Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,696 acres of Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area open to hunting in Jasper County, 3 miles from Newton. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: YS and special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,531 deer in Jasper 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 landPrairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,696 acres in 17 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jasper County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jasper County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | YS and special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Newton (3 mi), West Liberty (5 mi) and Dundas (6 mi) |
What is Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 24 hunting areas: 5 Donsbach 118, 3 Winter, 19 Batman, 4 McCormack, 21 McClure, 16 Mark 17, 13 Eaton, 6 Donsbach 80, 25 Schackmann, 7 Zumbahlen and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader) for Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery; YS and special hunt permit from Springfield, depending on the hunting area for deer firearm; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer muzzleloader.
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 Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area lies in Jasper County. Hunters took 2,531 deer in Jasper County in 2025-26, against 2,253 in 2024-25.
| County | Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 2,696 | 2,531 | 2,253 | 2,125 |
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 Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Newton (3 miles), West Liberty (5 miles), Dundas (6 miles) and Ste. Marie (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 130 and IL 33.
What other public land is near Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,197 acres, next to it
- Sam Parr State Park: 962 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area
Counting Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area itself, 6,434 of the 54,852 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 6,342 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 53 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 39 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
In Jasper County, 3 miles from Newton.
Can you deer hunt on Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, YS and special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area?
6,434 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (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.