Hunt Information
Please take a moment to fully read.
1. This hunt is to take place Sept. 19th-23rd, 2026.
2. All people who read this notice are invited to attend.
3. The hunt will take place on the southern tip of Illinois in the Shawnee national forest.
4. This is PRIMARILY a rimfire hunt. If you need to bring a shotgun to hunt with, we won't taunt you.....too much. Lol.
5. The city closest to the hunt area is Anna - Jonesboro. Anybody who wants to make motel reservations should try to
go there as it is the closest to the campground that is going to have motels, the town is about 10-15 miles away.
6. Most of us plan to camp, the chosen campground is "Pine Hills Campground" and is located not far from the town of
Wolf Lake. Directions to Pine Hills Campground are below or can be found on the "Maps & Directions" Page:
FIND RT.3 THAT RUNS ON THE SOUTHWESTERN EDGE OF S. ILLINOIS. IT RUNS CLOSE TO THE MISS. RIVER.
LOCATE THE SMALL TOWN OF WOLF LAKE. THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE CAMP GROUND IS ON THE SOUTH
EDGE OF WOLF LAKE.THERE IS A LARGE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT JUNK YARD ALL ALONG THE ROAD HERE.
THE ROAD IS AT THE BOUNDARY EDGE OF THE JUNKYARD. THERE IS A BROWN SIGN THAT POINTS TO TRAIL OF
TEARS STATE FOREST. THE ROAD ONLY GOES EAST. TAKE THIS ROAD FOR 1-1/2 MILES AND YOU WILL FIND A
SIGN THAT POINTS TO THE PINE HILLS CAMPGROUND. THE CAMP IS ABOUT 1 MILE DOWN THE ROCK ROAD.
Camping fees are $10.00 per night, be forewarned...there is NO ELECTRICITY, HOOK UPS OF ANY KIND OR
DRINKING WATER! There are, pit toilets, fire pits, picnic tables and lantern hooks. THAT IS ALL! You will not get cell
phone reception from the campground! Thank God! You will have to drive a couple miles for that.
7. Illinois sells a 5 day non-resident license for $35.50. A habitat stamp is also required and will cost you and extra $5.50,
these can be bought online and I highly suggest you do so.
You can put the dates of the hunt on the permit and it will become activated at that time. The limit on squirrels is 5/day
10 IN POSSESSION, we aim to eat a bunch as we go along!
NOTE! If you were born after Jan 1, 1980, you will need either a hunter safety certificate or an old hunting license
issued from your own state.
ALL GUNS MUST BE CASED WHEN INSIDE A VEHICLE! PISTOL HOLSTERS DO NOT COUNT AS A CASE. IT MUST BE
ZIPPERED, TIED OR IN A HARD CASE. You may carry a pistol while hunting.
NOBODY FROM OUT OF STATE NEEDS A F.O.I.D. CARD and can buy ammo without it. I can't... go figure.
8. A list of things that you may want to know about would contain these items... skeeters, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy
(lots!), Rattlers, Copperheads, and Cottonmouth Water Moccasins. (all snakes are protected!) Mt. lions, Wolves and
Black Bear are also protected.
9. PART of the area we will be hunting lies in a special regulations zone. All plants and animals EXCEPT THOSE LISTED
in the hunting regulations, are protected and not legal to take. Squirrels, Coyotes, Ground-hogs and Skunks are listed
in the regulations and CAN BE TAKEN while this hunt is going on.
10. SNAKE SAFETY! There are 3 kinds of poisonous snakes there. I also was not kidding about them being protected.
They actually close about 7 miles of road there, twice a year, so they can migrate to higher ground without getting
squished.
a. DO NOT PUT YOUR FEET WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE! PRETTY BASIC. IN OTHER WORDS DON'T GO
WADING OFF THROUGH SOME HAY FIELD OR WEED PATCH ON YOUR WAY TO THE WOODS.
b. DO NOT STEP OVER LOGS OR LARGE ROCKS! INSTEAD STEP UP ON THEM AND LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE
AND IF YOU CAN’T SEE BACK UNDER IT, WALK AROUND.
c. BE VERY CAREFUL IN CLIMBING STEEP CREEKBANKS. SNAKES LIKE TO LAY UNDER THE WASHED OUT
ROOTS OF TREES AND WHEN YOU GRAB THE TRUNK TO PULL YOURSELF UP, YOUR ENTIRE BODY CAN COME
INTO STRIKING RANGE.
d. DO NOT CHASE CRIPPLED SQUIRRELS THROUGH THE WOODS! MOST OF YOU HAVE REPEATERS AND RIMFIRE
AMMO IS CHEAP! IN SNAKE COUNTRY, ANY SQUIRREL THAT EVEN LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE SOME LIFE IN
HIM SHOULD BE SHOT AGAIN IMMEDIATELY!
e. IF YOU'RE IN THE WOODS BEFORE OR AFTER DARK CARRY A GOOD LIGHT. PROBABLY WON'T HELP BUT,
YOU'LL FEEL BETTER.
f. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN IN ROCKY CREEK BEDS OR ANY WET OR EVEN DAMP SPOTS AND ALONG ROCK
WALLS THAT BORDER THE WATER.
11. Hunters are required to keep game separately identifiable. If you share a cooler with somebody, then you will need
bags that can be marked with your name.
12. People who can't do without hook ups for trailers can camp at devil's backbone in Grand Tower. The camp is
right on the banks of the ole Mississippi river and is about 10-15 miles from the Pine Hills Camp. Grand Tower can
be located on rt. 3 just north of Wolf Lake.
13. No vehicles of any kind are allowed off the road. No 4 wheelers or dirt bikes, so leave’em home!
14. There are places to fish around there and a one day license can be had for $5.50... Just in case you need a break
from hunting....yeah ...right!
15. Women and children are welcome. BUT! There will be a designated camp at which after a certain time in the evening
children and sensitive folks will be politely asked to make their disappearance! No offense meant to anybody and
that's how WE AIM NOT TO OFFEND ANYBODY.
16. The terrain in Shawnee can be very tough. The hills only go to about 600 feet but can be quite steep. There are flat
places to hunt but you may have to drive a couple of miles to get to them. In the hills you will find 99% grey
squirrels, in the bottoms you will find some fox squirrels.
General Information
1. If you play an instrument, bring it. Saturday evening/night is live music and we welcome you to join in. There are
judges and the more "adult beverages" consumed makes us all play and sound better.
2. Pets are welcome, they are also YOUR responsibility. Per the USFS "Pets are allowed ONLY ON A LEASH". Do NOT let
them run loose. Please be respectful of other guests, they may be frightened of or do not care for pets. Please keep
them in your campsite, or on the roadways if exercising them. Please clean up after your pet and get permission from
other guests before taking your pet into their campsite. Please keep pets out of common area when populated i.e. the
pavilion during the annual potluck.
3. There is NO HUNTING in the campground. The hunting area begins across the wood rail fence where the campground
maintenance ends.
4. You CANNOT have a loaded gun on the road in Illinois, it has to be COMPLETELY empty if even walking across the
road. This means no round in the chamber and NO loaded magazine in the firearm.
5. When traveling to and from hunting areas, the firearm must be unloaded and secured in a case.
6. This is FEDERAL land, state law regarding use or "recreational or medicinal substances" has no meaning and does
not apply. "Recreational and Medical substances" are prohibited and ILLEGAL ON FEDERAL LAND.
7. Any "Critter" or bird that is not a game species and or is a game species NOT in season is ILLEGAL TO KILL. Snakes,
turtles, frogs, amphibians, reptiles, songbirds, raptors, furbearers, and others are ILLEGAL TO KILL. PLEASE READ
THE ILLINOIS HUNTER DIGEST FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION. Here is a copy: Illinois Hunter Digest
8. The daily limit of squirrels in Illinois is 5 per day, possession limit is 10.
9. The nearest town is Wolf Lake, it's a small town. The Duck Inn has dining, beverages, and ice
10. Anna - Jonesboro is 10-15 miles away and should have about anything you may need. There are gas stations, stores,
grocers, services, dining, and many other amenities in Anna - Jonesboro.
11. You can get (and people have gotten) lost, turned around, or confused hunting the Shawnee National Forest. Please
go prepared, map and compass or GPS. Cell phones may or may not work, especially if you really need them.
12. There are snakes, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, bats, and a lot of other critters and creep crawlies in or around the
campground. They live there, we are the visitors. Bring insect repellants, Thermocells, Permethrin, nets, shelters, or
anything else you may need to be comfortable.
13. Raccoons often raid the camp, bring garbage bags and hang them out of reach. Do NOT leave food on the picnic
tables overnight.
14. There are many, many types of snakes in Southern Illinois, and the Shawnee National Forest, 3 are VENOMOUS. The
Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake, and Cottonmouth Water Moccasin are VENOMOUS, please use caution and
common sense in "snakey areas". Remember all snakes are protected.
15. Use common sense when hunting. Make sure you identify your target before shooting. Make sure that your firearm is
always pointing in a safe direction. Always look out and think for the other guy.