Mississippi River Area - Calhoun: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,105 acres of Mississippi River Area - Calhoun open to hunting in Calhoun County, 2 miles from Grafton. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 1,696 deer in Calhoun 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 refugesOther IDNR and state landLand trusts and other open landMississippi River Area - CalhounCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,105 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Calhoun County |
| Deer harvest unit | Calhoun County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Nearest towns | Grafton (2 mi), Brussels (4 mi) and Elsah (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and waterfowl (blinds) for Mississippi River Area - Calhoun.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery.
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 Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
Mississippi River Area - Calhoun lies in Calhoun County. Hunters took 1,696 deer in Calhoun County in 2025-26, against 1,698 in 2024-25.
| County | Mississippi River Area - Calhoun acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 2,105 | 1,696 | 1,698 | 1,670 |
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 Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
Nearest towns: Grafton (2 miles), Brussels (4 miles), Elsah (6 miles) and Otterville (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 100 and IL 3.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Pere Marquette State Park: 5,360 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Iowa Island: 237 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake: 2,811 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Mississippi River Area: 2,508 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Fuller Lake: 1,015 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Twelve Mile Island: 240 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Area - Calhoun
Counting Mississippi River Area - Calhoun itself, 7,293 of the 36,652 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 5,659 |
| National wildlife refuges | 853 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 690 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 91 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
In Calhoun County, 2 miles from Grafton.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Mississippi River Area - Calhoun?
7,293 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Area - Calhoun included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Pere Marquette State Park (next to it).
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.