Baldwin Lake deer drawing Jan. 4

A drawing will be held on Jan. 4 to allow 26 persons to hunt antlerless deer at Baldwin Lake during the second part of the Late-winter Deer Hunting Season (Jan. 15-17).

The special hunt will occur on part of the Baldwin Lake Waterfowl Rest Area at Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area to provide additional hunting opportunity and to manage the deer herd at Baldwin Lake.

“The special hunt area straddles two counties,” said Brian Mahan, Illinois Department of Natural Resources district biologist. “A participating hunter must have either a valid St. Clair County or Randolph County deer hunting permit for Late-winter Deer Season.”

To be eligible for the inhouse drawing, the person’s name, his/her mailing address, and in which county his or her permit is for—St. Clair or Randolph County—- must be clearly printed on a standard USPS postcard and received at the site office by Dec. 31. The site address is: Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area, 10981 Conservation Road, Baldwin IL 62217.

The 26 designated hunting locations will be allocated in random order. Each of the persons whose names are drawn will receive information about the hunt, a map showing the location of their assigned hunting spot and nearby parking area, plus a special pass allowing temporary access to the area to scout and to erect a deer stand the weekend prior to the season.

During the special hunt, the deer hunter must be in an elevated stand at least 6 feet high and these have to be within 10 yards of their designated hunting spot.

“If one or more of the 26 drawn hunters do not show up or if we have spots left over from the drawing,” said Mahan. “A secondary drawing will be held at 5:45 a.m. each day, if needed, to allow any standby hunters to go to any unfilled hunting location.”

A standby hunter must have either a St. Clair County or Randolph County Late-winter Deer Season hunting permit or an unfilled Firearm Season permit from either county and will be allowed into the area until 3 p.m. each day to fill any vacant hunting location.

“Last year, we had several vacant hunting locations in both counties available for standby hunters,” said Mahan.

Mahan also reminded those interested in the Late-winter Deer Hunting Season that the remainder of the Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area and Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area south of Chester are also open and have no special drawing.

“Only those persons wanting to hunt on part of the rest area near Baldwin Lake for the second part of the Late-winter Deer Season need to send in a postcard as described,” Mahan said.