Franklin Creek State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 783 acres of Franklin Creek State Natural Area open to hunting in Lee County, next to Franklin Grove. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lee 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 landLand trusts and other open landFranklin Creek State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 783 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lee County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Franklin Grove (next to it), Nachusa (2 mi) and Lost Nation (3 mi) |
What is Franklin Creek State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: Zone A, Zone C, Zone B.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and CWD season) and turkey (fall archery) for Franklin Creek State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Franklin Creek 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 deer cwd season.
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 Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
Franklin Creek State Natural Area lies in Lee County. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lee County in 2025-26, against 1,493 in 2024-25.
| County | Franklin Creek State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 783 | 1,404 | 1,493 | 1,213 |
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 Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Franklin Grove (next to it), Nachusa (2 miles), Lost Nation (3 miles) and Grand Detour (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-88, IL 38, US 52 and IL 2.
What other public land is near Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Nachusa Prairie State Natural Area: 72 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Lowden-Miller State Forest: 2,206 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Castle Rock State Park: 1,645 acres, 6.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Franklin Creek State Natural Area
Counting Franklin Creek State Natural Area itself, 1,180 of the 32,253 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 855 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 236 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 89 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
In Lee County, next to Franklin Grove.
Can you deer hunt on Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Franklin Creek State Natural Area?
1,180 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Franklin Creek State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Nachusa Prairie State Natural Area (2.2 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.