Mississippi River Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,508 acres of Mississippi River Area open to hunting in Calhoun, Greene and Jersey counties, next to Kampsville. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. 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 AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,508 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Calhoun County, Greene County and Jersey County |
| Deer harvest unit | Calhoun County, Greene County, Jersey 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) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Kampsville (next to it), Batchtown (next to it) and Eldred (3 mi) |
What is Mississippi River Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: Eagle Lake, Michael, Batchtown.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (blinds) for Mississippi River Area.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Area?
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 muzzleloader, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm.
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?
Mississippi River Area lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 1,696 deer in Calhoun County in 2025-26, against 1,698 in 2024-25.
| County | Mississippi River Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 2,483 | 1,696 | 1,698 | 1,670 |
| Greene County | 19 | 2,177 | 2,244 | 2,114 |
| Jersey County | 6 | 1,498 | 1,443 | 1,375 |
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?
Nearest towns: Kampsville (next to it), Batchtown (next to it), Eldred (3 miles) and Brussels (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 100, IL 108 and IL 96.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake: 2,811 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Turner Island: 137 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Hurricane Island: 404 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Fuller Lake: 1,015 acres, next to it
- Pere Marquette State Park: 5,360 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Twelve Mile Island: 240 acres, 1.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Area
Counting Mississippi River Area itself, 13,933 of the 99,842 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 11,186 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,238 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 506 |
| National wildlife refuges | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Area?
In Calhoun, Greene and Jersey counties, next to Kampsville.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Mississippi River Area?
13,933 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake (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.