Mackinaw River State Fish & Wildlife Area

Location: Five (5) miles northeast of Mackinaw.

Description: 1,428 acres of rolling terrain dominated by two miles of Mackinaw River frontage; 60% timbered, 40% open meadow, agriculture field and two interior ponds. As time and budget allow, this area is targeted for restoration activities and enhancement of wildlife habitat. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site, including prescribed burning.

Available Game Species:

NOTE: Hunters must obtain a windshield card for the species noted above and report harvest online prior to February 15^th. Failure to report harvest will result in loss of hunting privileges at this site for the following year. Windshield cards are available online at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/PHAsUsingOnlineWindshieldCard.aspx​

Species Specific Regulations

Deer

It is unlawful to construct or use any tree stand using nails, screws or any device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree on which it is installed. One tree stand or ground blind per hunter may be left unattended from Sept.15 through Jan.31. Any tree stand or ground blind left unattended must be legibly marked with the owner's name, address and telephone number or site assigned identification number.

• Archery

• Follows statewide season
  

• Must obtain a windshield card and must report.

• Firearm

• Requires a site-specific permit. Permit available through lottery drawing from the Springfield permit office.

• Permit holders must register at the check station by 5:00 a.m. the day of the hunt.

• Unvalidated permits are void after 5:00 a.m.

• Vacancies each day will be filled by a drawing held at 5:00 a.m. Vacancies may be filled by any person holding a valid hunting license, Habitat Stamp, and Firearm Owner Identification Card unless exempt.

• Standby hunters will be issued a one-day site specific deer permit at the check station and charged a permit fee of $5.00.

• All hunters must check out and report harvest.

• Muzzleloader

• Requires a site-specific permit. Permit available through lottery drawing from the Springfield permit office.

• Closed during the second firearm deer season

• Check-in, check-out and reporting of harvest is required
  

Pheasant, Quail, and Rabbit

• Hunters must wear a cap and upper garment of solid and vivid blaze orange of at least 400 square inches at all Department owned or managed sites.

• No upland game hunting during firearm deer season.

• A free site permit is required to hunt pheasant, quail, and rabbit.

• Permit holders may bring no more than five hunting partners allowing for a maximum of six hunters.

• Site permits are issued through a lottery drawing from the Springfield Office.

• Hunting will be permitted on the first and second day of the statewide upland game season and on each subsequent Wednesday and Saturday in November and on each Thursday and Sunday in December, through December 24, except closed during the firearm and muzzleloader deer seasons and open December 27 and 29.

• Non-toxic shot is required for all upland hunting.

Youth Pheasant Hunt

• Hunt will be held on the Saturday after the opening of the Statewide Upland Game Season. Applicants must contact the DNR to obtain a permit reservation. Methods for making reservations are available on the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Program website, by email at: dnr.pheasant@illinois.gov, or by writing to the Department’s Division of Parks and Recreation.

• All hunters must be between the ages of 10 and 17 inclusive.

• Hunters with reservations or permits are required to check in at the check station between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.

• Hunting hours are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Supervising adults are required to wear a cap and upper outer garment of solid and vivid blaze orange of a least 400 square inches. Hunters must wear a back patch issued by the check station.

• All hunting must be done with shotguns.

• Non-toxic shot is required.

Dove

• Must use non-toxic shot

• Sept. 1-5:

• Requires a permit issued through lottery drawing from the Springfield office. Permit holders must check in at the site office/check station prior to 11 am.

• Permits are void after 11 am

• Permit holders may bring 1 hunting partner.

• Daily drawing for unclaimed permits will be held at 11 am.

• Hours are from 12 pm – 5 pm.

• Must check-out at the site office/check station.

• Hunting after Sept. 6:

• Must sign-in at the site office sign-in box

• Stakes will be issued first-come first-served.
  

• Hours are sunrise to sunset.

• Hunters must sign-out at the sign-out box at site office/check station.

• Applicants must be between the ages of 10-17 (inclusive), with a valid Illinois hunting license.

• Each youth must be accompanied by a supervising adult. If the hunter does not have a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card, the supervising adult is required to have a FOID card.

• Applicants must contact the Department to obtain a permit reservation. Starting dates and methods for making reservations will be publicly announced.

• A one-day youth/adult dove hunt will be held the first weekend day in September or Labor Day, whichever comes first, where both the youth and adult will be permitted to hunt.

• All hunters must have a hunting permit and wear a back patch while hunting. Stand-by permits will be available at the site by lottery drawing if vacancies occur.

• Nontoxic shot only – #6 steel shot or #7½ bismuth shot or smaller may be possessed.

• Hours:

• Check-in: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

• Hunting: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Furbearers

Trapping

• Statewide regulations

• A site-specific permit is required and must be in possession while trapping on the area.

• Trappers must stay within assigned areas.

• Trappers must submit a trapping report within two weeks after the trapping season closes.

• 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 here and the drawing shall be held at the site. Persons participating in the drawing must have either a current or previous year trapping license.

• Only Egg Traps®, D-P (Dog-Proof) Traps®, Lil Grizz Get’rz®, box traps, cage traps, and traps of similar design may be used for land sets.

• Only body-gripping traps with a jaw spread of 5 inches or less, foothold traps with a jaw spread of 4.5 inches or less, and square body gripping traps with a 10-inch jaw spread may be used for water sets.

• Snares may be used for water sets.

• .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearms permitted unless otherwise specified

Area Regulations:

1. It is unlawful to possess or consume any alcoholic beverages while hunting on this area.

2. It is unlawful to ride horses on this site or allow horses to enter this site.