Fort Kaskaskia OWR: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 11,943 acres of Fort Kaskaskia OWR open to hunting in Randolph, St. Clair and Monroe counties, next to Fayetteville. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 4,148 deer in Randolph 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 refugesOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landFort Kaskaskia OWRCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 11,943 acres in 168 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Randolph County, St. Clair County and Monroe County |
| Deer harvest unit | Randolph County, St. Clair County, Monroe County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail and Woodcock |
| 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 historic site |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Fayetteville (next to it), Evansville (next to it) and New Athens (next to it) |
What can you hunt on Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail and woodcock for Fort Kaskaskia OWR.
What are the rules on Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
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.
IDNR's exceptions: Additional Firearm Deer season requring county permit to enter site drawing.
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 Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
Fort Kaskaskia OWR lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 4,148 deer in Randolph County in 2025-26, against 4,253 in 2024-25.
| County | Fort Kaskaskia OWR acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 5,670 | 4,148 | 4,253 | 4,056 |
| St. Clair County | 4,460 | 1,928 | 1,712 | 1,696 |
| Monroe County | 1,813 | 1,995 | 1,908 | 1,797 |
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 Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
Nearest towns: Fayetteville (next to it), Evansville (next to it), New Athens (next to it) and Ellis Grove (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 4, IL 15, IL 13 and IL 154.
What other public land is near Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,607 acres, next to it
- Fort Kaskaskia: 199 acres, next to it
- Randolph County State Recreation Area: 869 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Fort de Chartes: 1,021 acres, 8.6 miles away
- Illinois Caverns State Natural Area: 118 acres, 9.4 miles away
- Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,284 acres, 9.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Fort Kaskaskia OWR
Counting Fort Kaskaskia OWR itself, 21,930 of the 203,511 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 | 13,748 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 5,778 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,072 |
| National wildlife refuges | 256 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 76 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
In Randolph, St. Clair and Monroe counties, next to Fayetteville.
Can you deer hunt on Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
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 Fort Kaskaskia OWR?
21,930 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Fort Kaskaskia OWR included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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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.
Illinois hunting Randolph County St. Clair County Monroe County