Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 509 acres of Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area open to hunting in Bureau and Putnam counties, 3 miles from Bureau Junction. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 1,848 deer in Bureau 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 landMiller-Anderson Woods State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 509 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Bureau County and Putnam County |
| Deer harvest unit | Bureau County, Putnam County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Bureau Junction (3 mi), Hennepin (4 mi) and Tiskilwa (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless) for Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader and deer late-winter antlerless.
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 Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,848 deer in Bureau County in 2025-26, against 1,906 in 2024-25.
| County | Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau County | 408 | 1,848 | 1,906 | 1,915 |
| Putnam County | 101 | 763 | 739 | 704 |
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 Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Bureau Junction (3 miles), Hennepin (4 miles), Tiskilwa (6 miles) and De Pue (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-180, IL 26, IL 29 and IL 71.
What other public land is near Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Donnelley State Fish and Wildlife Area: 323 acres, 4 miles away
- Lake DePue State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,029 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,460 acres, 8.5 miles away
- George S. Park Memorial Woods State Natural Area: 82 acres, 8.6 miles away
- Whitefield State Habitat Area: 119 acres, 9.2 miles away
- Putnam County: 234 acres, 9.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area
Counting Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area itself, 5,214 of the 27,876 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (18.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 4,654 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 509 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 46 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
In Bureau and Putnam counties, 3 miles from Bureau Junction.
Can you deer hunt on Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area?
5,214 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Miller-Anderson Woods State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Donnelley State Fish and Wildlife Area (4 miles).
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.