Home › Illinois › Counties › St. Clair County
County seat: Belleville
Hunting in St. Clair County
St. Clair County rules in one place: open firearm deer, CWD not found, south turkey zone and a 1,928 deer harvest to measure against.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
About hunting in St. Clair County
St. Clair 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 Belleville; the 2024 population estimate is 251,149, 2.5% down from the 2020 base of 257,631. Its 658 square miles of land, roughly 420,959 acres, rank 28th among Illinois counties by area.
Border counties are Clinton County, Madison County, Monroe County, Randolph County and Washington County; the state boundary brings in St. Louis County (MO) and St. Louis County (MO). Questions about habitat or local deer numbers go to Eric Canania, the district biologist for the Canania 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 St. Clair County
St. Clair County firearm status and leftover permits
IDNR lists St. Clair 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 St. Clair County. 26 firearm permits remained here after the final lottery round, made up of 26 either-sex and 0 antlerless.
| Permit type | Either-sex left | Antlerless left | Total left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm | 26 | 0 | 26 |
| Muzzleloader | 2 | 24 | 26 |
Counted against the other 98 firearm counties, the leftover total puts St. Clair at number 96. Muzzleloader permits left: 2 either-sex and 24 antlerless, 26 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 St. Clair County
| Rule | In this county |
|---|---|
| Firearm deer | Open |
| Archery deer | Split season |
| Check station | Not required |
| Leftover permits | 26 |
| 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.
St. Clair County CWD status and turkey zone
St. Clair County is not one of the 28 confirmed CWD counties, though neighbours may be and sampling continues statewide. The January antlerless weekends skip this county. 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 | No |
| 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
IDNR Office (Gibson City)
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.
St. Clair County harvest records
The county deer harvest report for 2025-26 lists 1,928 deer for St. Clair: 1,177 male and 751 female. Only 35 counties reported more deer, and the density works out near 2.9 per square mile. The county supplied 1.1% of the 174,006 deer taken statewide that year.
| Season | Deer taken | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | 912 | 47% |
| Firearm | 913 | 47% |
| Muzzleloader | 34 | 2% |
| Youth | 69 | 4% |
| Late-winter and Special CWD | 0 | 0% |
Long-run average 1,528; this year the harvest ran above that mark. The largest slice of the harvest came in the firearm category: 913 deer.
County permits produced 137 spring turkeys in 2026 at a 23.1% success rate. Early season matters: 36 birds in segment one, 49 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.
The St. Clair hunting year row by row
St. Clair 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 | |
| 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.
Public ground for St. Clair County hunters
Public hunting in St. Clair County means 5 listed sites, a combined 16,162 acres by the fact sheet figures. The largest is Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area, a fish and wildlife area of 14,000 acres.
| Site | Kind | Acres | Quota hunt | Trips 2025-26 | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaskaskia River | Fish and wildlife area | 14,000 | No | 35 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ducks |
| Peabody River King | Fish and wildlife area | 1,000 | No | 953 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, geese |
| Frank Holten | State park | 300 | No | 72 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey, furbearer trapping |
| Zoeller | Natural area | 160 | Yes | 145,746 | white-tailed deer, wild turkey |
| 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.
St. Clair hunters also look here
Closed rows in the data for St. Clair County include Marissa Woods , Jackson Slough Woods, Julius J. Knobeloch Woods, Wagon Lake, Alorton Heron Rookery and Emerald Mound.
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.
St. Clair County local services
The largest places in St. Clair County by the 2024 Census estimate are Belleville, O'Fallon and East St. Louis, and 31 incorporated or census-designated places lie inside the county.
| Town | Kind | People 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Belleville | City | 40,560 |
| O'Fallon | City | 32,169 |
| East St. Louis | City | 17,808 |
| Cahokia Heights | City | 17,052 |
| Fairview Heights | City | 16,115 |
| Shiloh | Village | 14,754 |
| Swansea | Village | 14,445 |
| Mascoutah | City | 9,118 |
| Lebanon | City | 4,628 |
| Freeburg | Village | 4,518 |
| Caseyville | Village | 4,395 |
| Millstadt | Village | 3,957 |
We list 16 businesses in St. Clair 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.
Where St. Clair County hunters confirm a rifle or slug zero
St. Clair County has 4 ranges on file.
Dates in this county
| Day and event | Discipline | Enter |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 2026 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
| Dec 12, 2026 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
| Jan 9, 2027 | NASP tournament | Calendar |
| Jan 30-31, 2027 | Gun show | Calendar |
| Oct 23-24, 2027 | Gun show | Calendar |
Ranges from the IDNR archery and hand-trap page, the Sparta complex pages, club sites and directory listings, checked November 13, 2026.
St. Clair 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 | 6:54 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 | 7:02 a.m. | 6:31 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 7:01 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 6:31 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pheasant and quail | 6:32 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:02 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | Not in season |
| Nov 20, 2026 | Shotgun deer opens | 6:46 a.m. | 4:45 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 6:16 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Muzzleloader weekend | 7:07 a.m. | 4:39 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:37 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | Not in season |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Year's shortest day | 7:13 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:42 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 St. Clair 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.
Sunset over the Mississippi River with the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch and the Eads BridgePhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Orange sunset over Horseshoe Lake with the St. Louis skyline beyondPhoto: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0)
Sunset over the Mississippi River at Buffalo, Iowa, across from Rock Island CountyPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Common St. Clair hunting questions
Can nonresidents hunt in St. Clair County?
Yes, with a nonresident license ($57.00 base price) and the permits for what they hunt; Lottery 1 is for residents only.
Are food plots allowed for deer hunting in St. Clair County?
Planted agricultural crops and normal food plots are not bait under the Digest wording we read, but dumping feed or minerals is.
Are Sundays open for deer in St. Clair County?
Season dates are listed as date ranges; the Digest does not say anything we could read about Sunday restrictions.
How long is a hunter safety card good for?
Illinois hunter safety certificates are valid for life.
Can I hunt waterfowl in St. Clair 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.
What time can I start deer hunting in St. Clair County?
One-half hour before sunrise. On November 20, 2026 sunrise near St. Clair is 6:46 a.m., so legal shooting light starts 6:16 a.m. and ends 5:15 p.m..
Is St. Clair County hard to draw a deer permit for?
The county ranks 96th of 99 for leftover permits (26 firearm permits), so it is harder than the typical county to find a permit after the lotteries.
Can I hire a hunting guide in St. Clair County?
1 IDNR licensed outfitter or guide listing for the county.
Can I hunt antlerless deer after the gun seasons in St. Clair County?
Only with archery equipment, since no late-winter hunt is listed.
Is St. Clair on the CWD confirmed county list?
It is not. The confirmed list names 28 other counties.
How many acres of public hunting land are in St. Clair County?
The listed sites total about 16,162 acres by Hunt Illinois fact sheet figures.
Which spring turkey zone is St. Clair County in?
The South Zone, with five segments from April 5 to May 6, 2027.
When is the deadline to report a deer or turkey in St. Clair County?
Deer must be reported by 10 p.m. the day of harvest, and spring turkeys also by 10 p.m.
Is St. Clair County a good deer county?
The county ranks 36th of 102 for total deer harvest (1,928) and 54th for deer per square mile.
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.