White Pines Forest: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 321 acres of White Pines Forest open to hunting in Ogle County, 4 miles from Mount Morris. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,620 deer in Ogle 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 landWhite Pines ForestCounty lineHighway
| Size | 321 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Ogle County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ogle County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Mount Morris (4 mi), Polo (5 mi) and Oregon (6 mi) |
What is White Pines Forest like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 4 hunting areas: Zone C, East, Zone B, Zone A.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on White Pines Forest?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm) for White Pines Forest.
What are the rules on White Pines Forest?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer 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 White Pines Forest?
White Pines Forest lies in Ogle County. Hunters took 1,620 deer in Ogle County in 2025-26, against 1,544 in 2024-25.
| County | White Pines Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ogle County | 321 | 1,620 | 1,544 | 1,457 |
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 White Pines Forest?
Nearest towns: Mount Morris (4 miles), Polo (5 miles), Oregon (6 miles) and Grand Detour (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 64, IL 2, IL 26 and US 52.
What other public land is near White Pines Forest?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Castle Rock State Park: 1,645 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Lowden-Miller State Forest: 2,206 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Lowden State Park: 80 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Nachusa Prairie State Natural Area: 72 acres, 9.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of White Pines Forest
Counting White Pines Forest itself, 394 of the 24,906 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 321 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 73 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is White Pines Forest?
In Ogle County, 4 miles from Mount Morris.
Can you deer hunt on White Pines Forest?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around White Pines Forest?
394 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, White Pines Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Castle Rock State Park (3.3 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.