Illinois Public Land Pheasant Hunting Guide (2026–27)

You don't need a lease to hunt pheasants in Illinois. The state runs three kinds of public pheasant hunting, and if you live in Will County, several good options are within an hour's drive. Here's how each one works and how to get in.

The three ways to hunt public pheasants in Illinois

1. Controlled pheasant hunting areas (released birds, fee)

IDNR stocks pen-raised pheasants on controlled hunting areas and limits how many hunters go out each day. You reserve a date ahead of time.

• Cost: $34 per resident hunter per hunt date, $39 for nonresidents, plus a transaction fee. The Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt is free.
• Lotteries: three online lotteries run in August. The first is for Illinois residents only. You can list up to three partners on your application.
• First-come, first-served: leftover permits opened Aug 29 and can be reserved until 9 a.m. the day before a hunt, while they last. Check the IDNR permit calendar for open dates.
• On hunt day: hunting hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (9 to 1 on Thanksgiving). Check in at the station, bring photo ID, and wear a blaze orange cap and at least 400 square inches of blaze orange on your upper body. You'll get a back patch at check-in. Shot must be No. 5 lead or smaller (or the steel equivalent, No. 3 steel).
• Limit: 2 pheasants per day at most sites. At Des Plaines it's 2 of either sex. Your birds get checked and banded before you leave.
• Habitat stamp: not required to take released pheasants on a controlled area. You still need a hunting license, and Illinois residents need a FOID card. Hunters under 16 must be with an adult 18 or older.

Controlled areas closest to Will County

Dates and closures from the IDNR Hunting Areas and Season Dates page, checked Oct 26, 2026. Other IDNR controlled areas are Eldon Hazlet, Moraine View, Wayne Fitzgerrell, Jim Edgar Panther Creek, Johnson Sauk Trail and Sand Ridge.

2. Free Upland Game Permit sites (wild birds, lottery)

IDNR manages a set of Pheasant Habitat Areas and other sites for wild roosters, quail, Hungarian partridge and rabbits. A free permit gives you a hunt date on one site.

• Apply online in August (the lottery runs Aug 1–31). You can get only one permit a year, and there's rarely anything left over.
• Closest permit sites to Will County include Chatsworth PHA (Livingston County, non-toxic shot required), and Clifton PHA, Loda PHA and Milks Grove PHA (Iroquois County).
• Wild-bird rules apply: roosters only, 2 per day, and you'll need your habitat stamp.

3. Open public hunting sites (wild birds, no lottery)

Some IDNR sites allow upland hunting without a lottery permit during the regular season. You may need a free windshield card or have to sign in and out. Read each site's hunter fact sheet on huntillinois.org before you go, because rules vary by site.

2026–27 wild pheasant season

• North Zone (includes Will County): Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 8, 2027
• South Zone: Nov 7, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027
• Roosters only, 2 per day, 6 in possession. Hours are sunrise to sunset.
• You'll need a hunting license and habitat stamp, unless you're exempt.

Youth hunters

The Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt is a free one-day hunt for ages 10 to 17 on participating controlled areas. A non-hunting adult goes along. Several sites pair it with a morning wingshooting clinic, which requires hunter safety. Youth permits opened Aug 29 this year and go first come, first served.

Tips for public-land roosters

• Reserve early. Popular weekend dates go in the August lotteries, but cancellations and transfers can open spots later.
• On released-bird areas, don't skip the thick cover other hunters walk past.
• A dog helps a lot, both for finding birds and for recovering cripples in heavy cover.
• Bring non-toxic shot for any site that requires it. Des Plaines and Green River do, and so does Chatsworth.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Always confirm site dates, closures and rules with IDNR and read the current 2026–27 Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest before you go.