SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,409 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season between Nov. 21-23. Comparatively, hunters took 54,661 and 53,348 deer during the first firearm weekends in 2024 and 2023.
Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude December 4-7. Youth hunters with an unfilled, valid youth deer permit may hunt with the permit during the upcoming firearm deer season, December 4-7. This is the first year that unfilled youth permits are valid for both segments of firearm season.
Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:
Muzzleloader-only deer season Dec. 12-14.
Late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease deer seasons in select counties only, Jan. 1-4 and Jan. 16-18.
Archery deer season continues through Jan. 18. Please note that archery deer hunting is closed Dec. 4-7 in counties open for firearm deer season.
Visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources online for more details about deer hunting.
A table of preliminary Illinois firearm deer harvest totals by county for the first weekend of the 2025 season, and comparable totals for 2024 and 2023 follows.
COUNTY
2023
2024
2025
Adams
1423
1414
1232
Alexander
199
225
220
Bond
562
594
533
Boone
74
80
81
Brown
591
629
528
Bureau
695
628
592
Calhoun
476
499
406
Carroll
389
387
416
Cass
448
434
391
Champaign
144
165
154
Christian
417
412
380
Clark
721
783
677
Clay
1007
1118
988
Clinton
588
735
571
Coles
415
523
411
Crawford
729
788
645
Cumberland
511
575
526
Dekalb
83
97
98
Dewitt
220
261
231
Douglas
121
129
131
Edgar
413
407
411
Edwards
283
309
304
Effingham
696
763
699
Fayette
1166
1298
1275
Ford
85
86
108
Franklin
888
879
761
Fulton
1296
1317
1228
Gallatin
306
301
241
Greene
624
660
587
Grundy
217
204
205
Hamilton
750
838
763
Hancock
992
1102
964
Hardin
467
366
347
Henderson
320
318
317
Henry
321
300
371
Iroquois
344
338
428
Jackson
1371
1355
1266
Jasper
784
851
787
Jefferson
1286
1406
1356
Jersey
435
475
409
Jo daviess
967
936
909
Johnson
749
759
750
Kane
27
24
22
Kankakee
138
139
189
Kendall
49
34
51
Knox
821
715
685
Lake
4
7
4
Lasalle
499
392
445
Lawrence
426
476
407
Lee
385
424
405
Livingston
310
323
284
Logan
215
252
238
Macon
135
156
144
Macoupin
1077
1200
1110
Madison
484
549
520
Marion
1202
1272
1164
Marshall
429
462
412
Mason
280
239
249
Massac
247
235
185
Mcdonough
528
530
476
Mchenry
204
152
178
Mclean
432
407
397
Menard
262
260
240
Mercer
600
542
627
Monroe
821
798
828
Montgomery
592
707
685
Morgan
432
435
381
Moultrie
156
182
164
Ogle
503
418
446
Peoria
581
554
586
Perry
941
918
926
Piatt
84
100
95
Pike
1189
1136
960
Pope
994
895
808
Pulaski
208
206
172
Putnam
244
229
227
Randolph
1506
1565
1363
Richland
480
533
492
Rock island
526
480
501
Saline
611
605
577
Sangamon
357
358
356
Schuyler
875
914
792
Scott
254
216
187
Shelby
895
921
838
St. Clair
560
595
595
Stark
150
131
160
Stephenson
375
307
335
Tazewell
377
371
330
Union
813
798
755
Vermilion
419
392
453
Wabash
126
156
144
Warren
337
352
337
Washington
747
802
795
Wayne
938
1113
1097
White
542
532
535
Whiteside
402
391
461
Will
167
150
151
Williamson
1163
1165
1060
Winnebago
181
174
162
Woodford
475
528
526
TOTALS
53348
54661
51409