Illinois Recreational Access Program
Share
In order to carry on our outdoor traditions, we need to connect youth and families to land and opportunities.
01/12/2026
⚠️WANTED: 2026 IRAP turkey hunters🧐🦃
If you have been awarded (or want to apply for) a 3rd or 4th season turkey tag and would like the chance to hunt on private land, scroll through the charts below to see if an IRAP opportunity still exists for your county!
Be sure to hop on the IRAP website to view the remaining sites after the 1st lottery, fill out the IRAP application, and reference other important turkey season dates and deadlines for 2026.
📸ALSO, if you or someone you know has harvested a bird on an IRAP site in the past, post a picture and tell us your story in the comments!
• Main IRAP turkey webpage:
https://dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/irap/first-time-adult-turkey-hunting.html
• Application:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/719278604f114f9cb0d7e7606db6d255
10/16/2025
We’ve seen proof of some BIG smiles across Illinois during this past youth season! We hope everyone had a GREAT weekend and made some true lifetime memories outdoors🦌
📸Harvest or not, if you and your youth hunter enjoyed your time on IRAP-leased land, please share some pictures with us! The easiest way to do that is by uploading them during your post-hunt survey. You can also email any pictures, videos, stories, etc. to “[email protected]”, message us on Facebook, or post a pic in the comments!
❗️REMEMBER❗️ to remain eligible for the IRAP lottery, you have no more than 15 days after your hunt to complete your MANDATORY post-hunt survey. (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d2774c8346d34b44a36c7e30bdf96a95)
Good luck to all of the archery hunters out there as IRAP deer season rolls on!
03/19/2025
TURKEY SEASON UPDATES:
• 3rd season turkey packets are being mailed out TODAY, and should arrive to awarded participants next week!
• This is “last call” on remaining 4th season turkey sites. Applications must be received before 5pm TODAY - Wednesday, March 19th - in order to be considered for a remaining 4th season site.
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Our Story
One of the more challenging problems facing the Department of Natural Resources is providing public recreational access and outdoor opportunities to our constituents. In order to carry on our outdoor traditions, we need to connect youth and families to land and opportunities. Utilizing resources obtained through a grant from the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Illinoisans have more places to enjoy the great outdoors through IDNR’s new Illinois Recreational Access Program (IRAP). IRAP will increase public outdoor recreational opportunities on private lands through payments to eligible land owners who agree up to a three-year lease for one or more of the following IRAP activities:
*Youth Turkey Hunting
*Adult Turkey Hunting
*Archery Deer Hunting
*Small Game Hunting (rabbit, squirrel)
*Upland Game Hunting (quail, pheasant)
*Waterfowl Hunting
*Fishing (ponds, rivers and streams)
*Non-motorized Boat access on public waterways
*Outdoor Naturalist - birding and outdoor photography.
In addition, and very important, are incentive payments that will be made for habitat management plans written by IDNR on IRAP-leased property, as well as a stipend to the landowner based on activities.
It's a “win-win” for the landowner, wildlife and IRAP participant!
Category
Contact the business
Address
Springfield, IL
62702
