Illinois deer research / Adams County
Adams County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 54 — ranked #49 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Adams County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
296 unique record-book bucks from 316 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 20 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #6 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 293 |
| In two books | 3 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 296 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,394 | 2,299 | 3,693 |
| 2023 | 1,356 | 2,141 | 3,497 |
| 2022 | 1,406 | 2,160 | 3,566 |
| 2021 | 1,428 | 1,990 | 3,418 |
| 2020 | 1,542 | 2,235 | 3,777 |
| 2019 | 1,492 | 2,178 | 3,670 |
| 2018 | 1,398 | 2,339 | 3,737 |
| 2017 | 1,268 | 2,181 | 3,449 |
| 2016 | 1,202 | 2,362 | 3,564 |
| 2015 | 1,207 | 2,398 | 3,605 |
| 2014 | 1,215 | 2,114 | 3,329 |
| 2013 | 1,210 | 1,785 | 2,995 |
| 2012 | 1,349 | 2,538 | 3,887 |
| 2011 | 1,364 | 2,394 | 3,758 |
| 2010 | 1,341 | 2,471 | 3,812 |
| 2009 | 1,408 | 2,482 | 3,890 |
| 2008 | 1,404 | 2,651 | 4,055 |
| 2007 | 1,310 | 2,804 | 4,114 |
| 2006 | 1,474 | 3,040 | 4,514 |
| 2005 | 1,328 | 3,336 | 4,664 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Adams County runs 5.26 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Adams County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Adams County ran 1,977 bucks (males) and 1,716 does (females) — 53.5% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,977 | 1,716 | 3,693 | 53.5% |
| 2023 | 2,015 | 1,482 | 3,497 | 57.6% |
| 2022 | 1,966 | 1,600 | 3,566 | 55.1% |
| 2021 | 1,911 | 1,507 | 3,418 | 55.9% |
| 2020 | 1,973 | 1,804 | 3,777 | 52.2% |
| 2019 | 1,934 | 1,736 | 3,670 | 52.7% |
| 2018 | 2,044 | 1,693 | 3,737 | 54.7% |
| 2017 | 1,955 | 1,494 | 3,449 | 56.7% |
| 2016 | 1,975 | 1,589 | 3,564 | 55.4% |
| 2015 | 1,944 | 1,661 | 3,605 | 53.9% |
| 2014 | 1,751 | 1,578 | 3,329 | 52.6% |
| 2013 | 1,577 | 1,418 | 2,995 | 52.7% |
| 2012 | 2,217 | 1,670 | 3,887 | 57% |
| 2011 | 2,103 | 1,655 | 3,758 | 56% |
| 2010 | 2,105 | 1,707 | 3,812 | 55.2% |
| 2009 | 2,090 | 1,800 | 3,890 | 53.7% |
| 2008 | 2,134 | 1,921 | 4,055 | 52.6% |
| 2007 | 2,321 | 1,793 | 4,114 | 56.4% |
| 2006 | 2,535 | 1,979 | 4,514 | 56.2% |
| 2005 | 2,626 | 2,038 | 4,664 | 56.3% |
See full Adams County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Adams County ran 70% adult, 15% yearling, and 15% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,586 | 553 | 554 | 3,693 |
| 2023 | 2,404 | 568 | 525 | 3,497 |
| 2022 | 2,550 | 518 | 498 | 3,566 |
| 2021 | 2,325 | 533 | 560 | 3,418 |
| 2020 | 2,619 | 558 | 600 | 3,777 |
| 2019 | 2,452 | 561 | 657 | 3,670 |
| 2018 | 2,431 | 610 | 696 | 3,737 |
| 2017 | 2,258 | 561 | 630 | 3,449 |
| 2016 | 2,279 | 614 | 671 | 3,564 |
| 2015 | 2,167 | 530 | 908 | 3,605 |
| 2014 | 2,053 | 553 | 723 | 3,329 |
| 2013 | 1,807 | 490 | 698 | 2,995 |
| 2012 | 2,455 | 580 | 852 | 3,887 |
| 2011 | 2,387 | 612 | 759 | 3,758 |
| 2010 | 2,409 | 561 | 842 | 3,812 |
| 2009 | 2,407 | 518 | 965 | 3,890 |
| 2008 | 2,544 | 638 | 873 | 4,055 |
| 2007 | 2,427 | 667 | 1,020 | 4,114 |
| 2006 | 2,694 | 677 | 1,143 | 4,514 |
| 2005 | 2,735 | 741 | 1,188 | 4,664 |
Age class is IDNR's field classification at check-in, not a lab-aged tooth-wear cohort; treat it as a directional maturity signal.
See full Adams County composition charts →
Seasons & access
| Season | Method | Dates | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Jan | archery | 2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18 | otc |
| Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Season | firearm | 2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07 | otc |
| Muzzleloader — December | muzzleloader | 2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14 | otc |
Public hunting land: 208,910 acres (37.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Adams County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Adams County on the map
Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land with regs, access points, leaf-off imagery, and this research — together on one hunting map.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Adams County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Adams County scores 54 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #49 of 102 Illinois counties. The index is built from IDNR public harvest records, habitat, herd quality, momentum, and record-book history deduplicated across the major whitetail record books.
How many record-book bucks have come from Adams County?
296 record-book whitetails are attributed to Adams County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Adams County, Illinois?
Yes — about 208,910 acres of public hunting land, roughly 37.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Adams County last season?
IDNR records show 3,693 deer harvested in Adams County in 2024, the most recent reported season.