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County seat: Charleston
Hunting in Coles County
Coles County rules in one place: open firearm deer, CWD not found, north turkey zone and a 1,671 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: H. Michael Miley (CC BY-SA 2.0)
About hunting in Coles County
Coles County belongs to the East Central region on IDNR public land fact sheets, a stretch of Illinois made up of the central Illinois cornbelt, the Sangamon and Embarras bottoms and Lake Shelbyville country. County business runs from Charleston; the 2024 population estimate is 46,423, 1.6% down from the 2020 base of 47,192. Its 508 square miles of land, roughly 325,294 acres, rank 52nd among Illinois counties by area.
Drive any direction and you stay in Illinois: Clark County, Cumberland County, Douglas County, Edgar County, Moultrie County and Shelby County are the adjoining counties. Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Bryan Eubanks, the district biologist for the Eubanks 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}
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Coles County
Coles County deer permits and firearm rules
IDNR lists Coles 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 Coles County. 821 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 390 either-sex and 431 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 390 | 431 | 821 |
| Muzzleloader | 74 | 53 | 127 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts Coles at number 47. Muzzleloader permits left: 74 either-sex and 53 antlerless, 127 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.
What governs deer in Coles County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 821 |
| 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.
Coles County CWD status and turkey zone
Coles County is not one of the 28 confirmed CWD counties, though neighbours may be and sampling continues statewide. The late-winter antlerless season is also open to private-land hunters in Coles County for the 2026-27 year, on the same days as Special CWD. 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 | Yes |
| 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
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area
Kickapoo State Recreation Area
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.
County harvest numbers, Coles County
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 1,671 deer for Coles: 845 male and 826 female. Only 44 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 3.3 per square mile. The county supplied 1.0% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 823 | 49% |
| Firearm | 668 | 40% |
| Muzzleloader | 14 | 1% |
| Youth | 44 | 3% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 122 | 7% |
Long-run average 1,431; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the archery category: 823 deer.
County permits produced 69 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 25.9% success rate. Early season matters: 23 birds in segment one, 7 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.
The Coles hunting year row by row
Coles 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 | |
| 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 | 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.
Where the public hunting ground lies in Coles County
Public hunting in Coles County means 2 listed sites, a combined 1,458 acres by the fact sheet figures. The largest is Fox Ridge State Park, a state park of 1,082 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul C. Burrus | Habitat area | 376 | Yes | 100 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, rabbit |
| Fox Ridge | State park | 1,082 | Yes | 461 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
Access rules differ by site, and the quota hunt column below flags where permits are drawn.
Close public sites beyond the county line
Closed rows in the data for Coles County include Lincoln Log Cabin, Moore Home and Lincoln's Log Cabin.
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.
Coles County towns and services
The largest places in Coles County by the 2024 Census estimate are Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland, and 8 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | City | 17,361 |
| Mattoon | City | 16,602 |
| Oakland | City | 720 |
| Ashmore | Village | 627 |
| Humboldt | Village | 356 |
| Lerna | Village | 218 |
| Janesville | Cdp | — |
| Trilla | Cdp | — |
We list 13 businesses in Coles County and the closest from adjoining counties after them.
Agency contacts
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.
Coles County: club benches and clay fields
Coles County has 3 ranges on file, Fox Ridge (IDNR site) among them on IDNR ground.
X Ring Custom LLC Shooting Range is the rifle range nearest Coles County, 17 miles away; check its access line first.
Dates in this county
| Day and event | Discipline | Enter |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 12-13, 2027 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
| Mar 26-27, 2027 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
| Mar 26-27, 2027 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Coles County sunrise and legal hours
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 | 6:48 a.m. | 6:37 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 6:56 a.m. | 6:23 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. | 6:26 a.m. to 6:23 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:27 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:42 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:12 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:03 a.m. | 4:29 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 4:29 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:09 a.m. | 4:32 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 5:02 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Late-winter days | 7:13 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:22 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. | 5:52 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. | 5:52 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 Coles 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.
Sunset over the Mississippi River at Buffalo, Iowa, across from Rock Island CountyPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Sunset over the Mississippi River with the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch and the Eads BridgePhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Orange sunset over Horseshoe Lake with the St. Louis skyline beyondPhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Common Coles hunting questions
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in Coles County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
How does the Coles County deer harvest compare with the rest of Illinois?
It is 1.0% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide, 45th among counties.
Are there discounts on a Coles hunting license?
Seniors 65 to 74 pay $6.00 and those 75 or older $1.00; veterans $6.00.
Can I use a mineral lick for deer in Coles County?
Store-bought deer baits and attractants are illegal at any time in Illinois except for licensed captive cervid owners.
What days of the week can I hunt in Coles 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 Coles 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 Coles County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near Coles is 6:42 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:12 a.m. and ends 5:06 p.m..
Is Coles County hard to draw a deer permit for?
The county ranks 47th of 99 for leftover permits (821 firearm permits), so it is easier than the typical county to find a permit after the lotteries.
Is there a gun shop in Coles County?
10 sporting goods or gun listings appear for Coles County.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in Coles County?
Yes, through the late-winter or Special CWD hunts in late December and January.
Is Coles on the CWD confirmed county list?
It is not. The confirmed list names 28 other counties.
Do I need a permit to hunt public land in Coles County?
Some sites use the quota lottery or require site permits; 2 of the 2 listed sites carry a quota hunt flag.
What time does turkey hunting stop in Coles County?
At 1 p.m. each day in spring; shooting starts one-half hour before sunrise.
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.