Hunters took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during Illinois’ 2025 firearm deer season, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
That’s a decrease from 2024, when hunters harvested 82,496 deer.
The numbers were also down a bit in just about every western Illinois county (last year’s totals in parentheses):
- Adams 2,094 (2,291)
- Brown 879 (988)
- Cass 664 (698)
- Fulton 1,930 (1,990)
- Hancock 1,710 (1,716)
- Henderson 464 (449)
- Knox 1,057 (1,109)
- Mason 407 (389)
- McDonough 735 (774)
- Pike 1,621 (1,949)
- Schuyler 1,316 (1,356)
- Warren 516 (518)
Statewide, the largest deer harvest was in Jefferson County with 2,185, followed by Randolph County with 2,183, Adams County with 2,094, Fayette County with 2.040, and Jackson County with 2,007. Those were the only counties with harvests that topped 2,000.
The DNR said Illinois’ remaining deer hunting opportunities include late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease (CWD) season, in designated counties only, Jan. 1-4 and Jan. 16-18; and archery deer season continues through Jan. 18.
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