Shabbona Lake - Waterfowl

Location: Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area is just south of US Rt. 30 and the Village of Shabbona. The hunter check station is located at the Park Office. Take Shabbona Rd. south from Rt. 30 for 2 ½ miles to Shabbona Grove Road, turn left (east) on Shabbona Grove Rd. for ½ mile, the entrance to the Park Office is on the left (north) side of the road.

Description: This is an area of approximately 1550 total acres with 776 huntable acres that offer a variety of habitat types. The site is composed of areas of mature hardwoods interspersed with cultivated fields, bottoms, pine plantations, sloughs and tall grass prairie. Waterfowl hunting is allowed only from 6 pre-constructed blinds located on the site.

All regulations found in the Illinois Wildlife Code, Federal Regulations, and Administrative Orders will apply unless area regulations are more restrictive.

Special Area Regulations:

1. Blind sites will be allocated by an annual drawing. Blind winners will be awarded their blind site choice for either November or December.
2. Persons awarded a blind, or their pre-designated partners, must sign-in and claim their blind one hour before legal shooting time each day. No more than 3 persons shall be registered for assignment to any blind site. No person shall be allowed to be a blind winner, or partner, on more than one State Waterfowl Management Area in Illinois.
3. Blinds remaining unclaimed one hour before legal shooting time may be claimed by stand-by hunters on a first come - first served basis.  All hunters are required to register (sign-in) prior to entering the field.
4. All hunting will be from designated blinds only. No more than 4 persons shall occupy a blind. Persons may only hunt from the blind they signed-in for that day (no movement from blind to blind).
5. All hunters are required to sign-in, sign-out, and report all birds taken on the check station sheets.
6. Hunters are required to park in existing archery deer hunter parking lots on the park perimeter and walk to their designated blind site.
7. Waterfowl hunting will be conducted only during November & December when the North Waterfowl Zone is open. Waterfowl species other than Canada geese may be hunted if the statewide season for the species in question is open in the North Waterfowl Zone during November and December exclusive of the Canada goose season.
8. Hunting hours are from the legal opening time until 1PM daily. Hunters must be out of the field and checked out by 2PM daily.
9. Persons under 16 years of age shall not hunt, or attempt to hunt, unless accompanied by an adult.
10. All hunting parties shall hunt over a spread of at least 12 decoys.
11. All hunters will be responsible for the daily removal of all trash, litter, spent shells, etc.      
12. Further restrictions may exist. See regulations posted at the site before hunting.

It Shall Be Unlawful:

• For any person to consume any alcoholic beverage, including beer and wine, while on the area for the purpose of hunting.
• For any person to perform any weed or brush control around any blind site; or, to cut / remove / disturb any vegetation anywhere on the site, without prior approval from the site superintendent.
• While attempting to take migratory waterfowl or coots to have in possession any shotgun shells not approved as non-toxic by federal regulations.
• To possess any shotgun shell loaded with a shot size larger than steel “T”; Bismuth - Tin, Federal UltraShok High Density, Environ-Metal HEVI-Steel “BBB”; Federal Tungsten / Iron, Kent Tungsten / Matrix (Impact), Federal Tungsten / Polymer “BB”; Environ-Metal HEVI Shot, Remington Wingmaster HD, Winchester Xtended Range Hi-Density, Environ-Metal Dead Coyote! “B”; Environ-Metal HEVI-13 “1"; or Federal Heavyweight “3" while attempting to take waterfowl in Illinois.

For further information contact: Shabbona Lake SRA 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona, IL  60550  

Phone 815/824-2106