28 confirmed CWD counties, though neighbours may be and sampling continues statewide. The January antlerless weekends skip this county. The county is in the North Zone for spring turkey, where the five segments run from April 12 to May 13, 2027. Young hunters get two weekends ahead of everyone else, and every spring bird has to be reported by 10 p.m.
| Flag | Status |
|---|---|
| Confirmed CWD | No |
| Special CWD season | No |
| Late-winter antlerless | No |
| Firearm check station | Not required |
| Spring turkey zone | North |
| Restricted Archery Zone | No |
| Segment | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring turkey 1 | Apr 12, 2027 | Apr 16, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 22, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 3 | Apr 23, 2027 | Apr 28, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 4 | Apr 29, 2027 | May 5, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 5 | May 6, 2027 | May 13, 2027 |
| Youth weekends | Mar 27, 2027 | Apr 4, 2027 |
Closest CWD sampling sites
Jubilee College State Park
Marshall SFWA
Bring the head, a completed card and your permit number if the site asks.
From the 2026-27 Digest CWD section, confirmed county list, Special CWD information, late-winter information, check station counties, the CWD annual report and 17 IAC 710.10 (LII mirror, unofficial) (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); checked November 13, 2026.
Cass County harvest history
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 1,475 deer for Cass: 786 male and 689 female. Only 55 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 3.9 per square mile. The county supplied 0.8% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 749 | 51% |
| Firearm | 664 | 45% |
| Muzzleloader | 26 | 2% |
| Youth | 36 | 2% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 0 | 0% |
Long-run average 1,372; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the archery category: 749 deer.
County permits produced 188 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 28.8% success rate. Early season matters: 68 birds in segment one, 19 in the youth hunt.
IDNR county deer harvest report (harvest by county), spring turkey county tables (turkey harvest by county) and the CWD annual report (Illinois Department of Natural Resources). Figures are county totals as reported, not public-land results; checked November 13, 2026.
Hunts that open in Cass County
Cass County has its own deer permit counts, so the Deer rows below assume you hold a county permit or an archery permit, while the other species follow statewide dates.
| Species | Hunt | Paperwork | Area | Opening day | Final day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Deer permit | Firearm counties | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth Firearm | Deer permit | Youth counties | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearm – first season | Deer permit | Firearm counties | Nov 20, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearm – second season | Deer permit | Firearm counties | Dec 3, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Deer permit | Firearm counties | Dec 11, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall archery | Archery turkey permit | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall shotgun | Turkey permit | Map counties | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | Turkey permit | Statewide | Mar 27, 2027 | Apr 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 1 | Turkey permit | North Zone | Apr 12, 2027 | Apr 16, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 2 | Turkey permit | North Zone | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 22, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 3 | Turkey permit | North Zone | Apr 23, 2027 | Apr 28, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 4 | Turkey permit | North Zone | Apr 29, 2027 | May 5, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 5 | Turkey permit | North Zone | May 6, 2027 | May 13, 2027 | |
| Ring-necked pheasant | Upland bird | License | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 8, 2027 | |
| Ring-necked pheasant | Upland bird | License | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Upland bird | License | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 8, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Upland bird | License | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Upland bird | License | North Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 8, 2027 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Upland bird | License | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbit | Rabbit | License | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Gray and fox squirrel | Squirrel | License | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Waterfowl stamps | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular duck season | Waterfowl stamps | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular duck season | Waterfowl stamps | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular duck season | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Scaup | Waterfowl stamps | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Scaup | Waterfowl stamps | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ducks, mergansers and coots | Scaup | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Youth waterfowl days | Youth waterfowl | Waterfowl stamps | North Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl days | Youth waterfowl | Waterfowl stamps | Central Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl days | Youth waterfowl | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | Early season | Waterfowl stamps | North and Central Zones | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early season | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Regular season | HIP and license | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Regular season | HIP and license | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Regular season | HIP and license | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation Order | HIP and license | North Zone | Jan 27, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation Order | HIP and license | Central and South Zones | Feb 1, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| White-fronted goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| White-fronted goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | North Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 | |
| White-fronted goose | Regular season | Waterfowl stamps | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Brant | Regular season | HIP and license | All zones | Oct 24, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Rails | Rails | HIP and license | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 | |
| Wilson's snipe | Snipe | HIP and license | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Mourning and white-winged dove | Dove | HIP and license | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 9, 2027 | |
| American woodcock | Woodcock | HIP and license | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| American crow | Crow | License | Statewide | Oct 28, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | License | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Hunting | License | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Hunting | License | Statewide | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | License | Statewide (except closed zone) | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Woodchuck | Hunting | License | Statewide | Jun 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 |
From the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Cass IDNR and federal hunting areas
Public hunting in Cass County means 3 listed sites, a combined 24,090 acres by the fact sheet figures. The largest is Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, a fish and wildlife area of 16,400 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Edgar Panther Creek | Fish and wildlife area | 16,400 | Yes | 6,353 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Sanganois | Fish and wildlife area | 7,000 | Yes | 4,302 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Meredosia Lake | Fish and wildlife area | 690 | Yes | — | ducks, geese |
Access rules differ by site, and the quota hunt column below flags where permits are drawn.
Public areas a short drive from Cass
Closed rows in the data for Cass County include Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge, Clear Creek Wetland and Shick Shack Sand Pond.
From Hunt Illinois site fact sheets, the 2025-26 Public Hunting Areas Report and IDNR and FWS pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); acres are fact-sheet huntable acres, not polygon areas; checked November 13, 2026.
Towns, shops and contacts around Cass County
The largest places in Cass County by the 2024 Census estimate are Beardstown, Virginia and Ashland, and 5 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Beardstown | City | 5,803 |
| Virginia | City | 1,470 |
| Ashland | Village | 1,188 |
| Chandlerville | Village | 519 |
| Arenzville | Village | 358 |
We list 3 businesses in Cass County and the closest from adjoining counties after them.
IDNR people to call about Cass County
Towns and population from the Census Bureau (2024); services from IDNR outfitter and CWD station lists, Hunters Feeding Illinois and Yellow Pages listings (not individually verified); biologist from the IDNR district biologist page; checked November 13, 2026.
Where Cass County hunters confirm a rifle or slug zero
Cass County has 1 range on file, Jim Edgar Panther Creek (IDNR site) among them on IDNR ground.
Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Range is the rifle range nearest Cass County, 20 miles away; check its access line first.
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Clock times for Cass County hunters
Teal run from sunrise to sunset in September; every other waterfowl day starts a half hour before sunrise.
| When | Event | First sun | Last sun | Deer legal | Duck legal | Turkey legal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Bow season opens | 6:56 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 7:05 a.m. | 6:31 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 6:31 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:36 a.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:51 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:12 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:19 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:29 a.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 8:05 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula on Central Time; checked November 13, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Load the truck for Cass County
Picked for cornfields, creek bottoms and river backwaters; nothing loads until you tap.
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Chest waders
Illinois River backwaters and flooded corn run knee to waist deep in Illinois.
Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Orange sunset over Horseshoe Lake with the St. Louis skyline beyondPhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Snow on the bank of the Ohio River at Locks and Dam 53 near Grand ChainPhoto: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Plain answers about Cass County
Is Cass County hard to draw a deer permit for?
The county ranks 48th of 99 for leftover permits (813 firearm permits), so it is easier than the typical county to find a permit after the lotteries.
How many hunting businesses are in Cass County?
Our directory lists 3 within the county and more nearby.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in Cass County?
Only with archery equipment, since no late-winter hunt is listed.
Is Cass on the CWD confirmed county list?
It is not. The confirmed list names 28 other counties.
What is the biggest public hunting area in Cass County?
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, about 16,400 acres of fish and wildlife area.
How many turkey segments does Cass County get?
Five regular segments in the North Zone, beginning April 12, plus youth weekends.
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in Cass County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
How does the Cass County deer harvest compare with the rest of Illinois?
It is 0.8% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide, 56th among counties.
Can nonresidents hunt in Cass County?
Yes, with a nonresident license ($57.00 base price) and the permits for what they hunt; Lottery 1 is for residents only.
Is feeding deer legal in Cass County?
Not at any time: Illinois bans feeding deer and hunting over bait, including store-bought attractants.
What days of the week can I hunt in Cass County?
Season dates are published as calendar ranges; the Digest states no weekday restriction that we could find, so confirm with IDNR for Sundays.
How long is a hunter safety card good for?
Illinois hunter safety certificates are valid for life.
When does goose season start near Cass County?
Canada goose and other goose seasons follow zone calendars and run into January and, for light geese, a Conservation Order to April 30.
What time can I start deer hunting in Cass County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near Cass is 6:51 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:21 a.m. and ends 5:13 p.m..
From the 2026-27 Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), hunter orange, baiting, Sunday statement, harvest reporting, CWD rules, license fees and the county data above. Checked November 13, 2026.