Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 6,095 acres of Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Union County, 4 miles from McClure. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit and special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,109 deer in Union 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 landForest preserves, county and city landUnion County State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 6,095 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Union County |
| Deer harvest unit | Union 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) | county permit and special hunt permit from Springfield |
| 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 | McClure (4 mi), Jonesboro (4 mi) and Anna (6 mi) |
What is Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Controlled Hunting Area, Firing Line Walk-In Area, Dug Hill Property, Refuge.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Union 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, pheasant, woodcock, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Union 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 and special hunt permit from Springfield, depending on the hunting area for deer firearm; county permit for deer muzzleloader, deer late-winter antlerless, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm.
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 Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Union County. Hunters took 2,109 deer in Union County in 2025-26, against 2,162 in 2024-25.
| County | Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 6,095 | 2,109 | 2,162 | 2,098 |
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 Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: McClure (4 miles), Jonesboro (4 miles), Anna (6 miles) and Mill Creek (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 146, IL 127 and IL 34.
What other public land is near Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,758 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Trail of Tears State Forest: 4,628 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,185 acres, 5.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 21,841 of the 55,113 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (39.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 12,617 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 8,968 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 256 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Union County, 4 miles from McClure.
Can you deer hunt on Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit and special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area?
21,841 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Union County 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 Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area (0.9 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.