Furbearer
Illinois Badger Trapping Season, 2026-27
Badger dates, limits and permits for the 2026-27 IDNR seasons, from Nov 10, 2026 to Feb 15, 2027.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Badger in Illinois at a glance
Start with the table below: its 2 lines cover every day badger can be taken, Nov 10, 2026 through Feb 15, 2027. Daily and possession rules come to north 2, South 1 per trapper per season.
Badger are taken by trapping only, 2 per trapper in the North zone and 1 in the South, and the zones are divided by US Route 36. Badger appear in the allowed-game lists of 147 public sites, and 147 of those sites have pages.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
The badger calendar for 2026-27
Rows are sorted by first day, and the last column compares each window with today.
| Row | Covers | What to buy | Dates | Limit | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | North Zone | Trapping |
| 2 per trapper per season | |
| Trapping | South Zone | Trapping |
| 1 per trapper per season |
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
The badger line and the limits
Badger trapping zones (North 2 per season, South 1) are divided by US Route 36.
| Zone | Limit | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| North Zone | 2 per trapper per season |
|
| South Zone | 1 per trapper per season |
|
From Digest furbearer pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Illinois rules on badger: bag and gear
| Listed as | Limit |
|---|---|
| badger | 2 per trapper per season |
Boiled down, trapping are the lawful ways to take badger.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Illinois licenses for badger
| Item | Buyer | Digest base price | Fee-table price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Trapping | Resident | $10.50 | $10.50 |
| Nonresident trapping license | Nonresident | $175.50 | $175.50 |
Prices differ by the vendor fee between the two sources; every annual license and state stamp is valid from March 1 through the next March 31.
From Digest license pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Field rules for badger hunters in Illinois
| Subject | Rule text |
|---|---|
| Sale of wildlife | May not buy, sell or offer to sell or barter game birds, migratory game birds or parts (including feathers, nests, eggs and wild turkey parts) or the edible parts of game mammals except under specific permits. |
| Hunting hours | Hunting only during the hours specified for each species relative to official sunrise-sunset times; some IDNR sites are more restrictive. |
| Live wildlife possession | May not release captive wildlife except as authorized, bring in live protected wildlife taken outside Illinois without IDNR permission, or retain wildlife alive except as provided in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 970. |
Always compare these statewide rules with the posted rules of the site where you hunt badger.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Public land for badger in Illinois
Among the 147 sites that list badger are 53 state fish and wildlife areas, 30 state parks and 18 state habitat areas; here are the largest that have a page of their own.
| Name | Classification | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Edgar Panther Creek | Fish and wildlife area | Cass | 16,400 |
| Cache River | Natural area | Johnson and Pulaski | 15,425 |
| Kaskaskia River | Fish and wildlife area | St. Clair and Randolph | 14,000 |
| Horseshoe Lake | Fish and wildlife area | Alexander | 11,690 |
| Mississippi River Pool 24 | Fish and wildlife area | Pike and Calhoun | 10,211 |
| Carlyle Lake | Fish and wildlife area | Fayette and Clinton | 9,868 |
| Mississippi River Pool 21 | Fish and wildlife area | Adams | 8,536 |
| Rend Lake Project Lands | Fish and wildlife area | Jefferson and Franklin | 7,740 |
Site pages show which permits and seasons apply to badger; acreage is from IDNR fact sheets, not a map measurement.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Four buys for Badger
Built around prairie, farm and river country.
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Thermal-insulated bibs
The thermal-insulated bibs rides along on most IDNR-season outings.
Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Sunset over the Mississippi River at Buffalo, Iowa, across from Rock Island CountyPhoto: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 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)
What hunters ask about badger
What dates does Illinois set for badger?
In the IDNR table: trapping in the North Zone: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027; trapping in the South Zone: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
What is the daily limit for badger in Illinois?
The posted limit is North 2, South 1 per trapper per season.
Which permits and stamps does badger hunting require?
Buy a trapping license ($10.50 resident, Digest-listed or fee-table price) or, for hunting, a hunting license and the State Habitat Stamp.
How may badger be taken in Illinois?
Methods named for badger: trapping.
Do I need a permit to trap badger?
Resident trapping licenses are $10.50 and nonresident ones $175.50 with reciprocity; trapper education is required for first-timers born on or after January 1, 1998.
Do public sites limit trapping?
Start with the trapping page, then the site pages for any extra permit.
Is there a Sunday rule for badger?
No Sunday rule appears in the Digest or on the IDNR pages we read, and this page does not add one.
Can a new hunter go after badger without a course?
Illinois asks younger hunters, those born on or after January 1, 1980, for a hunter safety certificate or a prior-year license. The apprentice route needs no course but needs a licensed hunter 21 or older at your side.
Where can I hunt badger on public land in Illinois?
Look at the land directory; 147 sites list badger, 147 with pages, and site rules can be stricter than the statewide ones.
Other photos on this page: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0); David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0).