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Dog Training - Public Land
Sporting dog training opportunities are available on selected Illinois Department of Natural Resources sites during specified seasons.
Permits and Designated Areas
A free windshield card permit for the trainer is required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources which may be obtained online or from the site office during regular business hours (varies from site-to-site, see list below). Sporting dog training on public land sites is only allowed in designated areas within the site.
Leashes
All dogs and domestic pets must be kept on a leash of 10' or less while on public land sites except within the designated dog training areas where the trainer has a valid site dog training permit during the open training season.
Firearms
The only firearm dog trainers may have in possession while dog training on public land are pistols and shotguns with blank cartridges.
General Season
The season for training sporting dogs on public land is generally September 1 - March 31 with the exception that the training season is closed during upland game hunting season. Other season exceptions are noted in the public land site list below.
| Public Land Site Name | Windshield Card Availability | Season Exceptions/Additional Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | Training allowed year around except that it is closed 7 days before and through the end of waterfowl season |
| Carlyle Lake Lands & Waters | Site Office | |
| Clinton Lake State Recreation Area | Online | Allowed year-round at the Parnell Unit. |
| Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online | Training allowed year around except that it is closed during upland game season |
| Eagle Creek State Recreation Area | Online | |
| Edward Madigan State Park | Online | |
| Eldon Hazlet State Park | Online | January 1 - March 31, except north of Allen Branch open per statewide regulations |
| Hamilton County Conservation Area | Site Office | |
| Hidden Springs State Forest | Site Office | |
| Horseshoe Lake State Park-Madison | Site Office | Closed during dove and archery deer seasons, except training is permitted on Mondays and Tuesdays during the controlled pheasant hunting season |
| Horseshoe Lake State Park - Gabaret, Mosenthein and Chouteau Island Unit | Site Office | |
| Iroquois County State Wildlife Area | Site Office | |
| Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | Water dog training only is open all year; during the controlled pheasant hunting season training is permitted on Mondays and Tuesdays on the Controlled Pheasant Hunting Unit only |
| Kankakee River State Park | Site Office | |
| Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | Water dog training only is open all year |
| Kickapoo State Park | Online | |
| Lake Shelbyville - Eagle Creek State Park and Wildlife Management Area | Site Office | |
| Lake Shelbyville Kaskaskia and West Okaw Wildlife Management Areas | Site Office | |
| Marseilles Wildlife Area | Site Office | Closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during September, October and March |
| Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online | |
| Middlefork State Wildlife Area | Online | |
| Mississippi River Fish & Wildlife Management Areas (Pools 25 & 26) | Site Office | Training allowed year around |
| Peabody River King State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | West and South subunits only; water dog training only is open all year |
| Randolph County Conservation Area | Site Office | Training allowed year around |
| Rock Cut State Park | Site Office | Training allowed year around |
| Saline County Conservation Area | Site Office | |
| Sam Parr State Park | Site Office | |
| Sand Ridge State Forest | Site Office | During Controlled Pheasant season, training is permitted on Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Sangchris Lake State Park | Site Office | Waterdog training is open all year |
| Shabbona Lake State Park | Site Office | Closed during archery deer season |
| Shelbyville State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online | |
| Silver Springs State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online | |
| Skinner Farm (I-24) State Habitat Area | Online | Area south and west of I-24 open only October - March |
| Snakeden Hollow State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | Closed October through the Central Zone Goose Hunting Season |
| Stephen A. Forbes State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online | |
| Ten Mile Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area | Site Office | |
| Trail of Tears State Forest | Site Office | |
| Washington County Conservation Area | Online | |
| Weinberg King State Park | Site Office | |
| Woodford State Fish & Wildlife Area | Online |
Regulations
Dog Training on Private Land (IL Admin Code Part 960)
Dog Training on DNR Managed Land(IL Admin Code Part 950)
Dog Training/Dog Trials( Statues, Chapter 520, Act 5 Wildlife Code)