Sparks Pond State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 375 acres of Sparks Pond State Natural Area open to hunting in Mason County, next to Forest City. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,071 deer in Mason 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 landSparks Pond State Natural AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 375 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Mason County |
| Deer harvest unit | Mason County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Quail and Pheasant |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Forest City (next to it), Manito (next to it) and Goofy Ridge (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm), turkey (fall archery), rabbit, quail and pheasant for Sparks Pond State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Sparks Pond State Natural 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.
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 Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
Sparks Pond State Natural Area lies in Mason County. Hunters took 1,071 deer in Mason County in 2025-26, against 1,052 in 2024-25.
| County | Sparks Pond State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County | 375 | 1,071 | 1,052 | 1,007 |
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 Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Forest City (next to it), Manito (next to it), Goofy Ridge (6 miles) and Topeka (7 miles).
What other public land is near Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Sand Ridge State Forest: 7,276 acres, 0.8 miles away
- Manito State Habitat Area: 79 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,455 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Henry Allan Gleason State Natural Area: 112 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,104 acres, 5.8 miles away
- Clear Lake SWMA: 417 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sparks Pond State Natural Area
Counting Sparks Pond State Natural Area itself, 4,161 of the 28,717 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,978 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 183 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
In Mason County, next to Forest City.
Can you deer hunt on Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Sparks Pond State Natural Area?
4,161 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sparks Pond State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Sand Ridge State Forest (0.8 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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.