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South region
Clay County for Hunters
Plan a Clay County season around its own permit count, its CWD status, the south turkey zone, 1 IDNR sites and the shops near Louisville.
Photo: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Clay County in brief
On IDNR maps of public hunting areas the county sits in the south region, alongside the Shawnee Hills, the Ohio and Wabash river counties and the Cache and Kaskaskia bottoms. Louisville is the county seat, and the Census Bureau counted 12,821 residents here in 2024, 3.5% down from the 2020 base of 13,289. Size-wise the county places 59th of 102, with 468 square miles of land and 1 of water.
It borders Effingham County, Fayette County, Jasper County, Marion County, Richland County and Wayne County, and every neighbour keeps Illinois rules. The IDNR wildlife biologist for this county is John Bunnell of the Bunnell district, reachable at (618) 302-0252.
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}
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Clay County
Clay County deer hunting rules
The county is one of 98 where IDNR opens firearm deer seasons; the gun days are November 20 to November 22, 2026 and December 3 to December 6, 2026. Bowhunters stop for the firearm weekends, with seasons from October 1 to November 19, from November 23 to December 2 and from December 7 to January 17. Once Lottery 3 was done, Clay County held 929 either-sex firearm permits and 827 antlerless ones, 1,756 in all.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 929 | 827 | 1,756 |
| Muzzleloader | 83 | 138 | 221 |
Among the 99 counties with firearm permits, Clay places 23rd for permits left unsold. The muzzleloader side of the leftover list shows 83 either-sex and 138 antlerless permits. IDNR has not published the original county permit quotas, so only these leftover counts exist; they shrink every time someone buys one. Two antlered deer is the yearly ceiling for any hunter, counting all seasons except Special CWD, with one deer per permit.
Clay County deer checklist
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 1,756 |
| 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.
What the CWD and turkey lists say about Clay County
As of the 2026 report, Clay County sits off the confirmed list, and no Special CWD season is held in it. This county is on the 2026-27 late-winter antlerless list, shared with 30 others. For gobblers, Clay County belongs to the South Zone; the season stretches from April 5 through May 6, 2027. Youth turkey weekends, March 27 to 28 and April 3 to 4, come before the regular segments, and spring hunters must report birds by 10 p.m. the day of harvest.
| Flag | Status |
|---|---|
| Confirmed CWD | No |
| Special CWD season | No |
| Late-winter antlerless | Yes |
| Firearm check station | Not required |
| Spring turkey zone | South |
| Restricted Archery Zone | No |
| Segment | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring turkey 1 | Apr 5, 2027 | Apr 9, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 2 | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 3 | Apr 16, 2027 | Apr 21, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 4 | Apr 22, 2027 | Apr 28, 2027 |
| Spring turkey 5 | Apr 29, 2027 | May 6, 2027 |
| Youth weekends | Mar 27, 2027 | Apr 4, 2027 |
Nearest places to drop a deer head
Kaskaskia River Lock and Dam Parking Area
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area
Sampling stations are separate from the mandatory firearm check stations.
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.
Deer and turkey totals for Clay County
In the 2025-26 deer seasons the county gave up 2,752 animals, 1,366 male and 1,386 female. Per square mile of land the harvest is close to 5.9, and by total it ranks 16th of 102. Illinois hunters took 174,006 deer in all, and 1.6% of them came out of this county.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 779 | 28% |
| Firearm | 1,494 | 54% |
| Muzzleloader | 44 | 2% |
| Youth | 92 | 3% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 343 | 12% |
Measured against 2,101, the mean of the years 2016 to 2024, the latest total is above trend. Firearm accounted for the biggest share, 1,494 deer or 54% of the county total.
Spring 2026 turkey hunters in Clay County took 235 birds on county permits, a success rate of 35.4%. The opening segment gave 46 and youth hunts 62.
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.
Dated hunts for Clay from September to May
Rows marked Deer permit need a lottery win or a leftover permit; the rest need only the license, habitat stamp and any stamps for migratory birds.
| Species | Season | License | Reach | First | Last | Today? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late-Winter Antlerless | Late-winter permit | Late-winter counties | Dec 31, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| 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 | |
| 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.
Clay County state and federal hunting areas
1 IDNR or federal site lie wholly or partly inside Clay County, adding up to about 255 acres of listed huntable ground. Acreage leader: Flag Pond State Natural Area, 255 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag Pond | Natural area | 255 | Yes | 35 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel |
Always read the site fact sheet before you go, because Illinois public areas restrict centerfire rifles and may close to hunting during other uses.
Clay hunters also look here
These listed places are closed to hunting: Hanging Rock Sandstone Cliff.
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.
Businesses and agency contacts for Clay County
Base yourself in Flora and Louisville or one of 4 smaller places for gas, food and a bed.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Flora | City | 4,647 |
| Louisville | Village | 1,107 |
| Clay City | Village | 819 |
| Xenia | Village | 370 |
| Iola | Village | 96 |
| Sailor Springs | Village | 91 |
Local listings number 7; closer-by neighbours add to them below.
IDNR staff covering Clay 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.
Zeroing a slug gun in Clay County
County Line Rod & Gun Club is the closest listed range to Clay County, 11 miles from its centre.
Effingham County has the rifle-capable range closest to Clay County: Effingham County Sportsman's Club, 26 miles off.
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Clay County dawn and dusk on season dates
All of Illinois keeps Central Time, which falls back on November 1, 2026 and returns on March 14, 2027; watch the clock jump in the Clay County rows.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Deer window | Regular waterfowl | Gobbler hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Bow season opens | 6:48 a.m. | 6:39 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:39 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 6:57 a.m. | 6:25 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:27 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:41 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:02 a.m. | 4:33 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 4:33 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:08 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Late-winter days | 7:12 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 5, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:34 a.m. | 7:20 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. | 6:04 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.
Clay County gear picks
Built around prairie, farm and river country.
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Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Sunset over the Mississippi River at Buffalo, Iowa, across from Rock Island CountyPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 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)
Asked about Clay County
Does Clay County have a state fish and wildlife area?
None is listed inside the county.
When does turkey season end in Clay County?
The fifth segment closes May 6, 2027.
Where do I check in a deer taken in Clay County?
Reporting is by phone (1-866-452-4325) or online; no station visit is required in the county.
How many deer are taken in Clay County each year?
IDNR reports 2,752 deer in the 2025-26 seasons, ranking 16th of 102 counties.
Do I need a habitat stamp to hunt in Clay County?
Yes, the State Habitat Stamp costs $5.00 and is required with a hunting license, with a free version for super seniors.
What counts as bait for deer in Clay County?
Any feed, mineral or store-bought attractant placed to draw deer, and the area stays baited for 10 days afterward.
Is there a Sunday ban on hunting in Clay County?
None is stated in the Digest or IDNR pages we read, and we cannot confirm one way or the other.
Can kids hunt in Clay County?
Yes. Youth have their own deer weekend (October 10 to 12) and turkey weekends, and an apprentice license skips the course if a licensed hunter 21 or older supervises.
Does Clay County sit in a single waterfowl zone?
We cannot say: the zones are described by roads, and a county can be split by a road line.
Do hunting hours change when daylight time ends in Clay County?
Yes. Clocks fall back on November 1, 2026, so November sunrise comes earlier on the clock: 6:41 a.m. here on November 20.
Can I buy a Clay firearm permit over the counter?
Leftover permits go on sale from October 20, 2026. For Clay County the leftovers were 929 either-sex and 827 antlerless for firearm hunting.
Who do I call with a wildlife question in Clay County?
John Bunnell, the IDNR district biologist, at (618) 302-0252.
Does Clay County have a Special CWD season?
No. Special CWD seasons are held in 25 counties, and Clay is not one of them.
Can I take deer carcass parts out of Clay County?
Illinois does not publish a carcass-transport ban for Clay County in the Digest sections we read; check the current CWD rules and the state where you are heading before moving a carcass.
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.