Lost Mound Unit: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 12,341 acres of Lost Mound Unit open to hunting in Jo Daviess and Carroll counties, 3 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 landLost Mound UnitCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 12,341 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Jo Daviess County and Carroll County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jo Daviess County, Carroll County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Nearest towns | Hanover (3 mi), Savanna (7 mi) and Elizabeth (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Lost Mound Unit?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm) and waterfowl (walk-in) for Lost Mound Unit.
What are the rules on Lost Mound Unit?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm.
IDNR's notes: Lost Mound Unit. River along Lost Mound Unit.
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 Lost Mound Unit?
Lost Mound Unit lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess County in 2025-26, against 2,675 in 2024-25.
| County | Lost Mound Unit acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County | 10,886 | 2,698 | 2,675 | 2,684 |
| Carroll County | 1,403 | 1,282 | 1,184 | 1,155 |
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 Lost Mound Unit?
Nearest towns: Hanover (3 miles), Savanna (7 miles), Elizabeth (7 miles) and The Galena Territory (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 84.
What other public land is near Lost Mound Unit?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Primm's Pond State Natural Area: 168 acres, next to it
- Hanover Bluff State Natural Area: 493 acres, next to it
- Rall Woods State Natural Area: 280 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Iris and Jack Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,133 acres, 2 miles away
- Mississippi Palisades State Park: 1,807 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Apple River Canyon State Park: 1,731 acres, 3.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lost Mound Unit
Counting Lost Mound Unit itself, 18,080 of the 87,761 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (20.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 13,928 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 2,045 |
| National wildlife refuges | 742 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 708 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 642 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 15 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lost Mound Unit?
In Jo Daviess and Carroll counties, 3 miles from Hanover.
Can you deer hunt on Lost Mound Unit?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Lost Mound Unit?
18,080 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lost Mound Unit included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Primm's Pond State Natural Area (next to it).
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.