Illinois › Species › Striped Skunk
Furbearer
Illinois Striped Skunk Hunting Rules, 2026-27
IDNR dates for striped skunk, the bag, licenses and public sites that list it.
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District (CC BY 2.0)
Illinois striped skunk: the short version
Across 2 rows of the Digest, striped skunk are open at some point between Nov 10, 2026 and Feb 15, 2027. The posted limit for striped skunk is no limit.
Striped skunks have no closed season and no limit for hunters, though hunting stops during the first and second firearm deer seasons in counties that are open to firearm deer. IDNR site records name striped skunk at 136 public hunting areas, with 136 covered on separate pages.
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Striped Skunk season dates in the Digest
One row per printed season; zone names are the Digest's own labels.
| Season line | Reach | License type | Dates | Bag limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Trapping |
| No limit | |
| Hunting (guns and bows) | Statewide | License | No closed season | No limit | Open all year |
From 2026-27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
What you may take and how, for striped skunk
| Row | What the Digest allows |
|---|---|
| striped skunk | No limit |
Legal means for striped skunk, as summarized in the data: hunting year round or trapping.
From Digest season tables and Digest equipment pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
License, stamps and permits for striped skunk in Illinois
| License or permit | Who | Digest price | IDNR fee table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 striped skunk: 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 striped skunk; 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 striped skunk
IDNR land records name striped skunk at 136 sites, mostly 44 state fish and wildlife areas, 29 state parks and 15 state natural 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 |
| Great River | Wildlife refuge | Adams and Pike | 8,305 |
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.
Load the truck for Skunk
Chosen to match the game on this page.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
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)
Morning light reflecting on the Ohio River at Paducah, across from Massac CountyPhoto: jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0)
Answers about striped skunk in Illinois
How long is the striped skunk season in Illinois?
You can hunt on these windows: hunting (guns and bows) statewide: all year; trapping statewide: November 10, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
How much striped skunk can one hunter keep?
The Digest says No limit.
Which Illinois licenses apply to striped skunk?
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.
How may striped skunk be taken in Illinois?
Legal means include hunting year round or trapping.
Can a hunting license cover striped skunk?
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.
Where can I trap in Illinois?
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 striped skunk?
The documents we checked are silent on Sunday hunting, which means no rule can be quoted here.
What hunter education rule applies to striped skunk?
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 striped skunk hunting on state land?
Start at the public land hub: 136 IDNR sites list striped skunk, and 136 of them have a page with permits, rules and seasons.
Other photos on this page: David Brossard (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bryan Werner (CC BY 2.0); jjmusgrove (CC BY 2.0).