Prairie State Wire

Waterfowl hunters in Illinois are advised to prepare for the upcoming waterfowl blind drawings scheduled at various public hunting areas across the state. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will conduct these traditional blind drawings, with participants required to adhere to specific procedures at each site.

Hunters must register in person and be present at the designated locations immediately after registration to claim their blind sites. Mail-in or pre-registrations are not permitted, and allocations are valid for one year. To enter a drawing, applicants need a 2024 or 2025 regular Illinois hunting license, a 2024 or 2025 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp unless exempted by law, and valid photo identification. Applicants must be at least 16 years old on the drawing date; apprentice licenses and youth licenses require additional hunter safety certification.

Licenses and stamps should be purchased beforehand as most locations do not offer sales on-site. These can be acquired from any IDNR vendor or via exploremoreil.com.

A valid Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card is no longer necessary for participation in the drawings. Eligibility requires that participants have no suspended or revoked hunting privileges by IDNR or any other jurisdiction. Out-of-state residents need an annual non-resident hunting license for Illinois along with an Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp; five-day licenses are not accepted.

For those unable to hunt from a waterfowl blind due to disability, standing vehicle permits may be issued by IDNR upon application.

The schedule for the 2025 blind drawings includes:

- July 20: Mississippi River Pool 21 and Pool 22 in Adams County, Mississippi River Pool 24 in Pike County.

- July 26: Chain O' Lakes State Park, Redwing Slough/Deer Lake State Natural Area in Lake County, Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area in Will County, Kankakee River State Park and Momence Wetlands in Kankakee and Will Counties, Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area in Grundy County, Shabbona Lake State Recreation Area in DeKalb County, Sinnissippi Lake in Whiteside County, William Powers State Recreation Area in Cook County.

- July 27: Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area in Fulton County, Clear Lake in Mason County, Lake DePue State Fish and Wildlife Area in Bureau County, Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area including Sparland Unit in Marshall County, Meredosia Lake (allocated for two years) spanning Morgan and Cass counties.

- August 2: Mississippi River Pools 16 through 18 covering Rock Island, Mercer, Henderson counties.

Additional information on hunting sites can be accessed online.

The IDNR marks its centennial celebration of conservation efforts throughout Illinois this year. Established as the Illinois Department of Conservation on July 1st, 1925, it now manages around 400 sites statewide encompassing parks, wildlife areas, fisheries management among other responsibilities. More details about their work can be found at https://dnr.illinois.gov.