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Illinois state fish and wildlife area
State fish and wildlife area in Alexander County, 11,690 acres, 17 seasons open.
Photo: Agathman (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County counts as a state fish and wildlife area, with IDNR in charge. The IDNR fact sheet for it is our source for the seasons and rules below; 81 fish and wildlife areas are described that way. The Hunt Illinois fact sheet lists it at 11,690 acres. County lines put it in Alexander County; IDNR files it under South. District wildlife staff for Alexander County work under the Delahunt district (Kenneth Delahunt).
What the fact sheet says about the land: Topography is flat with shallow sloughs. Horseshoe Lake is noted for its large stands of bald cypress, tupelo gum, and swamp cottonwood. This 2,400 acre body of water has a maximum depth of six feet. Active habitat management will occur throughout the year on the site. Contact on the fact sheet: Box 85, Miller City, IL 62966 Phone 618-776-5689. Facilities reported: camping, hunting and trapping.
Nearby
These are the Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County rules that go beyond the Digest, as printed on the fact sheet.
A few Digest rules that matter at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County:
| Statewide rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer clothing | 400 square inches orange |
| Ground blinds, firearm season | 400 square inches orange |
| Hunter safety card | Born on or after 1980 |
| Habitat stamp | Required to hunt |
| Baiting or feeding deer | Illegal |
| Sunday hunting | Not stated in sources |
Digest rules from the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources); orange rule at IDNR hunter orange page; baiting at IDNR baiting page; Sunday rule: IDNR Sunday page. Site rules from the record source. Checked November 13, 2026.
IDNR attaches permit or drawing conditions to Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County, quoted here.
Statewide deer permits and the lottery rounds are explained on the permit lottery page; site permits are separate and come from the managers. Lottery and leftover permits.
Quota basis from the record source; lottery rounds from the IDNR lottery page; checked November 13, 2026.
17 season lines out of 20 are available on Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County, per IDNR. Open lines by group: 5 upland and small game, 4 turkey, 3 deer, 3 waterfowl and 2 furbearers. You cannot hunt late winter antlerless, special cwd and youth firearm here.
| Species group | Season | On this site |
|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Open here |
| Deer | Firearm | Open here |
| Deer | Late Winter Antlerless | Not offered |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Open here |
| Deer | Special CWD | Not offered |
| Deer | Youth Firearm | Not offered |
| Turkey | Spring | Open here |
| Turkey | Fall Archery | Open here |
| Turkey | Fall Shotgun | Open here |
| Turkey | Youth Spring | Open here |
| Waterfowl | Ducks, Coots, & Mergansers | Open here |
| Waterfowl | Snipe & Rail | Open here |
| Waterfowl | Youth Waterfowl | Open here |
| Upland and small game | Dove | Open here |
| Upland and small game | Rabbits | Open here |
| Upland and small game | Squirrels | Open here |
| Upland and small game | Upland Birds | Open here |
| Upland and small game | Woodcock | Open here |
| Furbearers | Hunting | Open here |
| Furbearers | Trapping | Open here |
Season-by-season exceptions for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County:
Availability and exceptions from the IDNR Hunt Illinois fact sheet (record source); statewide dates in the Digest; checked November 13, 2026.
Hunters made 1,023 trips to Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County in 2025-26, per the IDNR report. Trip rank: 51st of 218. 273 animals were logged, 189 of them dove. Trips per reported animal: about 4. Deer (archery plus firearm) came to 23, which ranks 91st of 218 reported areas.
| Category | Harvest |
|---|---|
| Archery deer | 8 |
| Firearm deer | 15 |
| Spring turkey | 5 |
| Squirrel | 54 |
| Rabbit | 2 |
| Dove | 189 |
The dove share of trips was 121.
IDNR Public Hunting Areas Report 2025-26 (report PDF), row Horseshoe Lake – Alexander; ranks are counted across the 218 areas with a report. Checked November 13, 2026.
A 13 miles hop northwest brings you to Cape Bend SFWA, the next public land on this site. Pinned nearby: 2 fish and wildlife areas, 1 wildlife management area and 1 national refuge.
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Bend SFWA | Fish and wildlife area | 1,380 | Alexander | 13 miles | northwest |
| Devil's Island WMA | Wildlife mgmt area | 2,741 | Alexander | 16 miles | north |
| Cypress Creek NWR | National refuge | 16,758 | Pulaski | 16 miles | northeast |
| Bluff Lakes Federal Lands | Federal land | 516 | Union | 19 miles | north |
| Union County SFWA | Fish and wildlife area | 6,202 | Union | 22 miles | north |
| Cache River SNA | Natural area | 15,425 | Johnson | 22 miles | northeast |
Point: Hunt Illinois fact sheet "Site coordinates". Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Deer and turkey rules for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County are the rules of Alexander County, since the county is the unit in Illinois. The CWD list leaves out Alexander County this season.
| County | Deer by gun | Unsold permits | CWD finding | Spring zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander | Open | 287 | None found | South |
More on the county: Alexander County.
County rules from the Digest, IDNR CWD counties and the leftover permit list (IDNR permit page); checked November 13, 2026.
Spring turkey rows are the 2027 dates IDNR already printed, with the North Zone starting a week after the South.
| Quarry | Weapon and window | Permit needed | Applies to | Start | Stop | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | South Zone | Apr 5, 2027 | Apr 9, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 2 | Turkey permit | South Zone | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 3 | Turkey permit | South Zone | Apr 16, 2027 | Apr 21, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 4 | Turkey permit | South Zone | Apr 22, 2027 | Apr 28, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey 5 | Turkey permit | South Zone | Apr 29, 2027 | May 6, 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 | |
| Eastern cottontail and swamp 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 (snow and Ross's) | Regular season | HIP and license | North Zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 | |
| Light geese (snow and Ross's) | Regular season | HIP and license | Central Zone | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Light geese (snow and Ross's) | Regular season | HIP and license | South Zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Light geese (snow and Ross's) | Conservation Order | HIP and license | North Zone | Jan 27, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 | |
| Light geese (snow and Ross's) | 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 (sora and Virginia) | 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 (groundhog) | 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.
Close to Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County you will pass places that the records mark closed to hunting.
| Not open to hunting | Type | Miles | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Defiance | State park | 13 miles | Alexander |
| Chestnut Hills | Natural area | 16 miles | Pulaski |
| Berryville Shale Glade | Natural area | 24 miles | Union |
| Brown Barrens | Natural area | 25 miles | Union |
Closed rows are IDNR sites with no Hunt Illinois fact sheet and no hunting flag on the land-use layer; see the full closed list. Checked November 13, 2026.
Upland bird, dove and rabbit hours are not printed in a form we can read from the Digest table, so none are listed for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Deer window | Regular waterfowl | Gobbler hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Bow season opens | 6:51 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 6:21 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 6:59 a.m. | 6:29 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 6:59 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:27 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:41 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:01 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:07 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 5, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:39 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 6:09 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.
Supplies are closest in Unity, a straight-line 5 miles from Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County. Cairo, 11 miles out, is bigger: 1,523 people (2024). Within ten miles of Mound City and Unity you reach Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unity | Alexander | – | 5 miles | northeast |
| Mound City | Pulaski | 481 | 10 miles | east |
| Cairo | Alexander | 1,523 | 11 miles | southeast |
| Ullin | Pulaski | 460 | 15 miles | northeast |
| East Cape Girardeau | Alexander | 253 | 15 miles | northwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); IDNR sites from the CWD sampling list and the IDNR contact page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 13, 2026.
From Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (Alexander County), the nearest pin on the range map is Trail of Tears Lodge and Sports Resort, 20 miles away.
From the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Chosen to match the game on this page.
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Mourning dove foraging in grassPhoto: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Mourning dove on the groundPhoto: Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0)
The source describes a permit step for some or all hunting. Deer – Firearm: Requires a site-specific permit issued through the statewide lottery . Check-in, check-out and reporting of harvest is required. Lottery guide.
The record lists deer, turkey, ducks, snipe, rails, dove, rabbit, squirrel, upland birds, woodcock, furbearers and trapping. Season dates are set by the statewide Digest.
17 of the 20 lines are open on the fact sheet. Deer: archery, firearm and muzzleloader. Turkey: spring, fall archery, fall shotgun and youth spring. See the table.
It covers 11,690 acres in Alexander County. IDNR region: South.
The manager of record is IDNR. Phone 618-776-5689. Address: Box 85, Miller City, IL 62966. Official page.
Last season's report: 1,023 trips, 273 animals. It ranks 51st of 218 areas by trips.
The closest town on this site is Unity, 5 miles away. Next: Mound City (10 miles) and Cairo (11 miles). Unity hunting page.
Firearm deer hunters must wear a blaze orange or pink cap plus a garment showing 400 square inches of orange or pink. Turkey hunters are not required to wear it. Source.
The county decides the rules, and Alexander County is open to firearm deer with no confirmed chronic wasting disease finding is on the list. Leftover either-sex firearm permits after round 3: 287. Alexander County page.
We found no Sunday statement in the Digest or IDNR pages, so check with the managers. IDNR page.
The closed list has 4 entries within 25 miles, starting with Fort Defiance. Skip them when you plan.
For deer, shooting light runs half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; spring turkey closes at 1 pm; regular waterfowl stop at sunset. Site rules can be tighter. Hours for every county.
Seasons, permits and closures for Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Alexander County change during the year; posted signs and the managing agency outrank this page.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; statewide seasons from the 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest. Checked November 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).