Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,520 acres of Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Henderson County, next to Gladstone. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Henderson 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 huntingFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther IDNR and state landLand trusts and other open landHenderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,520 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Henderson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Henderson County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Gladstone (next to it), Oquawka (2 mi) and Biggsville (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and waterfowl (walk-in) for Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery.
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 Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Henderson County. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Henderson County in 2025-26, against 1,015 in 2024-25.
| County | Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County | 1,520 | 1,063 | 1,015 | 952 |
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 Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Gladstone (next to it), Oquawka (2 miles), Biggsville (6 miles) and Gulfport (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 94 and IL 116.
What other public land is near Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Big River State Forest: 2,674 acres, 6.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 2,724 of the 31,986 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,520 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 946 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 143 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 115 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Henderson County, next to Gladstone.
Can you deer hunt on Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Henderson Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
2,724 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Henderson Creek 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 Big River State Forest (6.2 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.