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County seat: McLeansboro
Hunting in Hamilton County
Hamilton County rules in one place: open firearm deer, CWD not found, south turkey zone and a 2,671 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: TheCatalyst31 (CC0 1.0)
Know Hamilton County before you go
Hamilton County belongs to the South region on IDNR public land fact sheets, a stretch of Illinois made up of the Shawnee Hills, the Ohio and Wabash river counties and the Cache and Kaskaskia bottoms. County business runs from McLeansboro; the 2024 population estimate is 7,818, 2.1% down from the 2020 base of 7,989. Its 435 square miles of land, roughly 278,174 acres, rank 66th among Illinois counties by area.
Drive any direction and you stay in Illinois: Franklin County, Gallatin County, Jefferson County, Saline County, Wayne County and White County are the adjoining counties. Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Cody Langan, the district biologist for the Langan 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 Hamilton County
Hamilton County deer permits and firearm rules
IDNR lists Hamilton 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 Hamilton County. 435 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 152 either-sex and 283 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 152 | 283 | 435 |
| Muzzleloader | 54 | 25 | 79 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts Hamilton at number 64. Muzzleloader permits left: 54 either-sex and 25 antlerless, 79 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.
Hamilton County deer checklist
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 435 |
| 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.
Hamilton County CWD status and turkey zone
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County for the 2026-27 year, on the same days as Special CWD. The county is in the South Zone for spring turkey, where the five segments run from April 5 to May 6, 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 | 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 |
Closest CWD sampling sites
Kaskaskia River Lock and Dam Parking Area
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural 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.
Deer and turkey totals for Hamilton County
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 2,671 deer for Hamilton: 1,381 male and 1,290 female. Only 17 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 6.1 per square mile. The county supplied 1.5% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 1,026 | 38% |
| Firearm | 1,239 | 46% |
| Muzzleloader | 33 | 1% |
| Youth | 54 | 2% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 319 | 12% |
Long-run average 2,207; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the firearm category: 1,239 deer.
County permits produced 285 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 46.6% success rate. Early season matters: 73 birds in segment one, 35 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 Hamilton County
Hamilton 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 | 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.
Where the public hunting ground lies in Hamilton County
Public hunting in Hamilton County means 2 listed sites, a combined 6,525 acres by the fact sheet figures. The largest is Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, a fish and wildlife area of 4,995 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Mile Creek | Fish and wildlife area | 4,995 | Yes | 1,934 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Hamilton County | Fish and wildlife area | 1,530 | Yes | 899 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, mourning dove |
Access rules differ by site, and the quota hunt column below flags where permits are drawn.
Close public sites beyond the county line
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 Hamilton County
The largest places in Hamilton County by the 2024 Census estimate are McLeansboro, Dahlgren and Broughton, and 5 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| McLeansboro | City | 2,593 |
| Dahlgren | Village | 493 |
| Broughton | Village | 179 |
| Belle Prairie City | Town | 46 |
| Macedonia | Village | 29 |
We list 7 businesses in Hamilton County and the closest from adjoining counties after them.
IDNR staff covering Hamilton 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 Hamilton County
Hamilton County has 2 ranges on file, Hamilton County (IDNR site) among them on IDNR ground.
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Hamilton County dawn and dusk on season dates
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. | 6:39 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 | 6:26 a.m. | 4:50 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 5:56 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:40 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:00 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:06 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Late-winter days | 7:10 a.m. | 4:43 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:40 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 5, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:35 a.m. | 7:20 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. | 6:05 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 Hamilton 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.
The Hamilton County Courthouse in McLeansboroPhoto: TheCatalyst31 (CC0 1.0)
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)
Plain answers about Hamilton County
What days of the week can I hunt in Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near Hamilton is 6:40 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:10 a.m. and ends 5:10 p.m..
Is Hamilton County hard to draw a deer permit for?
The county ranks 64th of 99 for leftover permits (435 firearm permits), so it is harder than the typical county to find a permit after the lotteries.
Who do I call with a wildlife question in Hamilton County?
Cody Langan, the IDNR district biologist, at (618) 694-6025.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in Hamilton County?
Yes, through the late-winter or Special CWD hunts in late December and January.
Is Hamilton on the CWD confirmed county list?
It is not. The confirmed list names 28 other counties.
How much public hunting ground is in Hamilton County, in acres?
Roughly 6,525 listed acres across 2 sites, by Hunt Illinois fact sheet figures.
When does turkey season end in Hamilton County?
The fifth segment closes May 6, 2027.
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in Hamilton County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
How does the Hamilton County deer harvest compare with the rest of Illinois?
It is 1.5% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide, 18th among counties.
Do I need a habitat stamp to hunt in Hamilton 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 Hamilton County?
Any feed, mineral or store-bought attractant placed to draw deer, and the area stays baited for 10 days afterward.
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.