Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 6,979 acres of Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Jefferson and Hamilton counties, next to Belle Rive. Deer archery: open at the site and site permit from the site office. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 5,124 deer in Jefferson 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 landLand trusts and other open landTen Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,979 acres in 20 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Jefferson County and Hamilton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jefferson County, Hamilton County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site and site permit from the site office |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Belle Rive (next to it), Dahlgren (2 mi) and Opdyke (2 mi) |
What is Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 14 hunting areas: Goshen Unit Ponds, Dahlgren Unit., Eads Unit., Hole in the Wall Unit., Artemissa Unit., Goshen Trail Unit., Goose Refuge, Hole in the Wall Unit, Goshen Trail Unit, Dahlgren Unit and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Ten Mile Creek 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, pheasant, woodcock, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site and site permit from the site office, depending on the hunting area for deer archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader and deer late-winter antlerless; special hunt permit from Springfield for turkey spring and turkey fall firearm; open at the site for turkey fall archery.
IDNR's notes: Archery Deer in October and 10 days of Novemeber only. Upland Hunting only available for 10 days. Eads Mine Unit. Belle Rive Unit.
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 Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 5,124 deer in Jefferson County in 2025-26, against 4,834 in 2024-25.
| County | Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 3,740 | 5,124 | 4,834 | 4,247 |
| Hamilton County | 3,239 | 2,671 | 2,646 | 2,361 |
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 Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Belle Rive (next to it), Dahlgren (2 miles), Opdyke (2 miles) and Belle Prairie City (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-64, IL 142, IL 14 and IL 242.
What other public land is near Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center: 653 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 9,373 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area: 1,597 acres, 8.1 miles away
- Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,517 acres, 10 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 7,064 of the 147,961 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 6,979 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 74 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 11 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Jefferson and Hamilton counties, next to Belle Rive.
Can you deer hunt on Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site and site permit from the site office; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area?
7,064 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ten Mile Creek 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 Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center (3.9 miles).
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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.