I've got a question about Shawnee National Park, which takes up most of the southern portion of Il. I was wandering how hard it is to hunt. Do you just walk in or does it require a permit? Where are some access spots close to Carbondale, Il? Me and a friend want to take a hunting trip down there, and I cant find any info!!! Please Help

Shawnee us USFS land. im not sure about access by carbondale, but dixon springs is farther east and is surronded by shawnee; region 5

you may get some info nosing around hereshawnee maps

Best I could tell you close to Carbondale, would either be areas near Ava, IL, Kinkaid Lake, Cedar Lake (near Pomona, IL), La Rue Pines area, Giant City State Park, and of course the Crab Orchard Nat'l refuge. Just matters how far you wish to drive.

No Permit required to my knowledge for bowhunting at least, state parks require sign in and sometimes special tags.

Very easy to hunt especially since we have had no rain in over a Month till today. Water holes are working well and the Persimmons are falling now. I have hunted the refuge but not much other than that for public land. Plenty of big deer on the refuge.

Refuge page

thanks a lot. Can you camp in the woods?

Not really for sure about alot of the areas but I know for sure that Crab Orchard and Giant City have restricted camp to certian areas.