Ward's Grove State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 334 acres of Ward's Grove State Natural Area open to hunting in Jo Daviess County, 3 miles from Stockton. Deer archery: youth hunting. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess 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 landWard's Grove State Natural AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 334 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Jo Daviess County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jo Daviess County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | youth hunting |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Stockton (3 mi), Pearl City (7 mi) and Lena (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season) for Ward's Grove State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: youth hunting for deer archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader and deer cwd season.
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 Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
Ward's Grove State Natural Area lies in Jo Daviess County. Hunters took 2,698 deer in Jo Daviess County in 2025-26, against 2,675 in 2024-25.
| County | Ward's Grove State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Daviess County | 334 | 2,698 | 2,675 | 2,684 |
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 Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Stockton (3 miles), Pearl City (7 miles), Lena (7 miles) and Nora (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 20 and IL 78.
What other public land is near Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park: 644 acres, 8 miles away
- Dublin Highlands State Habitat Area: 122 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Apple River Canyon State Park: 1,731 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ward's Grove State Natural Area
Counting Ward's Grove State Natural Area itself, 420 of the 25,124 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 334 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 78 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
In Jo Daviess County, 3 miles from Stockton.
Can you deer hunt on Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, youth hunting; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Ward's Grove State Natural Area?
420 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ward's Grove State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park (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.