Illinois hunters harvest more than 53,000 deer first weekend of firearm season

SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 53,348 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season between Nov. 17-19. Comparatively, hunters took 52,354 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2022.

Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:

muzzleloader-only deer season Dec. 8-10;

late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease deer seasons (in select counties only) Dec. 28-31 and Jan. 12-14; and

archery deer season through Jan. 14. (Note: archery deer hunting is closed Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in counties open for firearm deer season.)

Go online to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ website for more details about deer hunting, open counties, and other information.

A table of preliminary Illinois firearm deer harvest totals by county for the first weekend of the 2023 season, and comparable totals for 2021 and 2022, can be found below.

County

2021

2022

2023

ADAMS

1311

1437

1423

ALEXANDER

264

239

199

BOND

478

537

562

BOONE

BROWN

572

655

591

BUREAU

612

609

695

CALHOUN

427

465

476

CARROLL

373

331

389

CASS

386

423

448

CHAMPAIGN

143

137

144

CHRISTIAN

376

403

417

CLARK

692

721

CLAY

765

889

1007

CLINTON

493

606

588

COLES

466

487

415

CRAWFORD

635

673

729

CUMBERLAND

531

542

511

DEKALB

DEWITT

195

220

DOUGLAS

115

120

121

EDGAR

370

424

413

EDWARDS

273

317

283

EFFINGHAM

637

653

696

FAYETTE

1106

1184

1166

FORD

FRANKLIN

848

956

888

FULTON

1154

1249

1296

GALLATIN

253

305

306

GREENE

612

634

624

GRUNDY

154

172

217

HAMILTON

729

741

750

HANCOCK

1001

1128

992

HARDIN

515

548

467

HENDERSON

262

283

320

HENRY

268

275

321

IROQUOIS

282

257

344

JACKSON

1290

1484

1371

JASPER

715

794

784

JEFFERSON

1228

1249

1286

JERSEY

416

425

435

JO DAVIESS

830

843

967

JOHNSON

866

874

749

KANE

KANKAKEE

140

114

138

KENDALL

KNOX

720

737

821

LAKE

LASALLE

409

427

499

LAWRENCE

366

399

426

LEE

316

314

385

LIVINGSTON

312

268

310

LOGAN

217

193

215

MACON

148

155

135

MACOUPIN

1003

1120

1077

MADISON

460

509

484

MARION

998

1186

1202

MARSHALL

393

412

429

MASON

258

249

280

MASSAC

238

268

247

MCDONOUGH

488

495

528

MCHENRY

181

129

204

MCLEAN

398

349

432

MENARD

214

215

262

MERCER

538

509

600

MONROE

710

856

821

MONTGOMERY

541

619

592

MORGAN

364

442

432

MOULTRIE

146

158

156

OGLE

394

356

503

PEORIA

567

576

581

PERRY

783

969

941

PIATT

PIKE

987

1129

1189

POPE

934

1068

994

PULASKI

190

222

208

PUTNAM

236

228

244

RANDOLPH

1457

1518

1506

RICHLAND

475

487

480

ROCK ISLAND

404

408

526

SALINE

533

628

611

SANGAMON

354

327

357

SCHUYLER

833

904

875

SCOTT

209

190

254

SHELBY

864

883

895

ST. CLAIR

529

576

560

STARK

113

118

150

STEPHENSON

370

342

375

TAZEWELL

339

352

377

UNION

795

812

813

VERMILION

400

369

419

WABASH

118

122

126

WARREN

288

290

337

WASHINGTON

672

771

747

WAYNE

935

1015

938

WHITE

437

553

542

WHITESIDE

348

335

402

WILL

123

134

167

WILLIAMSON

1109

1287

1163

WINNEBAGO

167

154

181

WOODFORD

397

434

475

Total

48964

52354

53348

Illinois e-News Release

Illinois hunters harvest more than 53,000 deer first weekend of firearm season

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