Hunting Areas and Season Dates Reserved Permit Instructions How to Fix Your Controlled Pheasant Hunting On-line Application Disabled Hunter Permits Standby Permits
A productive day afield on the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Unit at the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area. ©

RESERVED PERMIT INSTRUCTIONS

You must use the 2009 Controlled Pheasant Hunting Permit Internet application to reserve permits for the controlled pheasant hunting season at the hunting areas listed on this page (DNR operated areas).

Applications from Illinois resident hunters only will be accepted beginning Monday, August 10th at 8:30 a.m. through Aug. 23rd at 12:00 midnight CDT for inclusion in the first random drawing. Illinois resident hunters that did not apply or who were unsuccessful in the first drawing and nonresident hunters can apply from Aug. 24th at 12:01 a.m. through Sept. 6th at 12:00 midnight CDT for inclusion in the second random drawing.

Each applicant age sixteen and over may apply for only one area and receive only one permit during the first two drawing periods. Applicants that are successful in the first drawing are not eligible for the second drawing. Note: The Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt is a special one day hunt during the controlled pheasant hunting season for young hunters ages ten through fifteen (see Youth Pheasant Hunt). Young hunters may apply for only one area and receive only one permit for a site participating in the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt. Young hunters that have applied for the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt may also apply for another hunt date during the controlled pheasant hunting season in one of the first two drawings.

A random drawing means all applications from one drawing period are randomly processed before applications from the next drawing period are randomly processed. Eligible hunters should enter the drawings at a convenient time during the prescribed dates of a drawing period. There is neither an advantage or disadvantage to entering a drawing early or late in the drawing period. Drawings are typically completed on the Monday following the close of a drawing period. If the Monday following the close of a drawing period is a holiday, the drawing for that period will be held on the Tuesday following the drawing period.

Hunters can enhance their success in any drawing for which they are eligible by providing the maximum number of date choices allowed on the on-line application. Hunters providing the maximum number of date choices allowed have a greater probability of receiving a permit reservation than hunters providing fewer date choices.

A third random drawing beginning Sept. 7th at 12:01 a.m. through Sept. 20th at 12:00 midnight CDT is available to resident and nonresident hunters who want a second permit. After the third drawing period, hunters will be able to acquire additional permits on a first-come first-served basis beginning at 8:00 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 26th, CDT. Additional permits will be available until permit quotas are depleted or until 24 hours (48 hours for Disabled Hunter Permits) prior to any hunt date whichever occurs first. Hunters cannot have two permits for the same day at DNR operated areas.

The on-line application requires the hunting site name, hunt date(s) and number of partners. Additionally, the permit holder's name, complete address, e-mail address if available, birth date, IDNR Customer Number are required.

Each hunter is allowed to make a permit reservation for himself/herself and up to three hunting partners except for the Youth Pheasant Hunt. Hunters with a confirmed permit reservation must be present to hunt on the hunt date for the partners to hunt.

Controlled Pheasant Hunting Permits are $25 per resident hunter per day and $35 per nonresident hunter per day. There are no fees for the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt. For the 2009-10 hunting season permit fees will be collected at the site hunter check station on your hunt date(s). Hunters will need to be prepared to pay permit fees with cash. Neither checks, credit cards or debit cards are accepted at site hunter check stations.

Hunters can check the website after each drawing period by using the "CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION" feature and using their customer number to see if they were successful in a drawing. The "CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION" feature can also be used to determine the status of the application during the first-come first-served reservation period beginning on Sept. 26th.

Hunters successful in a drawing or successfully completing a reservation on or after Sept. 26th are encouraged to print the web page resulting from the "CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION" feature. This information will serve as the hunting permit. Permit holders and partners must have identification with a picture when checking-in on the hunt date. Permit holders under 16 must have some form of identification (e.g., hunting license, hunter safety card, school ID, library card) when checking-in on the hunt date.

If you have questions, please e-mail us: DNR.Pheasant@illinois.gov Department of Natural Resources information is available to the hearing impaired by calling DNR's TTY. (217) 782-9175.

DISABLED HUNTER PERMITS

Disabled hunters with Standing Vehicle Permits may apply for Controlled Pheasant Hunting Permits for Des Plaines, Eldon Hazlet, and Moraine View where special vehicles are available to assist with the hunt. Disabled hunters may bring one hunting partner. The hunting partner must be ambulatory. The disabled permit holder must be present to hunt for the partner to hunt. Permits will be available until permit quotas are depleted or until 48 hours prior to any hunt date whichever occurs first.

Disabled hunters, as defined by law (520 ILCS 5/2.33), may apply to the DNR's Office of Law Enforcement (217) 782-6431 for a Standing Vehicle Permit. Disabled Hunters with Standing Vehicle Permits need to review Additional Disabled Hunter Regulations before hunting.

STANDBY PERMITS

Each DNR operated controlled pheasant hunting site has a portion of the hunter quota allocated to standby hunters. Standby hunters acquire permits at the site hunter check station on the day of the hunt. Standby permit information for the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt is available at Youth Pheasant Hunt.

HUNTING AREAS AND SEASON DATES

Des Plaines, Green River, Iroquois County, Jim Edgar Panther Creek, Johnson Sauk Trail, Moraine View, and Sand Ridge will be open for the Illinois Youth Pheasant hunt ONLY on Nov. 8th. Eldon Hazlet and Wayne Fitzgerrell will be open for the Illinois Youth Pheasant hunt ONLY on Nov. 15th.