ILL DNR Waterfowl Zones & Season Dates
Illinois to use new option to implement fourth zone for waterfowl hunting
SPRINGFIELD, IL The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
this week approved for publication in the Federal
Register new rules allowing states to add a fourth
duck hunting zone or to use three zones with split
hunting seasons for the regular duck hunting season.
This decision allows the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources (IDNR) to proceed with its proposal
for adding a fourth waterfowl hunting zone in the
state.
We are delighted that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service endorsed our long-sought option of adding a
fourth zone in Illinois for waterfowl hunting, said
IDNR Director Marc Miller. We are grateful for the
support of hunters and outdoors organizations
throughout the state the advocacy of Governor Pat
Quinn, who pressed our case with federal officials
and for the strong case made by waterfowl
professionals from Illinois and across the country.
The Service has OKd a sensible and well-reasoned
means by which we can provide hunters with good
opportunity to enjoy better waterfowl hunting for
years to come.
The recommendations approved by the USFWS include
60-day duck seasons in each of the states
newly-drawn four waterfowl hunting zones, along with
Canada goose hunting seasons of 85 days in the North
and Central zones and 66 days in the South Central
and South zones for the 2011-12 waterfowl season.
The Illinois seasons for this year are based on a new
five-year plan for waterfowl hunting season dates
through the 2015 season. If season lengths are
changed by federal rule for any species during the
2012-2015 seasons, adjustments will be made by the
IDNR. For 2011-12, Illinois will open the regular
duck, Canada goose, and snow goose seasons on Oct. 15
in the North Zone, Oct. 22 in the Central Zone, Nov.
12 in the South Central Zone, and Nov. 24 in the
South Zone. White-fronted goose seasons open with
the duck seasons in the South Central and South zones
but have delayed openers in the North and Central
zones.
The IDNR five-year plan for waterfowl seasons
includes:
Four waterfowl zones designated as North, Central,
South Central and South zones;
In a revision to the original IDNR zone line
proposal, Illinois will retain the existing zone line
between the North and Central zones in northeast
Illinois for duck hunting, while a new zone line
along Interstate 80 will separate the North and
Central zones for goose hunting in portions of Cook,
Will and Grundy counties (see detailed descriptions
below). This change was made at the request of
Canada goose hunters in the area who believe they
will have more opportunity to hunt field feeding
geese from nearby cooling lakes and rivers in January
than during October and November. Hunters will need
to be aware that duck and goose season will not
always be open at the same time in this area of the
state. This area will use North Zone duck season
dates and Central Zone goose season dates.
No change in the zone line between the North and
Central zones in western Illinois;
Use of a line similar to the pre-2006 zone line
between the Central and South (South Central) zones
in southwest Illinois;
New zone lines to make provisions for the South
Central and South zones;
60-day ducks seasons in all zones
85-day Canada goose seasons in the North and
Central Zones and 66-day Canada goose seasons in the
South Central and South Zones
The IDNR 2011-2015 season dates and descriptions of
the new waterfowl zone lines are outlined below. To
view maps of the new zone lines, check the IDNR
website at
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/...ZoneLines.aspx
Illinois Waterfowl Regular Season Dates 2011-2015
North Zone Youth Hunt Duck Canada
Goose
2011 Oct. 8-9 Oct. 15 Dec. 13 Oct. 15
Jan. 7
2012 Oct. 13-14 Oct. 20 Dec. 18 Oct. 20
Jan. 12
2013 Oct. 12-13 Oct. 19 Dec. 17 Oct. 19
Jan. 11
2014 Oct. 11-12 Oct. 18 Dec. 16 Oct. 18
Jan. 10
2015 Oct. 10-11 Oct. 17 Dec. 15
Oct. 17 Jan. 9
Central Zone
2011 Oct. 15-16 Oct. 22 Dec. 20 Oct. 22
Nov. 6 and Nov. 24 Jan. 31
2012 Oct. 20-21 Oct. 27 Dec. 25
Oct. 27 Nov. 11 and Nov. 24 Jan. 31
2013 Oct. 19-20 Oct. 26 Dec. 24
Oct. 26 Nov. 10 and Nov. 24 Jan. 31
2014 Oct. 18-19 Oct. 25 Dec. 23
Oct. 25 Nov. 9 and Nov. 24 Jan. 31
2015 Oct. 17-18 Oct. 24 Dec. 22 Oct. 24
Nov. 8 and Nov. 24 Jan. 31
South Central Zone (2011 Canada goose dates revised
from original proposal)
2011 Nov. 5-6 Nov. 12 Jan. 10 Nov. 12
Nov. 27 and Dec. 13 Jan. 31
2012 Nov. 3-4 Nov. 10 Jan. 8 Nov. 10
Nov. 15 and Dec. 3 Jan. 31
2013 Nov. 2-3 Nov. 9 Jan. 7
Nov. 9 Nov. 14 and Dec. 3 Jan. 31
2014 Nov. 1-2 Nov. 8 Jan. 6
Nov. 8 Nov. 13 and Dec. 3 Jan. 31
2015 Nov. 7-8 Nov. 14 Jan. 12 Nov. 14
Nov. 19 and Dec. 3 Jan. 31
South Zone
2011 Nov. 12-13 Nov. 24 Jan. 22 Nov. 24
Nov. 27 and Dec. 1 - Jan. 31
2012 Nov. 10-11 Nov. 22 Jan. 20 Nov. 22
Nov. 25 and Dec. 1 - Jan. 31
2013 Nov. 16-17 Nov. 28 Jan. 26 Nov. 28
Jan. 31
2014 Nov. 15-16 Nov. 27 Jan. 25 Nov. 27
Jan. 31
2015 Nov. 14-15 Nov. 26 Jan. 24 Nov. 26
Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 Jan. 31
Illinois 2011-2012 Snow Goose and White-Fronted Goose
Season Dates
North Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Oct. 15 - Jan. 7
Conservation Order: Jan. 8 - March 31
White-fronted Geese: Oct. 26 Jan. 7
Central Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Oct. 22 - Jan. 31
Conservation Order: Feb. 1 - March 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 19 Jan. 31
South Central Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Nov. 12- Jan. 31
Conservation Order: Feb. 1 - March 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 12 - Nov. 27 and Dec. 5 -
Jan. 31
South Zone
Snow Geese
Regular Season: Nov. 24 Jan. 31
Conservation Order: Feb. 1 March 31
White-fronted Geese: Nov. 24 Jan. 31
2011-2015 Illinois Waterfowl Zone Lines
(Changes from 2010 are underlined below - Detailed
maps available on IDNR website)
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.
Leos Road, south along St. Leos 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.
Leos Road, south along St. Leos 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 zone as for ducks.
South Central Goose Zone: Same zone as for ducks.
The new waterfowl zone maps are available on the IDNR
website at
http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/...ZoneLines.aspx
Implementation of the new Illinois waterfowl zones
will occur with the 2011-12 regular waterfowl
seasons, with previously existing zones in use for
the September 2011 early Canada goose hunting season.
The September 2011 early Canada goose season is Sept.
1-15 with a daily limit of five (5) and a possession
limit of 10 geese in the North and Central zones and
a daily limit of two (2) and a possession limit of
four (4) geese in the South Zone.
Illinois 16-day 2011 statewide teal hunting season
is Sept. 3-18 with a daily limit of four (4) and a
possession limit of eight (8) teal.
For a complete overview and outlook for the 2011
waterfowl season prospects in Illinois, check the
online version of this news release at
www.dnr.illinois.gov
