Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 3,077 acres of Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Kankakee, Will and Grundy counties, next to Essex. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 749 deer in Kankakee 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 landMazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,077 acres in 20 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Kankakee County, Will County and Grundy County |
| Deer harvest unit | Kankakee County, Will County, Grundy 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 | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Essex (next to it), Braceville (next to it) and East Brooklyn (next to it) |
What is Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Braidwood Lake, East South Mazonia, Mazonia North Unit, East-North Mazonia.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and waterfowl (blinds) for Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery.
IDNR's notes: Gas motor boats required. No wake zone by ramps. Boats must be electric motor only. Wilderness Area. Includes fossil hunting.
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 Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 749 deer in Kankakee County in 2025-26, against 683 in 2024-25.
| County | Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee County | 1,494 | 749 | 683 | 585 |
| Will County | 1,401 | 1,063 | 1,032 | 1,022 |
| Grundy County | 183 | 796 | 753 | 727 |
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 Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Essex (next to it), Braceville (next to it), East Brooklyn (next to it) and South Wilmington (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: I-55, IL 53, IL 129, IL 113 and IL 17.
What other public land is near Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area: 343 acres, 3 miles away
- Kankakee River State Park: 2,101 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Des Plaines Game Propagation Center: 145 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,933 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area: 2,982 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 5,037 of the 52,456 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,077 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,153 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 807 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Kankakee, Will and Grundy counties, next to Essex.
Can you deer hunt on Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area?
5,037 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mazonia-Braidwood 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 Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area (3 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.