Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,517 acres of Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Hamilton and White counties, 3 miles from Enfield. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 2,671 deer in Hamilton 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 landHamilton County State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,517 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Hamilton County and White County |
| Deer harvest unit | Hamilton County, White County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant 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) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| 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 | Enfield (3 mi), Norris City (5 mi) and McLeansboro (7 mi) |
What is Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 2 hunting areas: South, North.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Hamilton County 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 and woodcock for Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Hamilton County 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 and turkey fall firearm; special hunt permit from Springfield for 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 Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,671 deer in Hamilton County in 2025-26, against 2,646 in 2024-25.
| County | Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 1,481 | 2,671 | 2,646 | 2,361 |
| White County | 36 | 1,790 | 1,668 | 1,588 |
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 Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Enfield (3 miles), Norris City (5 miles), McLeansboro (7 miles) and Springerton (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 14 and US 45.
What other public land is near Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: 6,979 acres, 10 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 1,686 of the 35,957 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,517 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 169 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Hamilton and White counties, 3 miles from Enfield.
Can you deer hunt on Hamilton County 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 Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
1,686 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hamilton County 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 Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (10 miles).
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.