Black Crown Marsh and Redwing Slough

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.

Two recent land acquisitions in northeastern Illinois are expanding hunting opportunities and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Acquired in 2003, Black Crown Marsh is a 350-acre wetland in McHenry County and managed as a satellite of Moraine Hills State Park. Classified as a palustrine emergent wetland with a hemi-marsh and scrub-shrub habitats, Black Crown serves as a refuge for a diversity of wetland-dependent species, including black terns, least bitterns, sandhill cranes, black-crowned night-herons and yellow-headed blackbirds.

“Black Crown Marsh has an archery deer hunting program, and year-round the trails are popular attractions for visitors interested in hiking or wildlife viewing,” explained Stefanie Fitzsimons, Illinois Department of Natural Resources District Wildlife Biologist. “The Department’s long-term goal is to permanently preserve this valuable resource by acquiring additional land around the marsh and eventually adding a waterfowl hunting program.”

In the meantime, improving the quality of the wildlife habitat is under way through the W-76-D program and includes exotic plant control including chemical and manual removal of teasel, phragmities and buckthorn.

The large bodies of water at Redwing Slough and Deer Lake have a cultural heritage as a waterfowl hunting area dating to the era of unregulated market hunting. Acquisition of Redwing Slough started in the 1990s. Located in McHenry and Lake counties, the site is managed as a hemi marsh and as a satellite of Chain O’Lakes State Park.

“To hunt waterfowl at this site, the interested sportsman must participate in the annual late July drawing for one of five blind sites,” Fitzsimons said. “Waterfowl harvest is always pretty good, and the site attracts a great diversity of birds.”

Management of Redwing Slough and Deer Lake mimics that of Black Crown, with the primary action control of exotic plants—namely phragmities and teasel—through chemical and manual removal.

“Regardless of the site, the removal of exotic species will greatly improve the quality of the natural community, and ultimately the site’s wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities,” Fitzsimons concluded.

Available Game Species

• Archery-deer (Black Crown Marsh)
• Waterfowl (Redwing Slough/Deer Lake)

Hunter Fact Sheets and Hunting Regulations

• Redwing Slough
• Black Crown Marsh

About the Sites

Moraine Hills State Park (Black Crown Marsh)

1510 S. River Road, McHenry, IL 60051

(815) 385-1624

County: McHenry

Website: https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.morainehills.html

GPS Coordinates: N: 42.323 W: -88.227

Directions: Moraine Hills State Park is located 3 miles southeast of McHenry and can be accessed from Illinois Routes 120 or 31.

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Chain O’Lakes State Park (Redwing Slough/Deer Lake)

8916 Wilmot Road, Spring Grove, IL 60081

(847) 587-5512

Counties: McHenry and Lake

Website: https://dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.chainolakes.html

GPS Coordinates: N: 42.476 W: -88.189

Directions: Chain O’ Lakes State Park off of Illinois Route 173, approximately 12 miles west of Antioch.

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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.