Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area

In this series we examine Illinois state sites benefiting from sportsmen’s contributions through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration (Pittman-Robertson or PR) program. One of the largest, and longest running, projects is the Statewide Public Lands Wildlife Habitat Development Project (W-76-D), designed to create wildlife habitat on public lands, provide facility access and recreation opportunities, and establish wildlife management demonstration areas for Illinois citizens.

As the only waterfowl refuge offering quality food and rest in the upper Rock River region north of Illinois Route 80, Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area supports thousands of waterfowl during both spring and fall migrations, and throughout the year is rich with a diversity of both game and non-game wildlife.

Since 2002, nearly 1,350 acres previously enrolled in the USDA’s Emergency Wetland Program have been acquired, expanding the site to the current 2,376 acres. Consisting predominately of floodplain forest, the site is subject to periodic flood pulses, and habitat enhancement has included reforesting more than 330 acres of farmed bottomlands, creating approximately 400 acres of wet-meadow grasslands and creating the ability to manage the site’s hydrology with the installation of water control structures. In the summer of 2015, receipt of wetland mitigation settlement funds allowed for the creation of an additional 23 acres of ephemeral wetlands and repair of impounded drainage ditches.

Essential to the management of Big Bend is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and local U.S. Department of Agriculture and Soil and Water Conservation District staff.

“Thankfully, these three organizations are strongly engaged in the site’s resource planning, coordination, and implementation of projects and practices, and the collective energies have allowed the implementation of so many notable developments in the last few years,” said Scott Schaffer, IDNR District Wildlife Biologist.

Hunting and Trapping at Big Bend

Available Game Species: Species available are dove, squirrel, deer (archery only), turkey, pheasant, quail, rabbit, Hungarian partridge, woodcock, rail, snipe, crow, raccoon, opossum, red fox, gray fox, coyote, skunk.

Hunter Fact Sheet and Hunting Regulations for Big Bend

https://huntillinois.org/sites/big-bend-sfwa/

About the Site

P.O. Box 181, Prophetstown, IL 61277

(815) 537-2270

County: Whiteside

Email: mike.challand@illinois.gov

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Directions: Big Bend can be reached from I-80 or I-88, exiting onto Illinois Route 78. From I-88 proceed south (from I-80 proceed north) to Prophetstown, turning west on 5th Street. At the edge of town, where 5th Street intersects with Spring Hill Road, veer left (west) onto Spring Hill Road 2 miles, then turn right onto Van Damme Road. Proceed 1 mile to the site entrance.

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Kathy Andrews Wright is retired from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources where she was editor of Outdoor Illinois magazine. She is currently the editor of Outdoor Illinois Wildlife Journal and Illinois Audubon magazine.