Cypress Pond State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,056 acres of Cypress Pond State Natural Area open to hunting in Johnson and Union counties, 2 miles from Buncombe. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 1,993 deer in Johnson 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 landLand trusts and other open landCypress Pond State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,056 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Johnson County and Union County |
| Deer harvest unit | Johnson County, Union 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 |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Buncombe (2 mi), Cypress (6 mi) and Goreville (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Cypress Pond State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, turkey spring, turkey fall archery 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 Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
Cypress Pond State Natural Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,993 deer in Johnson County in 2025-26, against 2,015 in 2024-25.
| County | Cypress Pond State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 629 | 1,993 | 2,015 | 2,017 |
| Union County | 427 | 2,109 | 2,162 | 2,098 |
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 Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Buncombe (2 miles), Cypress (6 miles), Goreville (6 miles) and Vienna (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-57, IL 146 and IL 37.
What other public land is near Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Ferne Clyffe State Park: 1,807 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Cache River State Natural Area: 15,651 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Deer Pond State Natural Area: 197 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Giant City State Park: 2,949 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Cypress Pond State Natural Area
Counting Cypress Pond State Natural Area itself, 1,891 of the 31,792 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,135 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 641 |
| National forest | 81 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 34 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
In Johnson and Union counties, 2 miles from Buncombe.
Can you deer hunt on Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Cypress Pond State Natural Area?
1,891 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Cypress Pond State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Ferne Clyffe State Park (2.3 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.