Furbearer
Illinois Beaver Trapping Season, 2026-27
IDNR dates for beaver, the bag, licenses and public sites that list it.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Quick read on beaver in Illinois
Across 1 row of the Digest, beaver are open at some point between Nov 10, 2026 and Mar 31, 2027. The posted limit for beaver is no limit.
Beaver trapping runs November 10, 2026 to March 31, 2027, the longest of the furbearer trapping seasons, and there is no daily or season limit. IDNR site records name beaver at 147 public hunting areas, with 147 covered on separate pages.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Beaver season dates in the Digest
Dates as printed by IDNR for beaver, with the status checked against today.
| Season | Where | Permit | Dates | Limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Trapping |
| No limit |
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
What you may take and how, for beaver
| Row | What the Digest allows |
|---|---|
| beaver | No limit |
Legal means for beaver, as summarized in the data: trapping.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
License, stamps and permits for beaver in Illinois
| License or permit | Who | Digest price | IDNR fee table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Trapping | Resident | $10.50 | $10.50 |
| Nonresident trapping license | Nonresident | $175.50 | $175.50 |
Both prices are shown, base and with fees; the license year starts March 1 and ends March 31 of the following year.
From Digest license pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Before you go after beaver: the rules
| Rule | In the Digest |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Dogs | A dog may not be allowed to chase, harass or kill deer or turkey. Dogs may be used for hunting other species. Competitive dog events require an IDNR permit applied for 4 weeks ahead. |
Statewide rules apply everywhere, and individual IDNR sites may tighten them for beaver; site pages list the changes.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Public hunting areas for beaver
IDNR land records name beaver at 147 sites, mostly 53 state fish and wildlife areas, 30 state parks and 18 state habitat areas; the largest with their own page are below.
| Site | Type | 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 |
Permit lotteries and check-in steps are on the site pages; the acreage shown is from the fact sheets.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Four buys for Beaver
Chosen to match the game on this page.
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Cable restraint stakes
Illinois hunters pack the cable restraint stakes for this kind of trip.
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)
Beaver: common questions
How long is the beaver season in Illinois?
You can hunt on these windows: trapping statewide: November 10, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
How much beaver can one hunter keep?
The Digest says No limit.
What do I have to buy before hunting beaver?
You need a trapping license ($10.50 resident, Digest-listed or fee-table price) or, for hunting, a hunting license and the State Habitat Stamp.
Can I use a rifle, bow or shotgun for beaver?
Legal means include trapping.
Can a hunting license cover beaver?
Trapping takes a trapping license ($10.50 resident, $175.50 nonresident with state reciprocity, fee-table prices), and first-time trappers born on or after January 1, 1998 must complete trapper education.
How do I find out where beaver may be trapped on public sites?
IDNR sites often draw trapping permits before the season; read the site rules on the land pages.
What do the rules say about Sunday hunting for beaver?
The documents we checked are silent on Sunday hunting, which means no rule can be quoted here.
What hunter education rule applies to beaver?
The cutoff is a birthday: January 1, 1980. Hunters born on or after it need the certificate (or proof of a hunting license bought in an earlier year in any state). An apprentice license, with a supervisor 21 or older, is the way around the course.
Can I find beaver hunting on state land?
Start at the public land hub: 147 IDNR sites list beaver, and 147 of them have a page with permits, rules and seasons.
Other photos on this page: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0); David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0).