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Strahl district
Cook County, Illinois Hunting
What a Cook County hunter needs before opening day: permit status, zone flags, check station rules, sites to hunt and a county harvest record back to 2016.
Photo: Dan Previte (CC BY 2.0)
Quick facts about Cook County
For the Hunt Illinois site list, this county counts as Northeast region country: the Chicago region, the Kankakee River country and the Fox and Des Plaines valleys. Chicago anchors a county of 5,182,617 people by the 2024 Census estimate, 1.8% down from the 2020 base of 5,278,969. The Census gazetteer measures 945 square miles of land and 690 of water, the 6th largest land area of the 102.
Illinois neighbours are DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, McHenry County and Will County, and across the state line it meets Berrien County (MI), Lake County (IN) and Porter County (IN), where a different agency sets the rules. IDNR assigns Cook County to the Strahl district, where Nicky Strahl is the biologist of record.
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}
Deer in Cook County: permits and gun rules
The Digest keeps Cook County out of the firearm deer counties; bows and crossbows are the legal deer tools in the county. Archery deer is one unbroken season from October 1 to January 17 here, because no firearm periods interrupt it. There is no leftover permit number to report for Cook County, since firearm seasons are not held.
Each permit tags one deer, and a hunter may not exceed two antlered deer in a year, Special CWD excepted.
Cook County deer rules at a glance
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Closed |
| Archery deer | One run |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | None |
| Hunter orange | Not needed for gun |
| 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.
Disease rules and turkey dates for Cook County
Cook County sits on the confirmed CWD county list (28 counties in 2026), which brings extra seasons and sampling. Since 2003 the surveillance program has found 12 infected deer here; of 20 adults tested in fiscal 2026, 0 were positive. Reporting by phone or online is enough in Cook County; no station stop is needed. IDNR did not put Cook County on either the late-winter or the Special CWD county list.
| Flag | Status |
|---|---|
| Confirmed CWD | Yes |
| Special CWD season | No |
| Late-winter antlerless | No |
| Firearm check station | Not required |
| Spring turkey zone | Closed |
| Restricted Archery Zone | No |
Spring turkey hunting is closed in Cook County; IDNR lists Cook and DuPage as the only counties without a spring season.
Head drop-off near Cook County
William Powers State Recreation…
IDNR Region 2 Office / James Pate Phillips State Park
Drop-off stations take adult deer heads for CWD testing: fill out a sample submission card and leave the head.
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.
Cook County deer and turkey harvest figures
Hunters took 149 deer in Cook County during 2025-26 by IDNR county figures, 102 of them male. A rank of 101st statewide goes with a density of roughly 0.2 deer harvested per square mile. Statewide the harvest was 174,006, so this county accounts for 0.1% of it.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 149 | 100% |
| Firearm | 0 | 0% |
| Muzzleloader | 0 | 0% |
| Youth | 0 | 0% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 0 | 0% |
Against an earlier average of 143 deer a season, the most recent total is above the pattern. Season by season the leader is archery, which produced 100% of the deer.
The county does not appear with its own spring turkey harvest row. 0 deer came from the Special CWD season of 2025-26, according to the CWD report.
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.
Cook County season calendar, 2026-27
45 season lines for 25 species reach Cook County this year, and the last column checks each against today's date.
| Animal | Window | Buy | Covers | Begins | Ends | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Deer permit | Cook, DuPage, Lake, east Kane | Oct 1, 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 | |
| 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.
Cook County sites open to licensed hunters
874 acres across 2 public sites make up the listed hunting ground in Cook County. Acreage leader: William W. Powers State Recreation Area, 459 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William W. Powers | Recreation area | 459 | Yes | 360 | white-tailed deer, ducks, geese |
| James Pate Philip State Park/Heron Woods | State park | 415 | Yes | 182 | white-tailed deer |
Permit hunts are common on state fish and wildlife areas, while many state parks open only a few species.
Not open for hunting here: Dunning Read, Burnham Greenway, Hegewish Marsh, Palatine Road Marsh, Wolf Road Prairie and Hofmann Tower and 2 more.
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.
Supplies, meat processing and contacts for Cook County
Cook County holds 119 Census places; Chicago, Cicero and Schaumburg lead in population.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | City | 2,721,308 |
| Cicero | Town | 82,090 |
| Schaumburg | Village | 77,099 |
| Evanston | City | 76,006 |
| Arlington Heights | Village | 75,596 |
| Palatine | Village | 65,951 |
| Skokie | Village | 65,850 |
| Des Plaines | City | 58,832 |
| Orland Park | Village | 58,020 |
| Oak Lawn | Village | 56,531 |
| Mount Prospect | Village | 55,460 |
| Berwyn | City | 55,152 |
16 listed hunting businesss sit inside Cook County, and the cards below add the closest ones from nearby counties.
Biologist and headquarters
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.
Cook County listings by date
1 date ahead, starting Dec 10, 2026 with Windy City Bingo & Christmas Party. Of the total, 1 asks for a ticket from the hosting group.
| Starts | Name | Site | Go | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2026 | Windy City Bingo & Christmas Party kind: DU gun bingo | The Moose-River Park Lodge 2578, 8601 W. Fullerton Ave River Grove | Tickets | Source |
Cook County ranges: gun clubs, clays and bow lanes
Cook County has 14 ranges on file.
| Facility | Location | Built for | Open to |
|---|---|---|---|
North Side Archery Club – Halsted HQ (Indoor) archery range | Chicago | archery | Access not stated |
| Sporting Arms and Supply indoor range | Blue Island | rifle, handgun, rimfire | Access not stated |
| Wanderlust Archers indoor range | Palatine | archery | Access not stated |
Arlington Heights Rifle and Pistol Club gun club | Park Ridge | rifle, handgun | Members only |
| Eagle Sports Range outdoor range | Oak Forest | – | Access not stated |
| Pelcher Outdoors outdoor range | Lansing | – | Access not stated |
| Prairie State Gun Club gun club | Chicago | handgun, rifle | Members only |
Range USA Hodgkins 63rd. St. indoor range | Hodgkins | – | Access not stated |
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Cook County hunting hours by date
The Digest sets deer hours at half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, so the window around Cook County below comes from the NOAA solar formula for this spot.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Antlered or not | Blind hours | Spring hunt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Bow season opens | 6:46 a.m. | 6:34 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 7:04 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 6:34 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:29 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:15 a.m. | 4:22 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:22 p.m. | Not in season |
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.
Cook County gear picks
Four items that suit an Illinois year, from October bow hunts to January rabbits.
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Hang-on stand
Cornfield edges give little cover, so most hunters climb into a hardwood draw.
A mourning dove resting on a green rail in the morning in Cook CountyPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A small waterfall in winter in Sagawau Canyon in Cook CountyPhoto: Curtis Abert (CC BY 2.0)
A wood duck hen with her ducklings in Cook CountyPhoto: Shanthanu Bhardwaj (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Cook hunters ask
Can I report a deer online in Cook County?
Yes, through the IDNR harvest reporting site, or by phone at 1-866-452-4325.
How long after removing bait can I hunt in Cook County?
An area is considered baited for 10 consecutive days after the bait is gone.
What license do I need to hunt in Cook County?
A hunting license (resident $12.00 base price), the State Habitat Stamp ($5.00), the right permits, and waterfowl stamps if you hunt ducks or geese.
Who needs hunter orange in Cook County?
Blaze orange is required in firearm deer seasons in open counties; the gun seasons are closed in this county but other hunts have their own rules.
Are Sundays open for deer in Cook County?
Season dates are listed as date ranges; the Digest does not say anything we could read about Sunday restrictions.
When does legal deer shooting light end in Cook County?
One-half hour after sunset: 7:04 p.m. on October 1, 2026.
Can I hunt waterfowl in Cook County?
Yes, with the hunting license, habitat stamp, state and federal waterfowl stamps, and attention to site rules; public waterfowl sites are drawn by lottery.
Are there taxidermists in Cook County?
6 taxidermists listed inside the county.
Can I use a muzzleloader in Cook County?
Not for deer: the muzzleloader season is limited to firearm counties and Cook County is closed to firearm deer hunting.
Should Cook County hunters worry about chronic wasting disease?
CWD is confirmed here, so follow the Special CWD and sampling rules and consider dropping a head at a sampling site.
Do Special CWD deer count against my limit in Cook County?
The question does not arise in Cook County, which has no Special CWD season; elsewhere those deer do not count toward the antlered limit.
Is any turkey hunting offered in Cook County?
Only fall archery turkey hunting; the spring seasons are closed here.
Is there a state fish and wildlife area in Cook County?
None is listed inside the county; the sites above are other kinds of public land.
How many archery deer are taken in Cook County?
149 in 2025-26, 100% of the county total.
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.