Carbondale Reporter

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has released the waterfowl season dates and zone lines for 2026-2030. This announcement follows a review that included scientific data and feedback from hunters.

Doug McClain, wetland wildlife program manager at IDNR, explained the reasoning behind the changes: “These dates and zone lines offer opportunity for all waterfowl hunters across the state.”

According to federal guidelines set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, states must establish hunting zone lines every five years. Illinois has used four waterfowl zones since 2011. However, support for alternative structures led to a merger of the South-Central and South zones into one South Zone for upcoming seasons. Other boundaries will stay the same after 90% of surveyed hunters supported their current placements.

One major update is the introduction of a split within duck season. McClain said, “A split duck season is not permitted under the federal framework if Illinois had continued with four zones, so these changes went hand in hand.” The change allows all zones to have splits, which was requested by hunters who prefer later season dates.

Under this plan, duck season start dates in North and Central zones will be similar to past years but will end later due to the new split structure. The South Zone will begin on a date like that of the previous South-Central Zone, with its second segment ending in late January each year.

Jacobs, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the state's 118th House District, replacing previous state representative Patrick Windhorst.