Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,607 acres of Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in St. Clair County, next to New Athens. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: site permit from the site office. Hunters took 1,928 deer in St. Clair 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 landPeabody River King State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,607 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | St. Clair County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Clair County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | site permit from the site office |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | New Athens (next to it), Lenzburg (2 mi) and Fayetteville (3 mi) |
What is Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 2 hunting areas: East Subunit, West Subunit.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail and woodcock for Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; site permit from the site office for deer firearm; county permit for turkey spring.
IDNR's notes: Conservation snow goose.
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 Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in St. Clair County. Hunters took 1,928 deer in St. Clair County in 2025-26, against 1,712 in 2024-25.
| County | Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 1,607 | 1,928 | 1,712 | 1,696 |
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 Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: New Athens (next to it), Lenzburg (2 miles), Fayetteville (3 miles) and Darmstadt (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 13, IL 15, IL 4 and IL 156.
What other public land is near Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Fort Kaskaskia OWR: 11,943 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 6,787 of the 35,956 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (18.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,856 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,679 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 202 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 50 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In St. Clair County, next to New Athens.
Can you deer hunt on Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, site permit from the site office.
How much public land is around Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area?
6,787 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Peabody River King 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 Fort Kaskaskia OWR (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.