Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area

Location: The Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area (SFWA) is located 8 miles northwest of Chandlerville off Route 78. The area lies mostly in Cass and Mason counties. 

Description: Total acres: 10,360; Huntable acres: 7,000; Water acres: 1,700; Open acres: 650; Timbered acres: 7,540

The Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area is primarily a waterfowl management area.The site offers waterfowl, forest game and furbearer hunting with limited upland game opportunities. The area is a typical bottomland complex of sloughs, backwater lakes, timbered ponds, and bottomland timber comprised largely of willow, maple, and cottonwood. Waterfowl hunting is restricted to marked blind sites and a designated walk-in area. There are approximately 60 blind sites which are drawn for on an annual basis; also approximately 500 acres are open to walk-in hunting. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year at this site. 

Available Species:

Special Site Regulations:

1. Hunting for squirrel, quail, rabbit, cock pheasant, deer, wild turkey, rail, woodcock, common snipe, raccoon, fox, coyote, and opossum is permitted except in posted refuge, waterfowl rest areas or within 300 feet of any legal waterfowl blinds and areas posted as closed to deer hunting. Non-toxic shot is required for upland game hunting.
2. Windshield cards are available here. Hunters will be required to return to that webpage prior to February 15th each year to record harvest information. Failure to submit data will result in loss of hunting privileges for the following year.
3. Firearm deer hunting and Turkey Hunting permits are available through the permit Lottery System here. 
4. Deer Hunters may leave one tree stand unattended from 9/15 - 1/31. The stand must be tagged with the hunter's name and address 

Waterfowl Hunting Regulations

Upon the completion of hunting, hunters must report to the check station within one hour.

Duck Blinds and Youth Waterfowl

• Blinds allocated by annual draw held on the last Sunday in July.
• All hunters using this area must report to the check station to complete information cards and/or participate in draw for blind before proceeding to sites.
• All hunting will be from registered blinds. Hunters must occupy sites within 1 hour after registering at the check station. All hunting will cease at 1 pm.
• Registered builders (or partners desiring to claim their blinds) must report to the check station at least 1 hour prior to shooting time each day and occupy that blind for at least 1 hour. Hunters wishing to move to another blind during their daily hunt must report back to the check station for reassignment.
• Upon vacating the blind sites, hunters must report to the check station within 1 hour. Hunters are required to check self out and record harvest at the check station.
• During duck season, blinds not claimed by the builder or partners by one hour before hunting time shall be assigned by a drawing at this time and during the hours from 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
• Once 4 hunters have occupied a blind, all original occupants of the blind must check out at the check station before any additional hunters may occupy that blind. Blinds may be reallocated on a first-come, first-served basis or, if multiple parties arrive at the check station at 8:00 a.m., there will be a second drawing, after which time the area shall be closed to additional hunters.
• All parties must hunt over a minimum of 12 decoys of at least standard size.
• Hunters 16 years of age and younger must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
• Subject to special dates for youth waterfowl hunting made by Department public announcement
• No more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind at one time, except during statewide Youth Waterfowl Hunting, 5 persons may occupy a blind at one time only if the party is comprised of 2 youth hunters, their non-hunting parents and one non-hunting guide.

Baker Unit

• Lottery-draw walk-in area with 4 separate hunting compartments.
• One party of hunters (up to 4 hunters per party) will be permitted to hunt in each hunting compartment.
• An outdoor drawing will be conducted for this unit one hour and 15 minutes prior to legal shooting time. This will occur outside the garage door at the new metal building.
• Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
• Social distancing must be adhered to until further notice.
• Unit will be closed during the regular firearm deer season.
• Unit will be open during the muzzleloader deer season and hunters are required to wear blaze orange while traveling to and from the site.
• All hunting stops at 1:00 pm.

Walk-in Hunting

• Hunters using the main walk-in hunting area from opening day of the Central Zone duck season through the first Sunday of the Central Zone duck season must have a permit issued from the site office. Procedures for issuance of permits will be publicly announced.
• Hunters using the walk-in area shall use the check station at the headquarters area located 8 miles northwest of Chandlerville just off Route 78.
• Walk-in waterfowl hunting shall be permitted only in the area posted for this purpose.
• All hunters using a walk-in area must report to the check station to fill out information cards and to turn in hunting licenses or valid photo identification (example: Firearm Owner's Identification Card, driver's license) before proceeding to area.
• Hunters may use boats without motors in the walk-in area; the construction and/or use of permanent blinds in the walk-in area is prohibited.
• Topper's Hole is a walk-in area accessed by boat only, no check-in, check-out, no permanent blinds, hunting parties must stay at least 200 yards apart, hunting parties shall hunt over no less than 6 decoys, daily hunting hours are legal shooting hours through 1:00 PM.
• All hunting stops at 1:00 PM.

Teal

• Statewide regulations
• Harvest must be reported by February 15 through the Windshield Card System

Goose

• Check in and check out required.
• Early Canada goose season follows statewide regulations
• Hunting from a completed blind or staked site is waived during seasons held before the regular duck season or for seasons held after the regular Canada goose season.
• When the Central Zone goose season extends beyond the duck season, goose hunting shall be permitted with statewide hunting hours in effect.
• All hunting must be conducted within non-refuge areas.
  

SAFE HUNTING IS NO ACCIDENT!! 

For more information contact: Site Superintendent, 3594 CR 200 N., Chandlerville, IL 62627 or (309) 546-2628

 ​​​