Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,185 acres of Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Alexander County, next to East Cape Girardeau. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 602 deer in Alexander 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 forestOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landCape Bend State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,185 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Alexander County |
| Deer harvest unit | Alexander County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (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 fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | East Cape Girardeau (next to it), McClure (2 mi) and Thebes (2 mi) |
What can you hunt on Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife 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, deer late-winter antlerless, 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 Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Alexander County. Hunters took 602 deer in Alexander County in 2025-26, against 597 in 2024-25.
| County | Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County | 1,185 | 602 | 597 | 538 |
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 Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: East Cape Girardeau (next to it), McClure (2 miles), Thebes (2 miles) and Olive Branch (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 146 and IL 34.
What other public land is near Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,758 acres, 2 miles away
- Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area: 6,095 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Horseshoe Lake-Alexander State Fish and Wildlife Area: 10,399 acres, 7.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 8,894 of the 35,155 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (25.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 6,030 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,624 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 235 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Alexander County, next to East Cape Girardeau.
Can you deer hunt on Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area?
8,894 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area (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.