Home › Illinois › Counties › Madison County
County seat: Edwardsville
Hunting in Madison County
Madison County rules in one place: open firearm deer, CWD not found, south turkey zone and a 2,051 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: Preston Keres (U.S. Department of Agriculture) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting oriented in Madison County
Madison County belongs to the West Central region on IDNR public land fact sheets, a stretch of Illinois made up of the Illinois and Mississippi river bottoms, the Pike County hills and the Metro East. County business runs from Edwardsville; the 2024 population estimate is 263,017, 1.1% down from the 2020 base of 265,972. Its 716 square miles of land, roughly 457,932 acres, rank 22nd among Illinois counties by area.
The county touches Bond County, Clinton County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, Montgomery County and St. Clair County and, over the state line, St. Charles County (MO), St. Louis County (MO) and St. Louis County (MO); licenses bought elsewhere do not carry over. Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Ben Funk, the district biologist for the Funk 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 Madison County
Madison County deer permits and firearm rules
IDNR lists Madison 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 Madison County. 738 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 346 either-sex and 392 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 346 | 392 | 738 |
| Muzzleloader | 51 | 63 | 114 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts Madison at number 51. Muzzleloader permits left: 51 either-sex and 63 antlerless, 114 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.
Rule checklist for Madison County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 738 |
| 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.
Madison County CWD status and turkey zone
Madison 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 Madison 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
Jubilee College 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.
Madison County harvest records
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 2,051 deer for Madison: 1,166 male and 885 female. Only 31 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 2.9 per square mile. The county supplied 1.2% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 1,115 | 54% |
| Firearm | 764 | 37% |
| Muzzleloader | 8 | 0% |
| Youth | 51 | 2% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 113 | 6% |
Long-run average 1,778; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the archery category: 1,115 deer.
County permits produced 254 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 24.5% success rate. Early season matters: 77 birds in segment one, 44 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 Madison County
Madison 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.
Madison County public sites and acres
Public hunting in Madison County means 4 listed sites, a combined 5,121 acres by the fact sheet figures. The largest is Horseshoe Lake State Park Gabaret, Mosenthein & Chouteau Islands, a state park of 2,329 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Lake State Park Gabaret, Mosenthein & Chouteau Islands | State park | 2,329 | No | — | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County) | State park | 2,000 | Yes | 3,722 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Bohm Woods | Nature preserve | 90 | Yes | 47 | white-tailed deer |
| Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site | State historic site | 702 | No | 149 | white-tailed deer |
Access rules differ by site, and the quota hunt column below flags where permits are drawn.
More public acres within reach of Madison
Closed rows in the data for Madison County include Stiritz Landing, Governor Coles State Memorial and Lewis and Clark.
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.
Madison County local services
The largest places in Madison County by the 2024 Census estimate are Granite City, Edwardsville and Alton, and 32 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Granite City | City | 26,854 |
| Edwardsville | City | 26,715 |
| Alton | City | 24,967 |
| Collinsville | City | 23,766 |
| Godfrey | Village | 17,610 |
| Glen Carbon | Village | 13,883 |
| Troy | City | 11,810 |
| Wood River | City | 10,251 |
| Highland | City | 10,028 |
| Bethalto | Village | 9,183 |
| Maryville | Village | 8,352 |
| Pontoon Beach | Village | 5,845 |
We list 16 businesses in Madison County and the closest from adjoining counties after them.
Wildlife staff for Madison 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.
Coming up in Madison County
As of November 13, 2026 this county has 8 dates ahead, namely IDNR hunter education class.
| On | Listing | Venue and county | Button | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2026 | IDNR Hunter Education class, Edwardsville listing type IDNR hunter education class | Edwardsville Gun Club, 4104 Staunton Road | Schedule page | Source |
| Jan 30, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, East Alton listing type IDNR hunter education class | Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd East Alton | Schedule page | Source |
| Apr 17, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, East Alton listing type IDNR hunter education class | Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd East Alton | Schedule page | Source |
| Jun 21, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, Edwardsville listing type IDNR hunter education class | Edwardsville Gun Club, 4104 Staunton Road | Schedule page | Source |
| Oct 11, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, Edwardsville listing type IDNR hunter education class | Edwardsville Gun Club, 4104 Staunton Road | Schedule page | Source |
| Oct 23, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, East Alton listing type IDNR hunter education class | Piasa Armory, 625 Lewis and Clark Blvd East Alton | Schedule page | Source |
| Nov 11, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, Edwardsville listing type IDNR hunter education class | Edwardsville Gun Club, 4104 Staunton Road | Schedule page | Source |
| Dec 28, 2027 | IDNR Hunter Education class, Edwardsville listing type IDNR hunter education class | Edwardsville Gun Club, 4104 Staunton Road | Schedule page | Source |
Madison County: club benches and clay fields
Madison County has 7 ranges on file.
| Where to shoot | Town | Guns or bows | Gate rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piasa Armory outdoor range | East Alton | – | 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.
Legal hours near Madison County
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 | 6:54 a.m. | 6:44 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 7:03 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:32 a.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:47 a.m. | 4:44 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:08 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:14 a.m. | 4:41 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 4:41 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Late-winter days | 7:18 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 5, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:40 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. | 6:10 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 Madison 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.
A towboat pushing barges up the Mississippi River below the Clark Bridge at AltonPhoto: Preston Keres (U.S. Department of Agriculture) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
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)
Sunset over the Mississippi River with the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch and the Eads BridgePhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Plain answers about Madison County
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in Madison County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
How does the Madison County deer harvest compare with the rest of Illinois?
It is 1.2% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide, 32nd among counties.
How much is a hunting license for Madison County?
The Digest base price for a resident hunting license is $12.00 and nonresident $57.00, before vendor fees.
Are food plots allowed for deer hunting in Madison County?
Planted agricultural crops and normal food plots are not bait under the Digest wording we read, but dumping feed or minerals is.
What days of the week can I hunt in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near Madison is 6:47 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:17 a.m. and ends 5:14 p.m..
Is Madison County hard to draw a deer permit for?
The county ranks 51st of 99 for leftover permits (738 firearm permits), so it is harder than the typical county to find a permit after the lotteries.
Can I hire a hunting guide in Madison County?
No licensed outfitter is listed inside Madison County; guides licensed in neighbouring counties may serve it.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in Madison County?
Yes, through the late-winter or Special CWD hunts in late December and January.
Is Madison 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 Madison County?
Some sites use the quota lottery or require site permits; 2 of the 4 listed sites carry a quota hunt flag.
Which spring turkey zone is Madison County in?
The South Zone, with five segments from April 5 to May 6, 2027.
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.