All Refuge lands, with the exception of the Bellrose Waterfowl Reserve, are accessible year round. Acceptable outdoor uses include: hunting, fishing, nature photography, hiking, wildlife observation and boating (10hp motor limit). Refuge hunting and fishing seasons generally follow state seasons and regulations. Additional information and refuge specific regulations are also described in the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge Hunting and Fishing brochure which is available at the Refuge office, outdoor kiosks, and for download below. This brochure also includes a map of Refuge ownership, general regulations, and a quick reference guide to understanding regulatory signs in the field.  

Prohibited Activities  

• Use or possession of alcoholic beverages  
• Camping, overnight parking and open campfires  
• Cutting vegetation (trees, etc.)  
• Target practice  
• Marking trails with paint, flagging, reflectors, tacks or other manmade materials  
• Riding horses or mules except on roads open to vehicle traffic  
• Night hunting activities except for raccoon/opossum hunting  
• Spot-lighting for wildlife  
• Searching for or removing any object of antiquity including arrowheads, pottery or other artifacts  
• Blocking gates or roadways with vehicles  
• Inserting a screw, nail, spike or other metal object into a tree or to hunt from any tree in which such an object has been driven; or using climbing spikes  
• ATV’s are prohibited except by disabled persons possessing a refuge Special Use Permit. For more information on obtaining a Special Use Permit, please visit our Permits page.  

  Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge Hunting and Fishing Brochure 

All State Regulations apply. For a digest of state regulations, please visit the IDNR publications page at https://dnr.state.il.us/publications/  

For more information please contact the Refuge Office at (618)634-2231 or Zone Law Enforcement Officer Dustin Schelling at 618-889-6265 or at his office at 618-998-5921.