Section 590.50  Non-Check Station Department Sites Only – Duck, Goose and Coot Hunting

a)         The following sites conform to Statewide Regulations (Section 590.10) and General Department Regulations (Section 590.15), except as noted in the remainder of this Section.

Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area − West Point Management Unit (walk-in or boat; staked sites; daily draw)

Chain O'Lakes State Park (For goose seasons prior to duck season, hunting allowed from numbered blind sites only and blinds need not be completed; blinds must be removed in their entirety, including support posts, by April 1; failure to comply will result in the blind builder and partners for that blind losing the privilege of being a blind builder or partner at this site for the following year)

Clear Lake State Wildlife Management Area (one year blind allocation)

Des Plaines River State Conservation Area (goose hunting permitted during special goose season prior to regular waterfowl season; during special goose season hunting allowed from numbered blind sites only and blinds do not have to be completed; previous years blind builders shall have until February 1 to salvage blind materials)

Fuller Lake State Fish and Wildlife Management Area (daily hunting hours close at 3:30 p.m. CST, except the last 3 days of duck season and the last 3 days of regular Canada goose season shall close at sunset; 3 year blind allocation period)

Helmbold Slough State Wildlife Management Area (3 year blind allocation period)

Illinois River – Pool 26 (3 year blind allocation period)

Kankakee River State Park (no boat hide required; no goose hunting permitted prior to duck season; previous years blind builders shall have until February 1 to salvage blind materials)

Lake Sinnissippi State Fish and Wildlife Area (Department Owned Land; the use of any metal, with the exception of fasteners less than 12 inches in length, will be prohibited in the construction of waterfowl blinds; waterfowl hunters allocated blind numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 or 32 will have the option to either construct a platform blind (4' x 8' with boat hide) or a boat hide blind no less than 7.5' x 18' in dimension fully enclosed on all four sides, must include 4 shooting holes or ports and brushed (doors capable of being closed are permitted for boat access); hunters choosing to construct a boat hide type of blind will not be required to construct a dog hide; blind numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 must be removed in their entirety no later than 10 days after the close of the Northern Zone waterfowl season, but may be removed beginning November 15; backwater blinds 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24 and 25 must be removed in their entirety by the previous years' blind builder by no later than 7 days after the next allocation period; hunting from boat blinds is permitted within 10 feet from any numbered stake if the blind has not been constructed)

Marshall State Conservation Area – Sparland Unit (the use of any metal, with the exception of fasteners less than 12 inches in length, carpet, and plastic snow fence or mesh will be prohibited in the construction of waterfowl blinds; previous year's blind builders shall have until February 1 to salvage blind materials; hunters are required to check in and check out at the self-check box located at the Lacon boat ramp)

Meredosia Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (one year blind allocation period) – Rules and Regulations will be publicly announced.

Mississippi River Pool 16 (Federal Lands; no permanent blinds – temporary blinds only above Velie Chute except for Goose Pond, Sunfish Slough, and Milan Bottoms (landward area upriver from River Mile 474); 2 year blind allocation period; scull boat hunting for waterfowl is permitted but hunters must not get closer than 200 yards from a permanent duck blind or in areas posted as closed to scull hunting)

Mississippi River Pool 17 (Federal Lands; scull boat hunting for waterfowl is permitted but hunters must not get closer than 200 yards from a permanent duck blind or in areas posted as closed to scull hunting; 2 year blind allocation period)

Mississippi River Pool 18 (Federal Lands; scull boat hunting for waterfowl is permitted but hunters must not get closer than 200 yards from a permanent duck blind or in areas posted as closed to scull hunting; 2 year blind allocation period)

Mississippi River Pools 21, 22, 24 (Federal Lands; hunting allowed from a portable blind or anchored boat, in Illinois waters, maintaining > 200 yard intervals at the following locations:  Pool 21 – west of Long Island (river mile 332.5-340.5), Pool 22 – west of Ward Island (river mile 314.0-324.0), Pool 24 – west of Denmark Island (river mile 291.0-294.5); 2 year blind allocation period)

Mississippi River Pools 25, 26 (Federal Lands; 3 year blind allocation period)

Momence Wetlands State Natural Area (hunting allowed from a portable blind or anchored boat blind only; no more than 3 persons per blind site; no hunting during firearm deer seasons)

Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (all hunting must be from portable boat blinds within 10 yards of the assigned numbered stake or buoy; no more than 3 persons shall use one blind; exceptions will be announced at the site's annual duck blind drawing; goose hunting prohibited prior to the regular duck season)

Piasa Island State Wildlife Management Area (3 year blind allocation period)

Quincy Bay (Mississippi River Pool 21) (hunting hours legal opening to 1:00 p.m. for blinds 1 through 25 during regular duck season only)

Red's Landing State Wildlife Management Area (3 year blind allocation period; that portion of Red's Landing that is north of the access road will be noted as a walk-in/boats without motors area only; no permanent blinds; daily hunting hours will close at 3:30 p.m. CST, except the last 3 days of duck season and the last 3 days of regular Canada goose season shall close at sunset; hunting parties shall not hunt over less than 12 decoys nor more than 24 decoys)

Redwing Slough/Deer Lake State Natural Area (closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays except that hunting will be allowed on opening day of duck season; no goose hunting except during duck season; previous years blind builders shall have until February 1 to salvage blind materials; daily hunting hours will close at 1:00 p.m.) (hunting from boat blinds is permitted within 10 feet of marked blind sites)

Riprap Landing State Wildlife Management Area (3 year blind allocation period; that portion of Riprap Landing that is south of blind 5, known as Rust Land Company, will be noted as a walk-in; boats without motors in area only; no permanent blinds; hunting parties shall not hunt over less than 12 decoys or more than 24 decoys; decoys must be picked up daily; no vehicles allowed)

Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area (Hunting will be allowed between November 1 and December 31 but only when the North Zone duck and/or Canada goose seasons are open; permanent, pre-constructed blinds will be awarded for either November or December; boat and dog hides are not required; persons awarded blinds at the drawing, or their partners, must claim their blinds one hour before legal shooting hours; hunting hours will end at 1:00 p.m. daily)

Starved Rock State Park (Department managed areas; the use of any metal, with the exception of fasteners less than 12 inches in length, will be prohibited in the construction of waterfowl blinds; all blinds must be removed in their entirety no later than 10 days after the close of the Central Zone duck season; blinds may be removed beginning November 15; hunting from boat blinds is permitted within 10 feet of staked blind sites beginning November 15 for those blinds removed on or after November 15; staked blind locations that have not had a blind built may be hunted the entire season from a boat blind anchored within 10 feet of the numbered blind stake; blind locations not built shall be available on a first come-first served basis; hunting from boat blinds within 10 feet of staked blind sites is allowed until the end of the regular Central Zone Canada goose season)

b)         The following regulations apply to all sites listed in this Section under subsection (a).

1)         Blind builders or partners must occupy their blinds by one-half hour before opening hunting hour each day in order to claim their blind for the day.  Blinds not legally occupied may be claimed on a first come-first served basis.

2)         Attempts to claim blinds by any manner other than actual occupation shall be considered in violation of this Part and shall be cause for arrest.  The insertion of a boat into the boat hide and/or the spreading of decoys before a blind shall not be considered legal occupation of a blind.

3)         All hunting must be from registered blinds only unless otherwise noted in parentheses under subsection (a).

4)         Blind sites shall be allocated for a period of one year unless otherwise noted in parentheses under subsection (a).

5)         Previous year's blind builders shall have until 7 days after the next allocation period drawing to salvage materials from their blinds, except as listed in parentheses under subsection (a).  After that date, blinds become the property of the new blind builders.

6)         No more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind at one time, except on Mississippi River Pools 16, 17, 18, 21, 22 and 24 and Blanding State Wildlife Area.

7)         On Mississippi River Pools 16, 17, 18, 21, 22 and 24 and Blanding State Wildlife Area the limit of 4 persons does not apply.

8)         For those sites listed in subsection (a) that have 3 year blind allocation periods, re-registration of blind sites during the non-draw years must be accomplished in person during a publicly announced period.  Failure to re-register during the prescribed period will result in the loss of blind site.  Registrants must present current year's Illinois hunting license and State waterfowl stamp for each blind builder.  Blinds not re-registered will be allocated by a drawing.  No waterfowl blind may be removed until after the close of the waterfowl season.

9)         It shall be unlawful to trespass upon areas designated as waterfowl rest areas or refuges 2 weeks prior to the start of regular duck season through the close of regular duck and Canada goose season as posted at the site.

10)        It shall be unlawful to trespass upon the designated waterfowl hunting area during the 7 days prior to the waterfowl season as posted at the site.  At Mississippi River Area Pools 25 and 26 it shall be unlawful to trespass upon the designated waterfowl hunting area between sunset of the Sunday immediately preceding the opening date of regular duck season through the day before regular duck season as posted at the site.

c)         Blind winners on the following sites will be provided forms for the purpose of maintaining waterfowl harvest records.  The forms must be completed and returned within 15 days after the close of the site's waterfowl season or the blind builder and partners for that blind shall not be allowed to be a blind builder or partner at these sites for the following year.

Chain O'Lakes State Park

Clear Lake State Wildlife Management Area

Des Plaines State Conservation Area

Kankakee River State Park

Pekin Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

Redwing Slough/Deer Lake State Natural Area

d)         Violation of this Section is a petty offense (see 520 ILCS 5/2.20).

(Source:  Amended at 33 Ill. Reg. 14671, effective October 13, 2009)