Furbearer
Trapping Muskrat in Illinois, 2026-27 Dates
1 season row, the limit, what to buy and where to hunt muskrat in Illinois.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Muskrat hunting by the numbers
The 2026-27 calendar for muskrat has 1 dated line, beginning Nov 10, 2026 and ending Feb 15, 2027. The limit reads: no limit.
Muskrat sit on the shared statewide trapping line with raccoon, opossum, striped skunk, red fox and coyote, which runs November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027 with no limit. 147 public sites in the IDNR land records list muskrat among the game they allow, and 147 of them have their own page on this site.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Muskrat seasons as the IDNR prints them
Read across: season, area, permit, dates, bag and whether it is open now.
| Hunt | Applies to | Permit or stamp | Season | Daily limit | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Trapping |
| No limit |
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Bag limits and legal methods for muskrat in Illinois
| Species line | Limit |
|---|---|
| raccoon, opossum, striped skunk, weasel, mink, muskrat, red fox, coyote | No limit |
Short version for muskrat: trapping.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Prices for muskrat licenses and permits
| License | Who buys | Listed price | Including vendor fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Trapping | Resident | $10.50 | $10.50 |
| Nonresident trapping license | Nonresident | $175.50 | $175.50 |
Two price columns appear because the Digest leaves out vendor fees and IDNR's own table includes them; licenses are valid from March 1 to March 31 of the following year.
From Digest license pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Muskrat: rules that apply in the field
| Rule | What the Digest says |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Interference and drones | May not interfere with or disturb another person lawfully taking wildlife with intent to prevent the taking, and may not use a drone in a way that interferes with another person's lawful taking. |
| Wanton waste | Must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and include killed or crippled limited species in the bag; may not wantonly waste the usable meat (breast of a bird; hind ham and front shoulders of a mammal) or dump carcasses on a right-of-way or property without permission. |
Rules above are summaries from the Digest and 17 Ill. Adm. Code; some IDNR sites add stricter limits, so read the site page before you hunt muskrat there.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Muskrat on state and federal land in Illinois
Records show 147 places to hunt muskrat, such as 53 state fish and wildlife areas, 30 state parks and 18 state habitat areas; pick from the biggest below or browse the hub.
| Site | Class | County | Acres listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Each page spells out the site-specific rules for muskrat, and acres are the figure IDNR lists.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Load the truck for Muskrat
Picked for cornfields, creek bottoms and river backwaters; nothing loads until you tap.
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Fur-handling gloves
Illinois hunters pack the fur-handling gloves for this kind of trip.
Sunset over the Mississippi River with the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch and the Eads BridgePhoto: 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)
Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Muskrat: common questions
What is the 2026-27 calendar for muskrat?
The rows read trapping statewide: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
What bag limit applies to muskrat?
You are held to No limit.
Do I need a permit for muskrat?
Hunters carry 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 muskrat?
The species record lists: trapping.
What are the trapping license prices?
Price check: $10.50 resident, $7.50 youth; a three-year option exists.
Are trapping permits drawn?
Site permits and drawings are common on IDNR land; each site page states them, and the trapping page lists the statewide rules.
What do the rules say about Sunday hunting for muskrat?
Neither the Digest nor the IDNR pages we read say anything about Sunday hunting, and we will not guess; confirm with IDNR.
Who must take hunter education before hunting muskrat?
Only hunters born on or after January 1, 1980 face the requirement, and a prior-year hunting license also satisfies it. Apprentices do not need the course but do need a licensed supervisor who is at least 21.
Which state sites list muskrat?
IDNR records list muskrat at 147 public sites; 147 have their own page under public land, and each page states the site rules, permits and seasons that apply.
Other photos on this page: Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0); David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0); jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0).