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3 records · 27,000 acres
Illinois Hunting Access Programs
IRAP private-land access, the Lake Springfield archery deer hunt and the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program: how to apply, dates, counties and sites.
Photo: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Illinois Hunting Access Programs: what is on this hub
Illinois runs access through programs as well as open land: IRAP leases private ground, the Lake Springfield archery hunt uses city property and controlled pheasant hunts run by reservation. 3 records (1 access program, 1 hunting program and 1 program site) add up to 27,000 acres and 20 counties. A permit, lottery or reservation applies on 3 of the 3 records.
Hunting programs, record by record
Filter the 3 records by name, county or kind.
| Place | Kind | Counties | Acres | Seasons open | Trips 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDNR Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program | Hunting program | Will, Clinton + | – | – | – |
| IRAP Lake Springfield Archery Deer Hunting | Program site | – | – | – | – |
| Illinois Recreational Access Program | Access program | Bond, Christian + | 27,000 | – | – |
Controlled pheasant sites and dates, 2026-27
The Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program runs reservation-only pheasant hunts at three IDNR sites. Permits come from a three-round lottery for residents and nonresidents, then first-come first-served, and must be bought or transferred by 9 am the day before the hunt. Each site sets its own check-in window and season dates, and each closes on different days.
| Site | County | Check-in | Season dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Plaines SFWA | Will | 7:00-8:30 AM | November 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027 |
| Eldon Hazlet State Park | Clinton | 7:00-8:00 AM | November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027 |
| Green River SWA | Lee | 8:00-8:30 AM | November 6, 7, 8 ,13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29, 2026; and December 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 2026 |
IDNR controlled pheasant program page; checked November 13, 2026.
Lake Springfield archery deer: who can apply and when
The Lake Springfield archery deer hunt is an IRAP partnership with the city utility. Applicants must live in one of 8 named counties (Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Menard, Macon, Christian, Logan and Montgomery), and sites are awarded by lottery, with separate drawings for individuals and groups.
- Who may apply: Legally licensed, experienced archery deer hunters residing in Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Menard, Macon, Christian, Logan or Montgomery County, with hunter safety completed if born in 1980 or after, willing to harvest at least three deer.
- Hunting periods: Period 1 October 1-15; Period 2 October 16-31; Period 3 November 1-15; Period 4 December 16-31 (15 or 16 days of access; one period assigned).
- Harvest rules: Two antlerless deer must be harvested before an antlered deer; hunters submit an IRAP survey within 48 hours of their last day hunted and email a harvest photo to IRAP the same day.
- Landowner: City-owned property around Lake Springfield, in partnership with Springfield City, Water, Light and Power and IDNR.
- Applications: Two separate lotteries for 2026: individual (up to 4 applications, one per period) and group of up to four (one site large enough; a kayak or canoe is needed to reach most of it). The 2027 application opens July 1, 2027.
IDNR IRAP Lake Springfield page; checked November 13, 2026.
IRAP counties by activity
IRAP has leased more than 27,000 acres in 52 counties since 2011, according to its home page. The county lists below are only the ones the Sites page spells out, covering fishing, rabbit and squirrel; deer, turkey, waterfowl and upland sites are on county maps that we did not copy.
| Activity | Counties | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing – Pond | 10 | Christian, Fayette, Macoupin, Marion, Menard, Montgomery, Pike, St. Clair +2 |
| Fishing – Riverbank | 8 | Brown, Christian, Fulton, Knox, Menard, Sangamon, Schuyler, Shelby |
| Rabbit Hunting | 2 | Montgomery, Scott |
| Squirrel Hunting | 18 | Bond, Clinton, Christian, Fulton, Greene, Hardin, Jersey, Knox +10 |
IDNR IRAP page; checked November 13, 2026.
Where the hunting programs sit by region
The five IDNR regions share these 3 records as shown.
| IDNR region | Records | Acres listed | Quota-hunt records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northeast | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| East Central | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Central | 1 | 27,000 | 1 |
| South | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What the source pages say about each of the hunting programs
Every record gets a card with a line taken from its source page.
Illinois Recreational Access Program
Counties listed here are only those the IRAP Sites page lists for rabbit and squirrel hunting; deer, turkey, waterfowl and upland sites are shown on county maps that were not extracted, so the county list is incomplete (program…
IDNR Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program
Program record: no single location. Site list from the IDNR "Hunting Areas and Season Dates" table (2026-27).
IRAP Lake Springfield Archery Deer Hunting
Site locations are not published on the page; no coordinates, county or acreage stated.
Wording from each record’s source page; checked November 13, 2026.
A weathered barn and tall tile silo among bare trees in Winnebago CountyPhoto: chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Round bales and red barns on a snowy farm near Hampshire in Kane CountyPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A red barn above freshly worked furrows in Concord Township near BudaPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hunting programs: common questions
What does the hunting programs hub count?
3 records appear, led by Illinois Recreational Access Program at 27,000 acres.
Where is the largest of these places?
The largest listed is Illinois Recreational Access Program, 27,000 acres. Illinois Recreational Access Program page.
Which hunting programs use permits?
The records mark 3 of 3 as quota hunts. Lottery guide.
Who says which seasons are open?
Each season grid is copied from the IDNR Hunt Illinois fact sheet for the site, with its exceptions.
What do the sources say about Sunday hunting?
Sunday hunting is not addressed in the Digest or fact sheets we read.