Furbearer
Hunting Red Fox in Illinois, 2026-27 Dates and Limits
2 season rows, the limit, what to buy and where to hunt red fox in Illinois.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Quick read on red fox in Illinois
The 2026-27 calendar for red fox has 2 dated lines, beginning Nov 10, 2026 and ending Feb 15, 2027. The limit reads: no limit.
Hunting runs November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027 with no limit, hunting closes during the first and second firearm deer seasons in the counties that are open to firearm deer, and a separate trapping season uses the same dates. Gray fox seasons stay closed. 137 public sites in the IDNR land records list red fox among the game they allow, and 137 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.
Every 2026-27 season row for red fox in Illinois
Each line is one IDNR row for red fox, earliest first, with the area it covers and the permit it needs.
| Season | Zone or counties | Permit kind | Date range | Bag | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting (guns and bows) | Statewide | License |
| No limit | |
| 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 red fox in Illinois
| Species line | Limit |
|---|---|
| red fox | No limit |
Short version for red fox: hunting or trapping.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Prices for red fox licenses and permits
| License | Who buys | Listed price | Including vendor fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting | Resident | $12.00 | $12.50 |
| Nonresident Hunting | Nonresident | $57.00 | $57.75 |
| State Habitat Stamp | Either | $5.00 | $5.50 |
| 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.
Red Fox: 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 red fox there.
From Digest general rules and Digest hunter orange page (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Red Fox on state and federal land in Illinois
Records show 137 places to hunt red fox, such as 44 state fish and wildlife areas, 29 state parks and 15 state natural 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 |
| Great River | Wildlife refuge | Adams and Pike | 8,305 |
Each page spells out the site-specific rules for red fox, and acres are the figure IDNR lists.
From IDNR site records (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Hours that apply to red fox
The Digest prints the hunting hours for red fox like this: Raccoon, opossum, red fox, bobcat: open 24 hours, beginning 1/2 hour before sunrise on opening day and closing 1/2 hour after sunset on closing day, except during archery deer season, when hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
From Digest hours rules (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Four buys for Red fox
Picked for cornfields, creek bottoms and river backwaters; nothing loads until you tap.
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Thermal-insulated bibs
Toss the thermal-insulated bibs behind the seat before you drive out.
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)
Red Fox: common questions
What dates does Illinois set for red fox?
The rows read hunting (guns and bows) statewide: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027; trapping statewide: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
What bag limit applies to red fox?
You are held to No limit.
Do I need a permit for red fox?
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.
What does Illinois allow for taking red fox?
The species record lists: hunting or trapping.
What are the trapping license prices?
Price check: $10.50 resident, $7.50 youth; a three-year option exists.
What site permits does trapping need?
Site permits and drawings are common on IDNR land; each site page states them, and the trapping page lists the statewide rules.
Is Sunday hunting allowed for red fox in Illinois?
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 red fox?
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 red fox?
IDNR records list red fox at 137 public sites; 137 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).