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Dassow district
McLean County, Illinois Hunting
What a McLean 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: Ron Frazier (CC BY-SA 2.0)
McLean County at a glance
For the Hunt Illinois site list, this county counts as East Central region country: the central Illinois cornbelt, the Sangamon and Embarras bottoms and Lake Shelbyville country. Bloomington anchors a county of 172,069 people by the 2024 Census estimate, 0.5% up from the 2020 base of 171,241. The Census gazetteer measures 1,183 square miles of land and 3 of water, the 1st largest land area of the 102.
The county shares its lines only with Champaign County, DeWitt County, Ford County, Livingston County, Logan County, Piatt County, Tazewell County and Woodford County. IDNR assigns McLean County to the Dassow district, where Megan Dassow 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}
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around McLean County
Deer in McLean County: permits and gun rules
Firearm deer hunting is open in McLean County: the first season runs November 20 to November 22, 2026 and the second December 3 to December 6, 2026. Bow season closes during each firearm period, leaving three windows that end on November 19, December 2 and January 17. After Lottery 3, IDNR still had 1,758 firearm permits unsold for McLean County: 1,187 either-sex and 571 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 1,187 | 571 | 1,758 |
| Muzzleloader | 139 | 83 | 222 |
Only 21 firearm counties had more permits left over after Lottery 3. For the December muzzleloader weekend, 222 permits were unsold, 139 either-sex plus 83 antlerless. Residents had first crack in Lottery 1; whatever remained after Lottery 3 is what this table counts. Each permit tags one deer, and a hunter may not exceed two antlered deer in a year, Special CWD excepted.
Quick deer rules for McLean County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 1,758 |
| 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.
Disease rules and turkey dates for McLean County
IDNR has not confirmed CWD in McLean County; the confirmed list covers 28 other counties. IDNR did not put McLean County on either the late-winter or the Special CWD county list. Spring turkey hunters in McLean County follow the North Zone calendar, opening April 12 and closing May 13, 2027. Two youth weekends open the spring, then five segments follow, and shooting stops at 1 p.m. each day.
| Flag | Status |
|---|---|
| Confirmed CWD | No |
| Special CWD season | No |
| Late-winter antlerless | No |
| 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 |
Head drop-off near McLean County
IDNR Office (Gibson City)
North Lake Rod and…
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.
McLean County harvest history
Hunters took 1,396 deer in McLean County during 2025-26 by IDNR county figures, 766 of them male. A rank of 60th statewide goes with a density of roughly 1.2 deer harvested per square mile. Statewide the harvest was 174,006, so this county accounts for 0.8% of it.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 701 | 50% |
| Firearm | 636 | 46% |
| Muzzleloader | 17 | 1% |
| Youth | 42 | 3% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 0 | 0% |
Against an earlier average of 1,192 deer a season, the most recent total is above the pattern. Season by season the leader is archery, which produced 50% of the deer.
In the 2026 spring season the county gave up 62 turkeys, and about 24.8% of permit holders tagged out. Youth hunters accounted for 11 of those birds, and the first segment yielded 14.
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.
McLean County season calendar, 2026-27
55 season lines for 25 species reach McLean 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 | 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 | |
| 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.
Sites, acres and quota hunts in McLean County
1,837 acres across 2 public sites make up the listed hunting ground in McLean County. Moraine View State Recreation Area is the biggest, at 1,191 acres of recreation area.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saybrook Pheasant Habitat Area | Habitat area | 646 | Yes | 65 | rabbit, furbearer trapping |
| Moraine View | Recreation area | 1,191 | Yes | 905 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, pheasant |
Permit hunts are common on state fish and wildlife areas, while many state parks open only a few species.
Closest sites outside McLean limits
Not open for hunting here: Funks Grove.
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.
Towns, shops and contacts around McLean County
McLean County holds 23 Census places; Bloomington, Normal and Le Roy lead in population.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | City | 79,232 |
| Normal | Town | 53,304 |
| Le Roy | City | 3,495 |
| Heyworth | Village | 2,883 |
| Lexington | City | 2,097 |
| Hudson | Village | 1,767 |
| Chenoa | City | 1,699 |
| Gridley | Village | 1,443 |
| Downs | Village | 1,185 |
| Danvers | Village | 1,077 |
| Colfax | Village | 985 |
| McLean | Village | 736 |
16 listed hunting businesss sit inside McLean County, and the cards below add the closest ones from nearby counties.
Reach IDNR from McLean 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.
Where McLean County hunters confirm a rifle or slug zero
4 ranges in McLean County; Moraine View (IDNR site) sits on an IDNR site.
Upcoming here
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
Clock times for McLean County hunters
The Digest sets deer hours at half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, so the window around McLean 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 | 6:50 a.m. | 6:39 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 7:09 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 6:39 p.m. | Not in season |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth deer weekend | 7:00 a.m. | 6:25 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:55 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:31 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:47 a.m. | 4:36 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:08 a.m. | 4:29 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 4:29 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:15 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 4:31 p.m. | Not in season |
| Apr 12, 2027 | Spring turkey opens | 6:23 a.m. | 7:30 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 5:53 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.
McLean County gear picks
Four items that suit an Illinois year, from October bow hunts to January rabbits.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Hang-on stand
Cornfield edges give little cover, so most hunters climb into a hardwood draw.
Historic downtown blocks in BloomingtonPhoto: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
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 at Buffalo, Iowa, across from Rock Island CountyPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
McLean hunters ask
Can I hunt waterfowl in McLean 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.
How many hunting businesses are in McLean County?
Our directory lists 16 within the county and more nearby.
When can I buy leftover deer permits for McLean County?
Over the counter from October 20, 2026. Check the IDNR permit inquiry page for the live count, which began at 1,758 firearm permits for McLean County after Lottery 3.
Should McLean County hunters worry about chronic wasting disease?
It has not been confirmed in the county, but IDNR samples deer statewide and neighbouring counties may be on the confirmed list.
Do Special CWD deer count against my limit in McLean County?
The question does not arise in McLean County, which has no Special CWD season; elsewhere those deer do not count toward the antlered limit.
How many turkey segments does McLean County get?
Five regular segments in the North Zone, beginning April 12, plus youth weekends.
Do I need a permit to hunt public land in McLean County?
Some sites use the quota lottery or require site permits; 2 of the 2 listed sites carry a quota hunt flag.
How many archery deer are taken in McLean County?
701 in 2025-26, 50% of the county total.
Can I report a deer online in McLean County?
Yes, through the IDNR harvest reporting site, or by phone at 1-866-452-4325.
Is feeding deer legal in McLean County?
Not at any time: Illinois bans feeding deer and hunting over bait, including store-bought attractants.
Can nonresidents hunt in McLean County?
Yes, with a nonresident license ($57.00 base price) and the permits for what they hunt; Lottery 1 is for residents only.
Who needs hunter orange in McLean County?
Anyone hunting deer in firearm seasons in open counties, with a solid blaze orange or pink cap and an upper garment showing at least 400 square inches.
Are Sundays open for deer in McLean 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 McLean County?
One-half hour after sunset: 5:06 p.m. on opening day of firearm season, November 20, 2026.
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.