Most of the public areas with blinds have a drawing every mornin for the blinds that are empty. Hunters must sign their blinds up everyday. If they aren't signed up they go into a drawing. There are several walk-in areas in IL. Carlyle Lake, Red's Landing, Rend Lake (I think), you may want to check them out if you don't have a boat.

 

louie b. --I don't know of any walk in areas over where you are on the Mississippi. When I was a kid we used to find a sheltered area and hunker down in rocks or driftwood. Times have changed since then though. Landowners/clubowners get downright obnoxious these days. If you look hard enough and study plat books for land owners you might be able to get permission. My guess would be if you want to hunt walk-in you would have to come east to Rice lake or Sanganois. Sanganois got millett planted this year so their walk in may be pretty good. Try the Baker unit if you are truly walking w/no boat/canoe. Their main walk in you really need a boat. Emiquon is another option. They hunt Tues, Thurs, and Sat I think. rism

 

That's my problem. I can't travel that far :no:. We have a place on the Mississippi near Ursa that you can walk in for early geese or teal, but you must have 12 decoys which I wasn't planning on getting 12 so I'm not going to hunt there. I scouted my pond I can hunt yesterday, cut a nice trail through the woods and cleared a spot for my blind. I found a smaller white feather on the bank that really looked like a goose feather off the belly and spooked a wood duck off the far side of the pond. So at least there are some resident birds around which means maybe I might have a chance to get a few ducks this season. We have a hunt club nearby that does duck and goose hunts and he charges $75/day and I'm thinking about booking one day maybe because it could be good to see techniques that work.

 

I found one place on the river near Marcelline or Ursa, IL which said that blinds not inhabited by hunters or registered blind owners are open to anyone after 30 minutes before legal shooting time. What's this mean?

That means that if you get to the blind before 30 minutes before the start of legal shooting time, IF one of the blind holder shows up, they can kick you out. If the blind holder does not show up at least 30 minutes before the start of legal shooting time, then that is your blind for the day.

If you can hunt during the week, you probably will have no trouble finding a blind. On the weekends, especially opening weekend, odds aren't as good. With a boat, you can zip from blind to blind until you find one unclaimed, but that doesn't work so well when you are on foot.

If I remember correctly, the name of the blind holders is posted on the log sheet in the blind. The blind holder is responsible for getting the blind ready for hunting season. They are drawn during the summer. We just had the blind drawing for the Des Plaines. My buddies drew a couple blinds so, I'm going to give them a try for the first time this year.

You can check and see if the area you want to hunt has had their drawing yet. If not, get yourself and anybody that hunts with you to go to the drawing. If you or one of them gets drawn, then you are set. If the blind holder doesn't show, it is first come first serve. If you know the blind holder, you can call them. If they are not going, you know the blind will be open and you just have to be the first person there and its yours for the day.

http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/PressRelease/2011WaterfowlBlindDrawings.pdf

Also, if you can find out who the blind holder is. You could contact them and tell them you have no boat and would you mind if I called you to see if you are going so I can try to jump your blind when you are not. Just like asking a farmer, it can't hurt.

 

Mornin' gentlemen. Great post here. One of the first i have seen on the many forums i am in where it's being used the way it should. Good questions and great answers. As a new guy to Illinois and new (3rd year) duck hunter, i've been serioulsy lost in my quest to find a spot i could go to, access by foot and have a chance to hunt some ducks. I'm a guy that's not afraid to put in somer serious effort in the way of blood,sweat and tears to swat some ducks and it's a shame it's so difficult to do in a state the size of Illinois that also sees a good population of ducks migrating. Not complaining really, just been real frustrated trying to find any areas that a guy without 'hook-ups', and without a boar can access walk in and do what i love to do.
But thanks to everyone above that posted useful info. Very helpful.

 

I bought a membership in a duck club. Not nearly as expensive as one would think. It's not great hunting, but I have a spot, I don't have all the hassles, and now I hunt more days per year than I ever did. It's so close to my house, I can hunt before work for a little while. I can leave my boat there and even leave my decoys out if I like my blind for the week or set out a few decoys and pick 'em up if I jump by myself. Then just drop the dog, gun, sometimes ducks or geese at home, quick shower and off to work.

 

THanks for the tip. To be honest i hadn't even considered a 'club', just assuming they'd be too much money. Any ideas where one might start in searching out a reasonable club? Hopefully you picked up from my other post that i am by no means a seasoned veteran and if i come home with a duck or two....well that was a gret hunt for me! I just need to be out there the CHANCE to hunt ducks and i am one hell of a happy guy. I'm getting pretty excited cause i am headed to TX in a few weeks for their early teal and my brother bought into a couple thousand acres of lease land. Fair amount of ponds (assuming they have any water left with the drought). Then headed to Florida at the end of Sept. for their early season. Did it last year and crushed em' down there on public land. Just kills me to feel like i've got to fly out of the state i live in to swat ducks. Let me know if you have suggestions on clubs or a list of clubs that i could start calling on. It's a bit late now i am sure, but i dont mind doing the work to fisn something. I am about 45 minutes NW of Joliet area. Thanks, BR

 

One source that many ignore is the DNR staff (CPO's, biologist, park rangers). Granted, there are 50% fewer than there were 10 years ago and they are running full bore trying to keep up, but you are bound to find a few waterfowlers. Covering much larger areas than in past years, the trick is finding them when they've got time to talk a bit. Probably your best bet would be late winter-Feb and March. Don't expect to get GPS coordinates to their honey holes, but they just might be able to point you towards a hidden gem. Of course, in the case of you NE Illinois boys, that may be a little harder.
Don't neglect the USFWS offices, either. Especially places like the refuge office in Thompson, Il.

 

If you have a boat with a blind. Are there public land's to can hunt that are open land or river

 

I would suggest Red's Landing in Calhoun county... I drive 3 hours to get there from my house to hunt the Central Zone when the season is in up there and i'm sittin on my thumbs in Southern Zone... I really like Red's Landing and it has Walk-in hunting that you dont need a boat for.

It is first come, first serve... so someone fanatical like me will show up the night before and sleep in my truck. It is kind of an unwritten rule that whoever is there first get's to choose the area they want to hunt. So when someone is there before I get out and just ask them where they are plannin on settin up so I can make sure I give them plenty of space. Just treat each other with respect and hopefully you will get the same in return. Not saying you wont run across an jerk or two but most people are friendly...

I just googled Ursa because I wastn sure exactly where you are at, and it looks like Red's Landing is probably less than an hour away from your place. give it a shot. It is a great place to kill wood ducks, I got a pair that at the taxidermist right now i killed at Red's Landing.