Location: Jo Daviess County, 7 miles north of Hanover on Blackjack Rd. It is managed by Apple River Canyon State Park.
Description : Total Acres: 1,086. Water Acres: 0; Open Acres: 508; Timbered Acres: 578; Huntable Acres: 1,086
The vegetative cover of the area is a mixture of timbered slopes with grasslands, row crops, and hay fields predominant on ridge tops and wide valleys. The topography is steep, consisting of unglaciated ridges. The area is bordered by private lands with timbered slopes and cultivated valleys and ridge tops. The excellent habitat on this area provides optimum cover for squirrel, deer, and turkey. Deer and turkey are abundant in this area and should provide some good hunting. Rabbit populations in this area are also good.
This site is owned and managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Management activities on this site may occur throughout the year, including the hunting seasons.
Available Game Species :
Species |
Seasons |
Hunting Hours |
Bag Limits |
Special Regulations |
Squirrel & Rabbit |
Opens after 2nd firearm deer season. |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Shotgun or Bow & Arrow. See #4 and 5 below |
Turkey (Spring Youth) |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 10 hunters See #4, 5, and 7 below. |
Turkey (Spring) |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 10 hunters per season. See #4, 5, and 6 below. |
Turkey (Fall Shotgun) |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 10 hunters. See #5 and 6 below. |
Turkey (Fall Archery) |
Opens Oct. 15th |
Statewide |
Statewide |
No hunter quota. See #5 and 8 below |
Deer (Archery) |
Opens Oct. 15th |
Statewide |
Statewide |
No hunter quota. See #5, 8, and 9 below |
Deer (Firearm) |
First or Second Season |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 30 hunters per season. See #4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 below. |
Deer (CWD) |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 30 hunters per season . See #4,5,6,8, and 9 below. |
Deer (Muzzeloader) |
Muzzleloader only Season |
Statewide |
Statewide |
Quota of 30 hunters. See #4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 below. Muzzleloader Permit Only. Invalid during 2nd portion of firearm deer season. |
Coyote |
Coincides with deer seasons |
Sunrise to Sunset |
Statewide |
Only valid permit holders may take coyotes by legal means. Coyotes may be taken with bow & arrow during archery season. See #5 below |
Area Regulations:
- All Statewide Regulations apply.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or to consume beer, wine, or intoxicating liquors while hunting on the area.
- No ground fires or camping allowed.
- Area closed to non-hunters during deer firearm seasons (Youth, Firearm, CWD, and Muzzleloader) and until 1:00pm during turkey firearm seasons (Youth and Spring). Exception: supervising adult during youth season.
- Hunters must obtain a windshield card online at the IDNR website, https://dnr2.illinois.gov/windshieldcard/. This permit must be displayed and visible under the vehicle windshield and the pocket portion in possession while hunting at the site. Hunters must report their annual harvest online by February 15th (even is the hunter did not hunt) or they forfeit hunting privileges at the site for the following year.
- All turkey and firearm deer hunters must obtain a Special Hunt Area permit. Special Hunt Area permits are not valid anywhere else in the county. County permits are not valid for the Special Hunt Area.
- For Youth Turkey and Deer seasons, only Jo Daviess Co. permit holders that contact the site office will be issued a youth season. Windshield Cards will be issued until quotas are reached.
- All other hunting is closed during firearm deer seasons (Youth, Firearm, CWD, and Muzzleloader). Exception: coyote may be taken by firearm deer hunters with Special Hunt Area permit.
- It shall be unlawful to construct or to use any tree stand that utilizes nails, screws, wire or any device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree on which it is installed. Any tree stand must be portable and removed from the tree at the end of each day.
For further information contact: Apple River Canyon State Park, Apple River, IL 61001; Telephone: (815)745-3302.
For Tourism Information contact: Galena Country Welcome Center, 123 N. Commerce St., Galena, IL 61036 (815)776-9200, galena@visitgalena.org
