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Illinois hunting guides, outfitters and preserves, county by county
A statewide roll of 234 outfitters and preserves, from the Wisconsin line to the Ohio River, pinned on the map wherever the source had coordinates.
Photo: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain)
Browse the Illinois outfitters and preserves
Northwest region: 37
Fulton County (11)
Northeast region: 19
Kane County (4)
McHenry County (5)
East Central region: 24
Clark County (4)
McLean County (5)
West Central region: 105
Adams County (12)
Bond County (4)
Brown County (7)
Calhoun County (9)
Greene County (4)
Macoupin County (5)
Morgan County (8)
Pike County (26)
Sangamon County (6)
South region: 49
Franklin County (8)
Hamilton County (4)
Perry County (4)
Union County (4)
White County (6)
165 deer and turkey outfitters come from the IDNR deer and turkey outfitter list and 26 waterfowl outfitters from the IDNR waterfowl outfitter list, both dated November 5, 2026; 35 preserves are on the IDNR licensed hunting preserves list. The remaining 8 are Yellow Pages guide and preserve listings not checked against the IDNR lists. Outfitter addresses on the IDNR lists are often mailing addresses, so a pin may sit at an office rather than the hunting ground. Checked November 13, 2026.
Illinois outfitters and preserves statewide
Each dot below is one of 179 outfitters and preserves with a usable street address. Add 55 unpinned names that appear only below.
Booking an Illinois hunt: what to check
Outfitter license fee
The IDNR fee table lists a resident outfitter license at $500.00 and a nonresident one at $2500.00; the Digest prints neither.
IDNR lists name them
165 deer and turkey outfitters and 26 waterfowl outfitters appear on IDNR lists dated November 5, 2026, each licensed for named counties and valid to June 30, 2027.
Preserve hunting
35 licensed hunting preserves are listed; a nonresident hunting preserve license costs $12.50 in the IDNR table, and hen pheasants are legal only on controlled hunting areas.
Landowner permission
It is unlawful to take or attempt to take wildlife, or let a dog hunt, on land or waters of another, or knowingly shoot a gun or bow at wildlife on or flying over another person's property, without permission from the owner or the owner's designee (written authorization with notarized signature). Purple paint on trees or posts marks no-trespassing land. Illinois law does not grant a right of trespass to retrieve wounded wildlife.
Distance from dwellings
No hunting or letting a dog hunt within 300 yards of an inhabited dwelling without the owner or tenant's permission; the restriction is 100 yards when trapping, bowhunting, hunting with a shotgun using shotshells only, on licensed hunting preserves, on federally owned and managed lands, and on IDNR-owned, managed, leased or controlled lands.
Controlled pheasant sites
IDNR runs a controlled pheasant hunting program on selected sites with its own reservation and permit steps; the programs page of this guide lists the sites that take part.
Sources: IDNR outfitter rules; IDNR deer and turkey outfitter list; IDNR licensed preserves list; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 10; IDNR page. Checked: numbers verified on November 13, 2026.
Illinois outfitters and preserves FAQ
What does an Illinois outfitter license cost?
$500.00 for a resident and $2500.00 for a nonresident in the IDNR fee table; the Digest does not print the fee.
How can I confirm an outfitter holds an IDNR license?
Match the business to the IDNR lists: 165 deer and turkey outfitters and 26 waterfowl outfitters are on lists dated November 5, 2026, each tied to licensed counties and an expiry of June 30, 2027.
How many Illinois outfitters and preserves appear below?
Our November 13, 2026 pull gave 234 rows in 76 counties.
Can an Illinois outfitter take me onto private ground without the owner's permission?
It is unlawful to take or attempt to take wildlife, or let a dog hunt, on land or waters of another, or knowingly shoot a gun or bow at wildlife on or flying over another person's property, without permission from the owner or the owner's designee (written authorization with notarized signature). Purple paint on trees or posts marks no-trespassing land. Illinois law does not grant a right of trespass to retrieve wounded wildlife.
What does the regional split look like for outfitters and preserves?
West Central region leads with 105; Northeast region has 19.
Which counties hold the largest number of outfitters and preserves?
Pike County is busiest at 26, followed by Adams County at 12 and Fulton County at 11.
How are the map points for Illinois outfitters and preserves chosen?
The dots mark resolved street addresses, and there are 179. That is 55 fewer dots than rows.
Where do the Illinois outfitters and preserves rows originate?
165 deer and turkey outfitters come from the IDNR deer and turkey outfitter list and 26 waterfowl outfitters from the IDNR waterfowl outfitter list, both dated November 5, 2026; 35 preserves are on the IDNR licensed hunting preserves list. The remaining 8 are Yellow Pages guide and preserve listings not checked against the IDNR lists. Outfitter addresses on the IDNR lists are often mailing addresses, so a pin may sit at an office rather than the hunting ground. Checked November 13, 2026.
Where would I have to travel for outfitters and preserves?
In 26 counties the list is empty, so the nearest option may be a long drive away.
Keep going past the outfitters and preserves
Other photos on this page: James St. John (CC BY 2.0); marneejill (CC BY-SA 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); CheepShot (CC BY 2.0).