Waterfowl Hunting Regulations

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Waterfowl Specific Regulations

Species

Ducks (dabblers and divers)
Sora & Virginia rails
Wilson’s snipe
Mergansers
Coots
Canada geese
Light geese (Snow, Blue, Ross’)
White-fronted geese (aka, specklebellies)
Brant

Can use

Shotguns
- Cannot use any shotgun larger than 10 gauge while taking or attempting to harvest waterfowl
- Barrel length shall not be less than 18 inches, and the overall length shall not be less than 26 inches
- Cannot use a shotgun capable of holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined. Any shotgun having a capacity of more than 3 shells must be fitted with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without dismantling the shotgun or otherwise altered to render it incapable of holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined. Note: shell limit does not apply during the Conservation Order light goose season that occurs during late-winter and spring
- Muzzleloading rifle with non-toxic shot types described directly below can be used for all legal waterfowl, except teal
Ammo
- Must use federally approved non-toxic shot for ducks, geese, mergansers and coots. Steel shot must be size T or smaller and other non-toxic shot types must be number BBB or smaller

Tom Roster’s Non-toxic shot lethality table

Archery
- Same specifications as found in the deer and turkey sections on this website

Clothing requirements

None

Miscellaneous

Must maintain the head and/or one fully-feathered wing on each bird while being transported from the field to final destination
Spinning-wing decoys are allowed for waterfowl hunting
Use a Waterfowl Gift Tag if transferring harvested birds to another person

Blind Drawings & Construction

During the summer IDNR holds in-person drawings at several sites for blinds allocated from 1-3 years. Blinds are to be constructed as noted below. Hunters must be present at the drawing to claim a blind and have the following at time of drawing registration: 1) current or preceding year regular resident or non-resident Illinois hunting license (no youth, apprentice, or 5-day licenses accepted), 2) current or preceding year Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp, and 3) photo ID. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age by the date of the drawing. Most blind drawings typically occur during the following four time periods each year: 1) second to last Sunday in July, 2) last Saturday in July, 3) last Sunday in July, or 4) first Saturday in August. Drawings for 3-year blinds for the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers confluence area (MRA SFWA and Horseshoe Lake State Park) occur the first Sunday in June. Specific dates and times for drawings for each site will be publicized by IDNR through public notice on the website. Sites can also be contacted for drawing information

Below are the general blind construction rules for IDNR sites that require hunting be done by constructed blind. Note that construction time deadlines, removal and allowed materials may vary by site and region. Refer to information provided to blind builders, site-specific info or download the Administrative Rule 590 for specifics. The information provided below is general and does not cover site specific differences. Contact the site which you are interested in hunting for more details.

Blinds must be at least 4 feet x 8 feet, but no higher than 14 feet from the water surface at normal pool level, to the top of the shooting box, sturdy enough to withstand daily usage, and must be maintained in good condition by blind builders throughout the duck season. Blinds shall be numbered and the number shall be visible from the outside of the blinds. Blinds must be placed within 10 feet of assigned Department marked site. Boat hides are required and must have minimum dimensions of 18′ x 7.5′. Boat hides shall be sturdy enough to withstand daily use considering the conditions of the site and must be maintained in good condition throughout the season.
Blinds built over water must be of platform construction with the platform constructed above normal water conditions or they may be floating blinds. At some locations, river blinds may also be pull-in boat hide blinds, where hunters remain in the boat to hunt. Boat hide blinds must have a minimum size of 18′ x 7.5′, be sturdy enough to withstand daily use considering conditions of the site and be maintained in good condition throughout the season.
Depending on the site, blinds must be completed, including final brushing, 3 or 4 weeks in advance of opening date of regular duck season after which time the Department shall inspect all blinds and blind sites and issue Blind Registration Cards to those which pass inspection. If adverse weather or water conditions make compliance with this rule difficult the site superintendent or the District Wildlife Manager may grant extensions.
Sites on which blinds have not been built, as well as sites on which blinds of an unsatisfactory quality have been built, shall be reassigned to alternates selected at a drawing or by a first come-first served allocation held on a day publicly announced by the Department. All reassigned blinds must be completed, including final brushing, 7 days prior to the opening date of the duck season on sites posted as being closed to trespassing 7 days prior to regular duck season. On all other sites reassigned blinds must be completed, including final brushing, by the day before the opening day of the regular duck season.
Blinds must include a dog hide that is on the same level as the blind. The dog hide can either be incorporated into the blind by providing a hole at floor level that measures at least 20 inches high by 20 inches wide or by providing a separate compartment that is attached to the blind. Hides attached to the blind should have a minimum floor space that measures 2 feet by 2 feet and should be at least 2.5 feet high with 2 openings. One opening should be between the blind and the dog hide, should measure at least 20 inches by 20 inches, and should be constructed at the same level as the blind floor. The water access opening should be at least 20 inches wide and 20 inches high. Hides either within the blind or attached should have an enforced ramp to water level that is at least 15 inches wide with cleats every 12 inches. Openings in the blind must be capable of being closed when not in use.
At some sites, the use of any metal, with the exception of fasteners less than 12 inches in length, carpet, and plastic snow fence or mesh will be prohibited in the construction of waterfowl blinds.

Be sure to check regulations for the IDNR site(s) you intend to hunt, as some sites have more restrictive regulations on equipment, harvest reporting, etc. You can find site-specific regulations using the Directory or Hunt Planner

Pertinent Administrative Rules: 510, 590, 685, 740

Waterfowl Hunting Zone Descriptions

Ducks (Including Mergansers) and Coots

North Duck Zone: That portion of the state north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Peotone-Beecher Road to Illinois Route 50, south along Illinois Route 50 to Wilmington-Peotone Road, west along Wilmington-Peotone Road to Illinois Route 53, north along Illinois Route 53 to New River Road, northwest along New River Road to Interstate Highway 55, south along I-55 to Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road, west along Pine Bluff-Lorenzo Road to Illinois Route 47, north along Illinois Route 47 to I-80, west along I-80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border.
Central Duck Zone: That portion of the state south of the North Duck Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to St. Leo’s Road, south along St. Leo’s road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.
South Duck Zone: That portion of the state south and east of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 70, south along U.S. Highway 45, to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Greenbriar Road, north on Greenbriar Road to Sycamore Road, west on Sycamore Road to N. Reed Station Road, south on N. Reed Station Road to Illinois Route 13, west along Illinois Route 13 to Illinois Route 127, south along Illinois Route 127 to State Forest Road (1025 N), west along State Forest Road to Illinois Route 3, north along Illinois Route 3 to the south bank of the Big Muddy River, west along the south bank of the Big Muddy River to the Mississippi River, west across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.
South Central Duck Zone: The remainder of the state between the south border of the Central Zone and the North border of the South Zone.

Geese

North Goose Zone: That portion of the state north of a line extending west from the Indiana border along Interstate 80 to I-39, south along I-39 to Illinois Route 18, west along Illinois Route 18 to Illinois Route 29, south along Illinois Route 29 to Illinois Route 17, west along Illinois Route 17 to the Mississippi River, and due south across the Mississippi River to the Iowa border.
Central Goose Zone: That portion of the state south of the North Goose Zone line to a line extending west from the Indiana border along I-70 to Illinois Route 4, south along Illinois Route 4 to Illinois Route 161, west along Illinois Route 161 to Illinois Route 158, south and west along Illinois Route 158 to Illinois Route 159, south along Illinois Route 159 to Illinois Route 3, south along Illinois Route 3 to St. Leo’s Road, south along St. Leo’s road to Modoc Road, west along Modoc Road to Modoc Ferry Road, southwest along Modoc Ferry Road to Levee Road, southeast along Levee Road to County Route 12 (Modoc Ferry entrance Road), south along County Route 12 to the Modoc Ferry route and southwest on the Modoc Ferry route across the Mississippi River to the Missouri border.
South Goose Zone: Same zones as for ducks.
South Central Goose Zone: Same zones as for ducks.

Waterfowl Hunting Credentials (does not include vendor fees)
	Price		How to apply for or purchase
License/Permit/Stamps	Resident	Non-Resident	Lottery	Online	Vendors	Specifications
Hunting License	Variable	Variable		X	X	See Statewide Regulations section for license types.
State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp	$15.00	$15.00		X	X	Required for any person 18 years of age or older, including lifetime license holders, to hunt migratory waterfowl except toe-clipped, hand- reared mallards on licensed Game Breeding and Hunting Preserve Areas. Disabled individuals, servicemen, and landowners may be exempt from this stamp. See table on page 4.
Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp	$25.00	$25.00		X	X	Required for any person 16 years of age or older, including lifetime license holders, to hunt migratory waterfowl except toe-clipped, hand- reared mallards on licensed Game Breeding and Hunting Preserve Areas. Must be signed in ink across the face of the stamp. E-stamps are now available from many states and are legal nationwide. Upon purchase, the E-stamp will be temporarily valid, and a physical copy will be mailed to the purchaser. www.fws.gov/service/buy-duck- stamp-or-e-stamp
HIP Certification	Free	Free		X	X	To hunt migratory birds, all licensed hunters, including lifetime license holders, must register with HIP and have their proof of registration with them while migratory bird hunting, see HIP Registration description hereafter. Not required to hunt crows in Illinois.
Site-specific Duck and Goose Hunting Permits	Variable	Variable	X	X		See Permit Applications hereafter for details. Some Permits require in- person drawing. Fee may be charged at sites.

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting & Conservation Stamp

Each year waterfowl hunters purchase Migratory Waterfowl Stamps, or “duck stamps” as a requirement to hunt migratory waterfowl. Authorization for a federal duck stamp came in 1934 from passage of theMigratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, which was largely driven by waterfowl hunters’ concern over habitat loss and declining waterfowl populations.Funds from the purchase of these stamps are directed towards the purchase or lease of lands for inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge System, providing critical breeding, migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl and a variety of other species, and recreation opportunity inmany areas. With an initial cost of $1 and current cost of $25, Federal Duck Stamp funds to date have totaled over $1.1 billion to protect more than 6 million acres of wildlife habitat nationwide.

State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp

Similar to the federal duck stamp, Illinois hunters initiated the Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Fund, which was established in 1975. The stampsoriginally cost $5, increasing to $15 in 2011. Over the life of the fund, stamp purchases have led to over $29 million deposited in this fund, with current average sales of about 60,000 stamps annually, leading to nearly $1 million annual revenue. Physical paper Illinois stamps affixed to hunters’ licenses were discontinued in 2011 and now only appear as a line item on printed licenses. Half of the funds generated annually are used within Illinois to manage, maintain and acquire waterfowl and wetland habitat and hunting areas.The remaining funds are used to conserve critical grassland and wetland habitat on the Canadian breeding grounds, where many of theducks that visit Illinois and the Mississippi Flyway originate.

HIP Registration

Free registration with HIP (National Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program) is required by law every year to hunt migratory game birds. Any licensed hunter who plans to hunt any species of migratory game bird must register with HIP before hunting. Get your HIP certification when purchasing your hunting or sportsman license or register for HIP by calling 1-866-716-6550 (record the transaction number on your license). Lifetime license holders also need to register with HIP on an annual basis. HIP is a nationwide program and you must register separately in every state where you hunt waterfowl, coots, doves, rails, snipe, woodcock and other migratory game birds except American crow. www.fws.gov/program/migratory-bird-harvest-surveys. Cooperation and support from hunters make sound resource management possible.

Waterfowl Bands

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory maintains a website for reporting all migratory bird bands, including waterfowl. If you harvest a banded bird, please visit www.reportband.gov and provide information about when and where you shot the bird. The
1-800 call-in number is no longer available for reporting bird bands. The phone number will direct you to the www.reportband.gov website. All federal bird bands, even those without a web address printed on them, can be reported online. Old bands with numbers worn off may still be reported by emailing: [email protected] for instructions. The band may need to be sent in, but the process does not destroy the band, and it will be returned to you. Band reporters will be emailed a Certificate of Appreciation with information about when and where the bird was banded. Your cooperation on reporting band numbers gives waterfowl biologists a wealth of information useful in managing the resource to provide hunters with maximum recreational opportunities while protecting waterfowl populations.

Public Duck and Goose Hunting Area Permit Applications
Application Period	Methods	Opens	Closes	Notes
Regular Season
First (residents only)	Internet	16 Aug	31 Aug	dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/waterfowlhunting.html
Second	Internet	1 Sep	15 Sep
Third	Internet	16 Sep	28 Sep
First-come-first-served	Internet	1 Oct	See Website
Youth (Ages 10-17)	Paper Application	31 Aug	1 Oct

Site-Specific Hunting Permits

Waterfowl hunting permits for specific dates on several IDNR sites are available through a lottery system. A total of 5 permits for ducks and five permits for geese may be obtained through the lotteries and unfilled quotas system. Applications from Illinois residents only will be accepted for inclusion in the first lottery. A second lottery will be held for unsuccessful resident applicants, non-residents or anyone who did not apply in the first lottery. A third lottery will be held for applicants to receive either a first and/or second permit. Additional permits may be obtained from unfilled quotas on a first-come, first-served basis ending 72 hours prior to the hunt date by visiting www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/WaterfowlHunting beginning Oct. 1.

Waterfowl Hunting Outlook

See the IDNR Waterfowl Hunting website here: www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/WaterfowlHunting

Waterfowl and Wetland Management

See the IDNR Wetland Wildlife website here: www2.illinois.gov/dnr/conservation/wildlife/Pages/WetlandWildlife Management.aspx

Other Hunting Opportunities

Public waterfowl hunting opportunities exist at over 100 sites in Illinois covering a broad range of access and management. Please see the regional site maps at the end of this digest for sites offering waterfowl hunting, check Hunter Fact Sheets or call sites directly for details on hunting opportunities and regulations.