Hanover Bluff State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 493 acres of Hanover Bluff State Natural Area open to hunting in Jo Daviess County, next to Hanover. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess 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 lakesOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landHanover Bluff State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 493 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jo Daviess County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jo Daviess County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel and Rabbit |
| 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 |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Hanover (next to it), Elizabeth (6 mi) and The Galena Territory (10 mi) |
What is Hanover Bluff State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: Eagle's Nest, South, North.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel and rabbit for Hanover Bluff State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Hanover 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; county permit for 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 Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
Hanover Bluff State Natural Area lies in Jo Daviess County. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess County in 2025-26, against 2,675 in 2024-25.
| County | Hanover Bluff State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County | 493 | 2,698 | 2,675 | 2,684 |
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 Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Hanover (next to it), Elizabeth (6 miles), The Galena Territory (10 miles) and Savanna (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 84.
What other public land is near Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Lost Mound Unit: 12,341 acres, next to it
- Primm's Pond State Natural Area: 168 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Rall Woods State Natural Area: 280 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,133 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Mississippi Palisades State Park: 1,807 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Tapley Woods State Natural Area: 267 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hanover Bluff State Natural Area
Counting Hanover Bluff State Natural Area itself, 5,934 of the 29,766 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,581 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 561 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 413 |
| National wildlife refuges | 364 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 15 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
In Jo Daviess County, next to Hanover.
Can you deer hunt on Hanover 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 Hanover Bluff State Natural Area?
5,934 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hanover Bluff State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Lost Mound Unit (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.