Beaver Dam State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 358 acres of Beaver Dam State Park open to hunting in Macoupin County, 5 miles from Chesterfield. Deer archery: hunts for disabled hunters and open at the site. Hunters took 3,533 deer in Macoupin County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landBeaver Dam State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 358 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Macoupin County |
| Deer harvest unit | Macoupin County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | hunts for disabled hunters and open at the site |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | hunts for disabled hunters |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Chesterfield (5 mi), Carlinville (6 mi) and Royal Lakes (7 mi) |
What is Beaver Dam State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, Handicap Blind.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Beaver Dam State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (spring and fall archery) and squirrel for Beaver Dam State Park.
What are the rules on Beaver Dam State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: hunts for disabled hunters and open at the site, depending on the hunting area for deer archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for turkey spring; hunts for disabled hunters for turkey fall archery.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Beaver Dam State Park?
Beaver Dam State Park lies in Macoupin County. Hunters took 3,533 deer in Macoupin County in 2025-26, against 3,611 in 2024-25.
| County | Beaver Dam State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macoupin County | 358 | 3,533 | 3,611 | 3,115 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Beaver Dam State Park?
Nearest towns: Chesterfield (5 miles), Carlinville (6 miles), Royal Lakes (7 miles) and Shipman (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 111.
What other public land is near Beaver Dam State Park?
Public land within 3 miles of Beaver Dam State Park
Counting Beaver Dam State Park itself, 705 of the 28,180 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 358 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 347 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Beaver Dam State Park?
In Macoupin County, 5 miles from Chesterfield.
Can you deer hunt on Beaver Dam State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, hunts for disabled hunters and open at the site.
How much public land is around Beaver Dam State Park?
705 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Beaver Dam State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.