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County seat: Geneva
Hunting in Kane County
Kane County rules in one place: west of route 47 firearm deer, CWD confirmed, north turkey zone and a 428 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Start here for Kane County
Kane County belongs to the Northeast region on IDNR public land fact sheets, a stretch of Illinois made up of the Chicago region, the Kankakee River country and the Fox and Des Plaines valleys. We borrowed the region from the surrounding counties, since Kane is on none of the IDNR lists. County business runs from Geneva; the 2024 population estimate is 520,997, 0.8% up from the 2020 base of 516,722.
Its 519 square miles of land, roughly 332,334 acres, rank 50th among Illinois counties by area. Drive any direction and you stay in Illinois: Cook County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, Kendall County and McHenry County are the adjoining counties. Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Stefanie Fitzsimons, the district biologist for the Fitzsimons 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}
Kane County deer permits and firearm rules
Kane County is split by State Route 47: firearm deer hunting is open only west of the route, and the east side is archery only. Eastern Kane County offers bowhunters an unbroken run from October 1 to January 17. 477 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 290 either-sex and 187 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 290 | 187 | 477 |
| Muzzleloader | 123 | 74 | 197 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts Kane at number 63. Muzzleloader permits left: 123 either-sex and 74 antlerless, 197 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 Kane County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | West of Route 47 |
| Archery deer | One run |
| Check station | Required |
| Leftover permits | 477 |
| 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.
Kane County CWD status and turkey zone
CWD is confirmed in Kane County, a status shared by 27 other counties. Through June 2026 the count of positives for the county stood at 122; sampling that year covered 164 adult deer, of which 16 were positive. A firearm check station is required for deer taken in Kane County, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. IDNR names no site for the county. IDNR runs two Special CWD weekends in Kane County, the second a short one that ends January 17.
| Flag | Status |
|---|---|
| Confirmed CWD | Yes |
| Special CWD season | Yes |
| Late-winter antlerless | No |
| Firearm check station | Required |
| Spring turkey zone | North |
| Restricted Archery Zone | No |
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.
| 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
Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve, North Operations Shop
IDNR Region 2 Office / James Pate Phillips State Park
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, Kane County
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 428 deer for Kane: 260 male and 168 female. Only 93 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 0.8 per square mile. The county supplied 0.2% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 366 | 86% |
| Firearm | 38 | 9% |
| Muzzleloader | 0 | 0% |
| Youth | 18 | 4% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 6 | 1% |
Long-run average 369; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the archery category: 366 deer.
County permits produced 2 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 4.0% success rate. Early season matters: 0 birds in segment one, 0 in the youth hunt. Special CWD days added 6 deer to the 2025-26 county total.
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 Kane from September to May
Kane 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 | Cook, DuPage, Lake, east Kane | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| 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 | Special CWD | CWD permit | CWD 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.
Kane IDNR and federal hunting areas
We found no huntable public site in Kane County in the IDNR data, only sites in nearby counties.
Public areas a short drive from Kane
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.
Kane County towns and services
The largest places in Kane County by the 2024 Census estimate are Aurora, Elgin and Carpentersville, and 23 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | City | 180,710 |
| Elgin | City | 114,701 |
| Carpentersville | Village | 37,144 |
| St. Charles | City | 33,482 |
| Batavia | City | 26,555 |
| South Elgin | Village | 24,921 |
| Geneva | City | 21,168 |
| North Aurora | Village | 19,329 |
| Pingree Grove | Village | 11,512 |
| Campton Hills | Village | 10,894 |
| Sugar Grove | Village | 9,339 |
| Gilberts | Village | 9,075 |
We list 16 businesses in Kane 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.
Coming up in Kane County
As of November 13, 2026 this county has 3 dates ahead, namely NWTF banquet and sportsmen’s show. The chapter fundraisers come to 1.
| On | Listing | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2026 | Kane County Sportsman’s Show listing type sportsmen’s show | Lake County Sportsman’s Show, 525 S Randall Rd | Show page | Source |
| Jan 10, 2027 | Kane County Sportsman’s Show listing type sportsmen’s show | Lake County Sportsman’s Show, 525 S Randall Rd | Show page | Source |
| May 8, 2027 | Kane County Gobblers Hunting Heritage Event NWTF Banquet listing type NWTF banquet | 7N761 Corron Rd | Event page | Source |
Kane County: club benches and clay fields
Kane County has 5 ranges on file.
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Kane 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 | 6:49 a.m. | 6:37 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 6:59 a.m. | 6:22 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:33 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 6:03 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:49 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | 6:19 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:11 a.m. | 4:23 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 4:23 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:18 a.m. | 4:25 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:25 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Late-winter days | 7:21 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:31 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:20 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 5:50 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 5:50 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 5:50 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 Kane 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.
An eastern gray squirrel eating among green leaves in Kane CountyPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A white-tailed doe looking out from green summer leaves in Kane CountyPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A white-tailed doe standing alert in dry fall grass in Kane CountyPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Asked about Kane County
Are there discounts on a Kane 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 Kane 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 Kane 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 Kane 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 Kane County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near Kane is 6:49 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:19 a.m. and ends 5:00 p.m..
What is the archery season in eastern Kane County?
One continuous run from October 1 to January 17.
Is there a gun shop in Kane County?
12 sporting goods or gun listings appear for Kane County.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in Kane County?
Yes, through the late-winter or Special CWD hunts in late December and January.
Is Kane on the CWD confirmed county list?
It is. IDNR counts 28 confirmed counties and Kane is among them.
How much public hunting ground is in Kane County, in acres?
No listed acres inside the county; the nearest sites are in neighbouring counties.
What time does turkey hunting stop in Kane County?
At 1 p.m. each day in spring; shooting starts one-half hour before sunrise.
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in Kane County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
How does the Kane County deer harvest compare with the rest of Illinois?
It is 0.2% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide, 94th among counties.
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.