Eldon Hazlet

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is responsible for providing outdoor recreational opportunities for the residents of this state. Eldon Hazlet State Park is located on Carlyle Lake and is open for fishing, hunting, picnicking, hiking, boating, camping, and observing wildlife. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.

Location: The park is located 4 miles north of Carlyle, IL and 2 miles east of Illinois Route 127 in Clinton County.

Setting: The park encompasses 3,750 acres. The hunting area consists of multiple agricultural fields interspersed with woodlands, brushy areas, restored native grassland fields and savanna habitats. An estimated 400 acres of interspersed woodland, fallow grass fields, agricultural fields and backwater wetland areas are open to the general hunting programs offered at this site with the exception of the controlled pheasant hunting area(s).

The area(s) open to the general hunting programs are referred to as the North Allen Branch and West Peppenhorst Branch units or N-Allen/W-Pep. due to the geographic proximity of these units to components of Carlyle Lake.

The "controlled pheasant hunting" area contains large cultivated fields, native warm season grass fields and brushy areas with small- to medium-sized trees and shrubs that provide ample cover for the released birds. Bird dogs are recommended. The agricultural lease program facilitates annual wildlife food and cover components with sunflowers and standing row crops.

General Site Regulations:

1. All hunters, with the exception of Controlled Pheasant Hunting (Youth and Regular season), must obtain a free windshield card online from the Department website at https://dnr2.illinois.gov/windshieldcard/. This permit must be displayed under the vehicle windshield, face up, with the permit number visible and the pocket portion in possession while hunting at the site. Hunters must report their annual harvest online (even if the hunter did not hunt) by February 15 or two weeks after the season closes for those seasons ending after February 1.

2. All hunting is by shotgun or bow and arrow only, except .17 and .22 caliber rimfire is allowed for furbearer hunting occurring after sunset and before sunrise.

3. Non-toxic shot is required for all pheasant, rabbit, quail, dove and waterfowl hunting at this site.

4. All hunters must wear a cap and upper outer garment of solid blaze orange of at least 400 square inches while hunting rabbit, pheasant, quail, woodcock, and/or snipe. Archery deer hunters are also required to follow this regulation during all firearm deer seasons.

5. No hunting will be permitted in posted areas, within 300 feet of developed recreation areas (picnic and camping areas), construction sites or residences. Waterfowl hunting is restricted within 500 feet of the aforementioned areas.

6. No cleaning of game is allowed at the site, e.g. dove, pheasant, deer, etc.

7. It is unlawful to possess or consume alcoholic beverages while on the site property for purposes of hunting or trapping.

Turkey (Spring) - Youth and Regular Seasons

1. Hunters must apply to Springfield Permit Office for permits. Permits are not transferable.

2. Three (3) permits will be allocated per season for use at Eldon Hazlet SP. The permit application lists Eldon Hazlet SP.

3. Statewide hunting hours of 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 p.m. are in effect.

4. Open only in the N-Allen unit. 

5. Regular season disabled hunting is available in the designated blind locations at Eldon Hazlet State Park only and with the Site Specific Disabled Permit. One (1) permit per season will be allocated and the permit application lists EHSPD for the disabled Site Specific Permit. Disabled hunters are required to be accompanied by a non-disabled companion.

Deer (Archery) and Turkey (Fall Archery)

1. Statewide regulations.  North Allen Branch Unit is CLOSED to archery hunting during the Youth Firearm Deer Season.

2. Open statewide in the N-Allen/ W-Pep. units. Open east of Fisher Road and north of Hazlet Park Road to the Allen Branch Boat Ramp in the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Area until the opening of the Controlled Pheasant Season. Subsequently open only on Mondays and Tuesdays during the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Season (November-January) and after the 5 day clean-up pheasant hunt. Closed in the North Allen Branch Waterfowl Management Area upon opening of the regular Southern-Central Zone Waterfowl season.

3. It will be unlawful to construct or to use any tree stand using nails, screws, wire or any device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree on which it is installed. All tree stands must be portable and are required to be removed at the end of the day's hunt. NO PERMANENT TREE STANDS ALLOWED.

4. Disabled hunting is available in the designated blind locations upon request and reservation. It is strongly recommended that disabled hunters be accompanied by a non-disabled partner, who may also hunt from the same blind location. The non-disabled hunting partner will be restricted to harvest antlerless deer (with a valid unfilled permit) while assisting a disabled hunter.

5. Archery deer is open during the Youth, Regular, Muzzleloader and Late Winter Firearm Deer Seasons. All hunters must wear blaze orange as required for firearm deer hunting during these seasons.

Deer (Youth Firearm)

1. Statewide regulations.

2. Open in the N-Allen unit only.

3. Clinton County has been removed from the Late Winter Firearm season.

Dove

1. Statewide regulations, except hunting hours are 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. daily September 1-5. After September 5, statewide hunting hours until October 14 (season closes).

2. A drawing will be conducted September 1-5 for the managed dove field if necessary. 

3. Open in the N-Allen unit and managed dove field only. 

4. It is the hunter's responsibility to remove all refuse, including empty shotgun shells and boxes, from the hunting area once they have finished hunting.

5. Handicap hunting is available in the managed dove field upon request.

Furbearer Hunting includes Raccoon, Opossum, Striped Skunk, Red Fox, Gray Fox, Coyote and Woodchuck (Groundhog) Hunting

1. Statewide regulations.

2. Open in the N-Allen/ W-Pep. units only.

3. Shotgun or archery, except .17 and .22 caliber rimfire is permitted sunset to sunrise.

Furbearer Trapping

1. Statewide regulations.

2. A valid site permit is required for trapping. Permits are issued via a public drawing held at the site office on the last Tuesday of October at 11 a.m. Registration begins at 10 a.m. All persons entering the drawing must have a current trapping license in their possession and must be present at the time of the drawing.

3. Trappers may have a partner, provided their name is on the registration card prior to the drawing.

4. Trappers must stay in their assigned trapping area.

5. Body gripping traps with a 10-inch jaw spread or larger must be totally submerged in the water when set. Only "Egg Traps," "D-P (Dog Proof) Traps," box traps, cage traps and traps of similar design may be used for land sets.

6. All types of traps are permitted in the N-Allen/W-Pep. units. Land sets only are permitted in the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Areas.

7. Trappers must submit a harvest report to the site office within 10 days following the close of the site trapping program. Failure to report harvest shall result in the trapper being ineligible to trap at this site the following season.

Controlled Pheasant Hunting

1. All Controlled pheasant hunters must sign in and check out daily at the check station and report their harvest.

2. Permits can be obtained at www.dnr.illinois.gov. Select Hunting, then select Upland/Small Game Hunting, and then select Controlled Pheasant Hunting Areas Permit Reservation System.

3. A daily drawing, if necessary, is conducted for standby hunting.

4. Hunting hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Monday, Tuesday and Christmas Day).

5. The daily limit is 2 pheasants of either sex. No other game may be harvested.

6. Habitat Stamp and HIP registration are not required.

7. A free 5-day pheasant only hunt follows the regular Controlled Pheasant Hunting season at this site.

8. Handicap hunting is available upon request. A permit must be obtained at www.dnr.illinois.gov

Controlled Pheasant Hunting (Youth)

1. There is no fee for the youth pheasant hunt, which is usually held in November. The free hunting permit must be obtained at www.dnr.illinois.gov. Select Hunting, then select Upland/Small Game Hunting, and then select Controlled Pheasant Hunting Areas Permit Reservation System. Each permit holder must be accompanied by a non-hunting supervisory adult. If the hunter does not have a valid F.O.I.D. card, the supervisory adult is required to have a valid F.O.I.D. card.

2. Young hunter days are also held during the controlled pheasant season. Youth may hunt for free with a paid adult. Specific dates are announced at www.dnr.illinois.gov

3. Hunting hours are from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

4. All hunters must be between the ages of ten (10) and seventeen (17) and have a youth hunting permit. Habitat stamp and HIP registration are not required.

5. The daily limit is 2 pheasants of either sex. No other game may be harvested.

Rabbit, Quail, Cock Pheasant, Squirrel, Woodcock, Snipe and Rail

1. Statewide regulations.

2. Open in the N-Allen/W-Pep. units only.

Waterfowl

1. Statewide regulations.

2. Open only in the designated North Allen Branch Waterfowl Management Area.

3. Walk-in hunting only is permitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

4. Three designated blind sites are available with a maximum of 4 hunters per site. All hunting must occur between identically numbered stakes.

5. a

   Decoys shall not be left unattended.

6. When the lake floods this area and designated blind sites are inaccessible for walk-in hunting, the area will be open to hunting from boats in conjunction with the Carlyle Lake Project Lands and Waters regulations.

Other site Facilities: Camping, picnic areas, archery range, and boat ramps.

For more information, contact: Eldon Hazlet State Park at (618) 594-3015. Email address: dnr.eldonhazlet@illinois.gov