Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 6,041 acres of Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Moultrie County, next to Allenville. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 900 deer in Moultrie 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 landShelbyville State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,041 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Moultrie County |
| Deer harvest unit | Moultrie County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, 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) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 3 |
| Nearest towns | Allenville (next to it), Bethany (next to it) and Sullivan (2 mi) |
What is Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 9 hunting areas: West Okaw River, Mac McGee Waterfowl Area, North Dunn Waterfowl Area, Fish Hook Waterfowl Area, Carrs Bottoms Waterfowl Area, Kaskaskia Unit, Jonathon Creek Waterfowl Area, West Okaw Unit, Kaskaskia River.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Shelbyville 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, deer muzzleloader and 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 Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Moultrie County. Hunters took 900 deer in Moultrie County in 2025-26, against 806 in 2024-25.
| County | Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moultrie County | 6,041 | 900 | 806 | 769 |
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 Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Allenville (next to it), Bethany (next to it), Sullivan (2 miles) and Findlay (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 121, IL 32 and IL 128.
What other public land is near Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Eagle Creek State Park: 683 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Wolf Creek State Park: 1,161 acres, 5.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 6,123 of the 86,654 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 6,041 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 78 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Moultrie County, next to Allenville.
Can you deer hunt on Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area?
6,123 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shelbyville 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 Eagle Creek State Park (5.1 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.