French Bluff State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 344 acres of French Bluff State Natural Area open to hunting in Carroll County, 2 miles from Thomson. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,282 deer in Carroll 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 refugesFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesFrench Bluff State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 344 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Carroll County |
| Deer harvest unit | Carroll County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (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 | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Thomson (2 mi), Savanna (8 mi) and Mount Carroll (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on French Bluff State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring and fall archery) and squirrel for French Bluff State Natural Area.
What are the rules on French Bluff 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, deer muzzleloader, deer cwd season 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 French Bluff State Natural Area?
French Bluff State Natural Area lies in Carroll County. Hunters took 1,282 deer in Carroll County in 2025-26, against 1,184 in 2024-25.
| County | French Bluff State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 344 | 1,282 | 1,184 | 1,155 |
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 French Bluff State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Thomson (2 miles), Savanna (8 miles), Mount Carroll (8 miles) and Chadwick (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 84 and IL 78.
What other public land is near French Bluff State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Little Rock Creek State Habitat Area: 150 acres, 8.3 miles away
- Morrison-Rockwood State Park: 1,069 acres, 9.1 miles away
- Mississippi Palisades State Park: 1,807 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of French Bluff State Natural Area
Counting French Bluff State Natural Area itself, 884 of the 25,456 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 344 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 303 |
| National wildlife refuges | 237 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is French Bluff State Natural Area?
In Carroll County, 2 miles from Thomson.
Can you deer hunt on French Bluff State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around French Bluff State Natural Area?
884 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, French Bluff State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Little Rock Creek State Habitat Area (8.3 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.