Mississippi River Area - Dog Island: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,907 acres of Mississippi River Area - Dog Island open to hunting in Calhoun County, 2 miles from Hamburg. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. 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 landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landMississippi River Area - Dog IslandCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,907 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Calhoun County |
| Deer harvest unit | Calhoun County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Nearest towns | Hamburg (2 mi), Kampsville (7 mi) and Nebo (7 mi) |
What is Mississippi River Area - Dog Island like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 6 hunting areas: Rip-Rap Landing, Rip Rap North, Rip Rap Center, Rip Rap South, Rip Rap East, Rip Rap Refuge.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Mississippi River Area - Dog Island.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm.
Part of the site is marked as a wildlife refuge in IDNR's records.
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 - Dog Island?
Mississippi River Area - Dog Island 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 - Dog Island acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 2,907 | 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 - Dog Island?
Nearest towns: Hamburg (2 miles), Kampsville (7 miles), Nebo (7 miles) and Pleasant Hill (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 96.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Mississippi River Area - Red's Landing: 1,380 acres, 5 miles away
- Mississippi River Pool #24: 3,078 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Mississippi River Area: 2,508 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Hurricane Island: 404 acres, 7 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Diamond Island: 664 acres, 7.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Area - Dog Island
Counting Mississippi River Area - Dog Island itself, 3,340 of the 50,455 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,907 |
| National wildlife refuges | 336 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 48 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 48 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
In Calhoun County, 2 miles from Hamburg.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Mississippi River Area - Dog Island?
3,340 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Area - Dog Island included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Mississippi River Area - Red's Landing (5 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.