Randolph County State Recreation Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 869 acres of Randolph County State Recreation Area open to hunting in Randolph County, 3 miles from Chester. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 4,148 deer in Randolph 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 landRandolph County State Recreation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 869 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Randolph County |
| Deer harvest unit | Randolph County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state recreation area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Chester (3 mi), Ellis Grove (5 mi) and Kaskaskia (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Randolph County State Recreation Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail and woodcock for Randolph County State Recreation Area.
What are the rules on Randolph County State Recreation 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 turkey spring.
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 Randolph County State Recreation Area?
Randolph County State Recreation Area lies in Randolph County. Hunters took 4,148 deer in Randolph County in 2025-26, against 4,253 in 2024-25.
| County | Randolph County State Recreation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 869 | 4,148 | 4,253 | 4,056 |
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 Randolph County State Recreation Area?
Nearest towns: Chester (3 miles), Ellis Grove (5 miles), Kaskaskia (6 miles) and Steeleville (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 150 and IL 51.
What other public land is near Randolph County State Recreation Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Fort Kaskaskia: 199 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,284 acres, 5 miles away
- Fort Kaskaskia OWR: 11,943 acres, 5.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Randolph County State Recreation Area
Counting Randolph County State Recreation Area itself, 1,175 of the 31,621 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 869 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 285 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 19 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Randolph County State Recreation Area?
In Randolph County, 3 miles from Chester.
Can you deer hunt on Randolph County State Recreation Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Randolph County State Recreation Area?
1,175 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Randolph County State Recreation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Fort Kaskaskia (4.5 miles).
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.