Illinois
Famous Midwest trophy whitetail destination, monster bucks, prime archery, and rich agricultural habitat.
Small Game & Upland Hunting in Illinois
Official Regulatory Authority
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Central and northern Illinois contain dedicated state-managed Pheasant Habitat Areas and agricultural CRP grass waterways.
The season opens in early November with a 2-rooster daily limit. Hunters work native warm-season grass fields and ditch banks for fast-flushing wild roosters.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
Southern Illinois—particularly counties bordering the Wabash and Mississippi river basins and the Shawnee National Forest—hosts solid wild quail coveys.
Hunters follow bird dogs into weedy field borders, blackberry tangles, and timber openings during November and December.
Eastern Fox & Grey Squirrel
The oak-hickory bluffs of the Illinois and Mississippi river valleys provide exceptional squirrel hunting with an August 1 opening date and a 5-squirrel daily limit.
Eastern Cottontail
Illinois farmland hedgerows and creek bottoms hold abundant cottontails from early November through mid-February.