Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,383 acres of Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area open to hunting in Crawford and Lawrence counties, 6 miles from Flat Rock. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,426 deer in Crawford 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 landChauncey Marsh State Natural AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 1,383 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Crawford County and Lawrence County |
| Deer harvest unit | Crawford County, Lawrence County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Flat Rock (6 mi), Stoy (9 mi) and Bridgeport (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Chauncey Marsh 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; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm and turkey spring.
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 Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,426 deer in Crawford County in 2025-26, against 2,464 in 2024-25.
| County | Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 889 | 2,426 | 2,464 | 2,222 |
| Lawrence County | 494 | 1,404 | 1,424 | 1,327 |
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 Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Flat Rock (6 miles), Stoy (9 miles), Bridgeport (9 miles) and Sumner (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 1.
What other public land is near Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Red Hills State Park: 798 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area
Counting Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area itself, 1,508 of the 36,479 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,383 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 125 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
In Crawford and Lawrence counties, 6 miles from Flat Rock.
Can you deer hunt on Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area?
1,508 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Red Hills State Park (6.4 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.