Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,133 acres of Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Jo Daviess County, 4 miles from 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 landIris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,133 acres |
|---|---|
| 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) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Hanover (4 mi), The Galena Territory (5 mi) and Elizabeth (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel and rabbit for Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Iris and Jack Witkowsky 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; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, deer cwd season, turkey spring and 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 Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife 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 | Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County | 1,133 | 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 Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Hanover (4 miles), The Galena Territory (5 miles), Elizabeth (5 miles) and Galena (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 84 and US 20.
What other public land is near Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Apple River Canyon State Park: 1,731 acres, 1 mile away
- Lost Mound Unit: 12,341 acres, 2 miles away
- Tapley Woods State Natural Area: 267 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Primm's Pond State Natural Area: 168 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Hanover Bluff State Natural Area: 493 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Rall Woods State Natural Area: 280 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 5,733 of the 31,662 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (18.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,372 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,921 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 230 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 200 |
| National wildlife refuges | 10 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Jo Daviess County, 4 miles from Hanover.
Can you deer hunt on Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife 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 Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area?
5,733 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Iris and Jack Witkowsky 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 Apple River Canyon State Park (1 mile).
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.