Illinois e-News Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025

Media contact: [email protected]



More than 51,000 deer harvested during first weekend of Illinois firearm deer season

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:
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


About IDNR 
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is celebrating 100 years of conservation and service to the people of Illinois throughout 2025. The department was established July 1, 1925, as the Illinois Department of Conservation, bringing under one umbrella oversight of fish and game, forestry, public works, and lakes.

Today, IDNR’s work encompasses management of about 400 sites across Illinois, including state parks and historic sites; wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and natural heritage; Lake Michigan water allocation and coastal management; conservation police; mines and minerals; oil and gas; issuance of licenses, permits, and numerous grants; the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta; and the Illinois State Museum. Visit https://dnr.illinois.gov for more information.


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