Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 926 acres of Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Saline and Gallatin counties, 2 miles from Equality. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 1,814 deer in Saline 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 forestOther IDNR and state landSaline County State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 926 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Saline County and Gallatin County |
| Deer harvest unit | Saline County, Gallatin County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Equality (2 mi), Junction (7 mi) and Eldorado (7 mi) |
What is Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Lone 40, Waterfowl, Central, South.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Saline County 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; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, deer late-winter antlerless, 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 Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,814 deer in Saline County in 2025-26, against 1,785 in 2024-25.
| County | Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 709 | 1,814 | 1,785 | 1,723 |
| Gallatin County | 217 | 734 | 765 | 737 |
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 Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Equality (2 miles), Junction (7 miles), Eldorado (7 miles) and Muddy (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 13 and IL 142.
What other public land is near Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Public land within 3 miles of Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 5,713 of the 37,589 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (15.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 4,439 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 926 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 348 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Saline and Gallatin counties, 2 miles from Equality.
Can you deer hunt on Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
5,713 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
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.