Kishwaukee River State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 401 acres of Kishwaukee River State Natural Area open to hunting in DeKalb County, next to Kirkland. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 413 deer in DeKalb 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 landForest preserves, county and city landKishwaukee River State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 401 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Deer harvest unit | DeKalb County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (IDNR) | open at the site |
| 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 | Kirkland (next to it), Kingston (5 mi) and Monroe Center (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and CWD season) and turkey (spring and fall archery) for Kishwaukee River State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery, deer cwd season and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm 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 Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
Kishwaukee River State Natural Area lies in DeKalb County. Hunters took 413 deer in DeKalb County in 2025-26, against 429 in 2024-25.
| County | Kishwaukee River State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 401 | 413 | 429 | 389 |
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 Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Kirkland (next to it), Kingston (5 miles), Monroe Center (6 miles) and Genoa (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 72.
What other public land is near Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
Public land within 3 miles of Kishwaukee River State Natural Area
Counting Kishwaukee River State Natural Area itself, 876 of the 26,890 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 401 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 297 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 178 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
In DeKalb County, next to Kirkland.
Can you deer hunt on Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, open at the site.
How much public land is around Kishwaukee River State Natural Area?
876 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Kishwaukee River State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
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.