Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 343 acres of Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area open to hunting in Will County, next to Lakewood Shores. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Will 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 landWilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 343 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Will County |
| Deer harvest unit | Will County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Turkey |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Lakewood Shores (next to it), Rest Haven (2 mi) and Ritchie (2 mi) |
What is Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 2 hunting areas: Vesely, Wilmington.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm) and turkey (spring) for Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
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 and turkey spring.
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 Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area lies in Will County. Hunters took 1,063 deer in Will County in 2025-26, against 1,032 in 2024-25.
| County | Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will County | 343 | 1,063 | 1,032 | 1,022 |
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 Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Lakewood Shores (next to it), Rest Haven (2 miles), Ritchie (2 miles) and Wilmington (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-55, IL 53, IL 113, IL 129 and IL 102.
What other public land is near Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,933 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,077 acres, 3 miles away
- Des Plaines Game Propagation Center: 145 acres, 3 miles away
- Kankakee River State Park: 2,101 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area: 2,982 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Illinois and Michigan Canal: 506 acres, 7.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area
Counting Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area itself, 2,471 of the 24,232 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,768 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 355 |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 348 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
In Will County, next to Lakewood Shores.
Can you deer hunt on Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area?
2,471 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Wilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area (2.9 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.