Section 550.30  Raccoon, Opossum, Striped Skunk, Red Fox, Gray Fox, Coyote and Woodchuck (Groundhog) Hunting on Department-Owned, -Leased or -Managed Sites

 

a)         All the regulations in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510 – General Hunting and Trapping apply in this Section, unless this Section is more restrictive.

 

b)         For sites where hunter quotas exist and permits are required a drawing shall be held prior to the opening of the season.  The date of the drawing shall be announced by the Department by public announcement and the drawing shall be held at the site.  The number of permits per site shall be determined pursuant to 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.20.

 

c)         .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted from sunset to sunrise unless otherwise specified.

 

d)         Coyote and striped skunk season shall coincide with the statewide fox season unless otherwise specified.

 

e)         No woodchuck (groundhog) hunting allowed unless otherwise specified.

 

f)          Statewide regulations as provided for in this rule apply at the following sites (exceptions are in parentheses):

 

Anderson Lake Conservation Area (all hunting to begin after the close of duck season)

 

Apple River Canyon State Park

 

Argyle Lake State Park

 

Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote only; coyotes can be taken with archery equipment when the site is open to archery deer hunting during archery shooting hours; coyotes can be taken with shotguns, no deer slugs allowed, on days when the site is open to upland hunting with upland shooting hours)

 

Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote season from August 1 through the following February 28)

 

Big River State Forest

 

Butterfield Trail State Recreation Area

 

Cache River State Natural Area

 

Campbell Pond Wildlife Management Area

 

Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Carlyle Lake Lands and Waters – Corps of Engineers Management Lands

 

Carlyle Lake Wildlife Management Area (subimpoundment area closed 7 days prior to and during the southern zone waterfowl season)

 

Cypress Pond State Natural Area

 

Deer Pond State Natural Area

 

Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Dog Island Wildlife Management Area

 

Eldon Hazlet State Park (north of Allen Branch and west of Peppenhorst Branch)

 

Ferne Clyffe State Park – Cedar Draper Bluffs Hunting Area

 

Fort de Chartres Historic Site (muzzleloading firearms or bow and arrow only)

 

Hanover Bluff State Natural Area

 

Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area – Alexander County (Public Hunting Area except Controlled Hunting Area)

 

Johnson Sauk Trail State Recreation Area (archery only; coyote and fox only; site coyote season runs concurrently with the site archery deer season; site fox season begins when the statewide fox season opens, runs concurrently with the site archery deer season, and closes the earlier of either the statewide fox season closing or the site archery deer season closing)

 

Kankakee River State Park (coyote, fox, skunk and opossum may be taken during their respective seasons that fall within the archery deer season by archery only; shotgun only hunting opens the day after the close of the site upland game season or archery deer season, whichever is later, and closes with the close of the statewide fox season; statewide hours; hunters must sign-in/sign-out and report harvest and effort at check station)

 

Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area (Doza Creek Waterfowl Management Area closed 7 days prior to and during duck season; the defined Baldwin Lake Waterfowl Rest Area is closed)

 

Kinkaid Lake Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote and fox only; fox closes first Thursday after January 10; coyote open to hunting from August 1 until the first Thursday after January 10 and when other hunting seasons are open on the site; not open during spring turkey season; hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset; unauthorized personnel may not be on the site outside of the posted check station operating hours; hunters may only enter the site from designated parking lots)

 

Marshall County Fish and Wildlife Area (raccoon, opossum only; season opens day after duck season)

 

Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area (archery only; coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk and opossum may be taken during their respective seasons that fall within the archery deer hunting season; statewide hours; hunters must sign-in/sign-out and report harvest and effort at the check station)

 

Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (hunting limited to upland game area; hunting hours ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset)

 

Mississippi River Fish and Waterfowl Management Area (Pools 25 and 26)

 

Mississippi River Pools 16, 17, 18, 21, 22 and 24 (groundhog hunting allowed) (c)

 

Momence Wetlands State Natural Area (archery only; coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk and opossum may be taken during their respective seasons that fall within the archery deer hunting season; statewide hours; hunters must sign-in/sign-out and report harvest and effort at check station)

 

Moraine View State Park (archery only; coyote only; season runs concurrently with site archery deer season)

 

Oakford Conservation Area

 

Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area (except South Subunit; shotgun or bow only; no deer slugs allowed; coyote season open from August 1 through the following February 28 and during the spring turkey season to hunters with a valid, unfilled turkey permit; use of dogs for hunting coyotes is prohibited)

 

Rall Woods State Natural Area

 

Randolph County Conservation Area

 

Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Rend Lake Project Lands and Waters

 

Sangamon County Conservation Area

 

Shawnee National Forest, Oakwood Bottoms and LaRue Scatters (season closes 7 days before opening of duck season and remains closed through the duck season; at Oakwood Bottoms non-toxic shot only)

 

Sielbeck Forest Natural Area

 

Siloam Springs State Park

 

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote only, no dogs allowed; season open from the day after archery deer season ends through the last day of February; shotgun with shotshells only; sign-in/sign-out and report of harvest required)

 

Skinner Farm State Habitat Area

 

Spoon River State Forest (all hunters must sign-in/sign-out)

 

Tapley Woods State Natural Area (shotguns or muzzleloading rifles only may be used from sunset-sunrise)

 

Trail of Tears State Forest

 

Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Walnut Point State Park (sign-in/sign-out required; raccoon hunting only)

 

Washington County Conservation Area

 

Weinberg-King State Park (c) (d)

 

Weinberg-King State Park – Scripps Unit (use of dogs for hunting coyote is not allowed)

 

Weinberg-King State Park − Spunky Bottoms Unit

 

Wildcat Hollow State Forest

 

Winston Tunnel State Natural Area

 

Wise Ridge State Natural Area

 

Witkowsky State Wildlife Area (coyote only; season shall coincide with archery and firearm deer season at this site; archery only during the archery deer season at this site)

 

Woodford County Fish and Wildlife Area (raccoon, opossum only; season opens after duck season)

 

g)         Violation of a site-specific regulation is a Class B misdemeanor.  Statewide regulations apply except that hunters must obtain a permit from the Department; where hunter quotas exist, permits are allocated as described in subsection (b); permits must be in possession while hunting; the permit must be returned by February 15 or hunter will forfeit hunting privileges at that site the following year (exceptions are in parentheses):

 

Beaver Dam State Park (bow and arrow only)

 

Chauncey Marsh (obtain permit at Red Hills State Park Headquarters)

 

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area

 

Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote only, shotgun or bow and arrow)

 

Copperhead Hollow State Wildlife Area (raccoon and coyote only)

 

Crawford County Conservation Area

 

Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area (coyote only, no dogs allowed; season opens the day after archery deer season closes and ends February 28; shotgun with shotshells only; site permit required)

 

Eagle Creek State Park (season opens day after second firearm deer season; closes December 20; hunting sunset to sunrise only; raccoon only)

 

Fox Ridge State Park

 

Green River State Wildlife Area (skunk and coyote close the last day of February; .22 rimfire firearms permitted from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise)

 

Hamilton County Conservation Area

 

Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area

 

Hennepin Canal State Trail (archery only; coyote and raccoon only; season open only when the site archery deer season is open)

 

Hidden Springs State Forest

 

Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County) (coyote only, bow and arrow only)

 

Horseshoe Lake State Park (Madison County) – Gabaret, Mosenthein, Chouteau Island Unit (shotgun and bow and arrow only)

 

Iroquois County Wildlife Management Area (season opens the day after Permit Pheasant Season)

 

Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (statewide seasons for coyote and striped skunk)

 

Kankakee River State Park (no rifle or handgun hunting allowed; the furbearer hunting season opens the day after the last day of the site's upland hunting seasons through statewide close of respective seasons for furbearers except striped skunk and coyote close with fox season)

 

Kickapoo State Park

 

Lake Shelbyville – Kaskaskia and West Okaw Wildlife Management Areas

 

Lincoln Trail State Park (season opens day after first firearm deer season; closes December 20; hunting hours sunset to sunrise only; raccoon only)

 

Matthiessen State Park (season closed during the site firearm or muzzleloader deer seasons; site permit may be obtained at the Starved Rock State Park office; hunting hours are from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise; raccoon or opossum only; hunting south of the Vermilion River Area only; no dogs allowed)

 

Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area (archery only; coyote and raccoon only; season open only when the site archery deer season is open)

 

Meeker State Habitat Area (obtain permit at Sam Parr State Park headquarters)

 

Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Management Area

 

Moraine View State Park (season opens the second Monday in December; night hunting only; raccoon only)

 

Pyramid State Park

 

Pyramid State Park – Captain Unit (no hunting on waterfowl refuge)

 

Pyramid State Park – Denmark Unit (no hunting on waterfowl refuge)

 

Pyramid State Park – East Conant Unit

 

Pyramid State Park – Galum Unit

 

Ramsey Lake State Park

 

Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Saline County Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Sam Parr State Park

 

Sand Ridge State Forest (coyote and striped skunk seasons – opening of the statewide raccoon season until the day before opening of the statewide spring turkey season)

 

Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area (statewide seasons for coyote and striped skunk)

 

Sangchris Lake State Park (fox, coyote and striped skunk hunting only; statewide seasons for fox, coyote and striped skunk except, during central zone duck and Canada goose season, hunters pursuing waterfowl or upland game may take fox, coyote and striped skunk with shotgun only in accordance with site-specific regulations set forth in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 530 and 590)

 

Stephen A. Forbes State Park

 

Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (statewide coyote, striped skunk, and groundhog hunting allowed; .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted 24 hours a day)

 

Wolf Creek State Park (season opens day after second firearm deer season; closes December 20; hunting sunset to sunrise only; raccoon only)

 

h)         Violation of a site regulation is a Class B misdemeanor (see 520 ILCS 5/2.30).

 

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 13137, effective July 26, 2011)