DESCRIPTION: Total acres: 2,376 acres, including 46 acres of water. Hunting acres: 2,338. Composition: Timber and shrub - 791 acres, open or cultivated - 1158 acres.
The area consists of two major cover types. The uplands (approximately 250 acres) is sandy soil with fields bordered by tree lines. The bottomlands (2088 acres) is flat, interspersed with native grassland, tree plantings and tracts of woods. There are several small wetlands and marshes, and two oxbows totaling 96 acres of water. Annual food patches are scattered over the area. Fields of sunflower, corn, and soybeans are planted and rows along the edges are left standing through the winter.
AREA REGULATIONS :
1.Hunting is restricted to those portions of the area posted as open to hunting.
2.All hunters must register once a day with name and date prior to hunt and record harvest upon completion of hunt. Record 0 if nothing was harvested. Registration will be at parking lots 1, 2, 3, or 4.
3.All hunters are responsible for following all statewide regulations and any special regulations posted at parking lots 1, 2, 3 or 4.
4.All hunting is to be done with shotgun or bow and arrow only, except .22 rimfire may be used to take raccoon, opossum, fox, coyote and skunk from sunset to sunrise.
5.It shall be unlawful to construct or to use any tree stand that utilizes nails, screws, wire or any device which pierces or cuts the bark of the tree on which it is installed. Only one tree stand or ground stand per hunter. May be left unattended from Sept. 15 through Jan. 31. Stands must be marked with owners name, address & telephone number.
6.It shall be unlawful for any person to posses or consume beer or any intoxicating liquors before or while hunting on the area.
7.Hunters engaged in quail, rabbit, pheasant, or hungarian partridge hunting must wear a cap and upper outer garment of SOLID BLAZE ORANGE of at least 400 sq inches.
8.Archery deer hunting will be allowed during all firearm deer seasons. All hunters must wear a cap and upper outer garment of SOLID BLAZE ORANGE of at least 400 sq. inches.
9.All spring turkey hunters must obtain a site specific permit, which will be issued through the Permit Office in Springfield. Spring wild turkey permits valid for Whiteside Co. will not be valid at Big Bend SFWA.
10.In an effort to distribute turkey hunters throughout the site, hunters are encouraged to use another parking lot when 2 cars are already present in a parking lot during the turkey season.
11.All hunters must park in designated parking lots.
12.Quail season closes at sunset on December 14th.
13.Permit issued thru Springfield Office for Sept 1 – 5. Applications accepted beginning in June. (See DNR website, www.dnr.illinois.gov)
