Volo Bog State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 833 acres of Volo Bog State Natural Area open to hunting in McHenry and Lake counties, next to Lakemoor. Deer archery: site permit from the site office. Hunters took 1,139 deer in McHenry 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 landVolo Bog State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 833 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | McHenry County and Lake County |
| Deer harvest unit | McHenry County, Lake County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | site permit from the site office |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | site permit from the site office |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Lakemoor (next to it), Johnsburg (2 mi) and Volo (2 mi) |
What is Volo Bog State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 8 hunting areas: Zone F, Zone B, Zone E, Zone C, Zone G, Zone H, Zone D, Zone A.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Volo Bog State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and turkey (fall archery) for Volo Bog State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Volo Bog State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: site permit from the site office for deer archery and turkey fall archery.
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 Volo Bog State Natural Area?
Volo Bog State Natural Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 1,139 deer in McHenry County in 2025-26, against 1,177 in 2024-25.
| County | Volo Bog State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McHenry County | 447 | 1,139 | 1,177 | 1,006 |
| Lake County | 386 | 319 | 314 | 315 |
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 Volo Bog State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Lakemoor (next to it), Johnsburg (2 miles), Volo (2 miles) and Pistakee Highlands (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, IL 59, IL 120, IL 31 and IL 134.
What other public land is near Volo Bog State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Moraine Hills State Park: 1,526 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area: 129 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Chain O' Lakes State Park: 4,437 acres, 3 miles away
- Bull Valley State Fish and Wildlife Area: 127 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Redwing Slough State Natural Area: 346 acres, 9.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Volo Bog State Natural Area
Counting Volo Bog State Natural Area itself, 3,386 of the 30,404 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,054 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 598 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 434 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 300 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Volo Bog State Natural Area?
In McHenry and Lake counties, next to Lakemoor.
Can you deer hunt on Volo Bog State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, site permit from the site office.
How much public land is around Volo Bog State Natural Area?
3,386 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Volo Bog State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Moraine Hills State Park (1.8 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.