Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 10,701 acres of Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Cass, Mason and Schuyler counties, next to Browning. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,475 deer in Cass 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 landSanganois State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 10,701 acres in 9 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Cass County, Mason County and Schuyler County |
| Deer harvest unit | Cass County, Mason County, Schuyler County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, 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) | county and Springfield permits and site permit from the site office |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Browning (next to it), Beardstown (5 mi) and Astoria (6 mi) |
What is Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 17 hunting areas: Lower Country, Ash Swale Unit, Crane Lake, Pluckimend Slough, Hickory Island, Knapp's Island, Chain Lake Unit, Walk-In Unit, Toppers Hole Unit, Embassy Timber and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Sanganois 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; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm and deer muzzleloader; county and Springfield permits and site permit from the site office, depending on the hunting area for turkey spring.
IDNR's exceptions: Deer ends on Oct. 25.
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 Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 3 counties. Hunters took 1,475 deer in Cass County in 2025-26, against 1,530 in 2024-25.
| County | Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 6,848 | 1,475 | 1,530 | 1,396 |
| Mason County | 3,758 | 1,071 | 1,052 | 1,007 |
| Schuyler County | 95 | 2,784 | 2,833 | 2,609 |
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 Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Browning (next to it), Beardstown (5 miles), Astoria (6 miles) and Chandlerville (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 100.
What other public land is near Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,908 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: 16,256 acres, 6.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 13,102 of the 74,586 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (17.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 10,701 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,446 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 955 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Cass, Mason and Schuyler counties, next to Browning.
Can you deer hunt on Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife 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 Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area?
13,102 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sanganois 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 Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (3.8 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.