Big River State Forest: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,674 acres of Big River State Forest open to hunting in Henderson County, 2 miles from Keithsburg. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Henderson 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 wildlife refugesFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther IDNR and state landLand trusts and other open landBig River State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,674 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Henderson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Henderson County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state forest |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Keithsburg (2 mi), Oquawka (4 mi) and Seaton (6 mi) |
What is Big River State Forest like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 18 hunting areas: Milroy, North, South, Field 1A, Field 1B, Field 6B, Field 7B, Field 2A, Field 2B, Field 3C and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Big River State Forest?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant and woodcock for Big River State Forest.
What are the rules on Big River State Forest?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader and turkey spring; county permit for deer late-winter antlerless 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 River State Forest?
Big River State Forest lies in Henderson County. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Henderson County in 2025-26, against 1,015 in 2024-25.
| County | Big River State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County | 2,673 | 1,063 | 1,015 | 952 |
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 River State Forest?
Nearest towns: Keithsburg (2 miles), Oquawka (4 miles), Seaton (6 miles) and Little York (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 94.
What other public land is near Big River State Forest?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,520 acres, 6.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Big River State Forest
Counting Big River State Forest itself, 5,346 of the 49,696 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,674 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 2,273 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 333 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 56 |
| National wildlife refuges | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Big River State Forest?
In Henderson County, 2 miles from Keithsburg.
Can you deer hunt on Big River State Forest?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Big River State Forest?
5,346 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Big River State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (6.2 miles).
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.