Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,758 acres of Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Alexander and Union counties, next to McClure. 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 landDevil's Island State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,758 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Alexander County and Union County |
| Deer harvest unit | Alexander 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 |
| 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 | McClure (next to it), East Cape Girardeau (2 mi) and Thebes (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Devil's Island 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 Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Devil's Island 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 Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 602 deer in Alexander County in 2025-26, against 597 in 2024-25.
| County | Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County | 1,571 | 602 | 597 | 538 |
| Union County | 1,188 | 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 Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: McClure (next to it), East Cape Girardeau (2 miles), Thebes (8 miles) and Mill Creek (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 146 and IL 34.
What other public land is near Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area: 6,095 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,185 acres, 2 miles away
- Trail of Tears State Forest: 4,628 acres, 7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 10,789 of the 45,950 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (23.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 6,182 |
| National forest | 4,582 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 20 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Alexander and Union counties, next to McClure.
Can you deer hunt on Devil's Island 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 Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
10,789 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Devil's Island 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 Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area (0.9 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.