Lowden-Miller State Forest: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,206 acres of Lowden-Miller State Forest open to hunting in Ogle County, next to Lost Nation. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,620 deer in Ogle 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 landLand trusts and other open landLowden-Miller State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,206 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Ogle County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ogle County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey and Squirrel |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (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 |
| Site type (IDNR) | state forest |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Lost Nation (next to it), Oregon (3 mi) and Grand Detour (3 mi) |
What is Lowden-Miller State Forest like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 2 hunting areas: North, South.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Lowden-Miller State Forest?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and CWD season), turkey (spring and fall archery) and squirrel for Lowden-Miller State Forest.
What are the rules on Lowden-Miller State Forest?
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 cwd season 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 Lowden-Miller State Forest?
Lowden-Miller State Forest lies in Ogle County. Hunters took 1,620 deer in Ogle County in 2025-26, against 1,544 in 2024-25.
| County | Lowden-Miller State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogle County | 2,206 | 1,620 | 1,544 | 1,457 |
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 Lowden-Miller State Forest?
Nearest towns: Lost Nation (next to it), Oregon (3 miles), Grand Detour (3 miles) and Mount Morris (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 2 and IL 64.
What other public land is near Lowden-Miller State Forest?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Castle Rock State Park: 1,645 acres, next to it
- Nachusa Prairie State Natural Area: 72 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Lowden State Park: 80 acres, 3.8 miles away
- White Pines Forest: 321 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Franklin Creek State Natural Area: 783 acres, 4.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lowden-Miller State Forest
Counting Lowden-Miller State Forest itself, 4,888 of the 38,227 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,851 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 551 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 362 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 124 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lowden-Miller State Forest?
In Ogle County, next to Lost Nation.
Can you deer hunt on Lowden-Miller State Forest?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Lowden-Miller State Forest?
4,888 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lowden-Miller State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Castle Rock State Park (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.