Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 331 acres of Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area open to hunting in Pope County, 4 miles from Rosiclare. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 2,070 deer in Pope 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 huntingNational forestLand trusts and other open landBig Grand Pierre Glade State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 331 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pope County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pope County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Rosiclare (4 mi), Golconda (5 mi) and Elizabethtown (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm) and squirrel for Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm.
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 Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area lies in Pope County. Hunters took 2,070 deer in Pope County in 2025-26, against 2,114 in 2024-25.
| County | Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County | 331 | 2,070 | 2,114 | 2,293 |
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 Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Rosiclare (4 miles), Golconda (5 miles), Elizabethtown (7 miles) and Eddyville (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 34 and IL 146.
What other public land is near Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Golconda Marina: 294 acres, 3.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area
Counting Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area itself, 5,932 of the 25,458 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (23.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 5,160 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 441 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 331 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
In Pope County, 4 miles from Rosiclare.
Can you deer hunt on Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area?
5,932 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Golconda Marina (3.8 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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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.