Illinois deer research / Brown County

Brown County, Illinois Deer Hunting Research

West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59, ranked #25 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and the Buck Index.

B - Strong
59 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#25 of 102
Statewide rank
92→
Buck Index
150,710
Bow-huntable acres (10 m estimate)
2,259
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Brown County index

The FDR Index combines five measured parts into one 0 to 100 score. Each part is scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.

Habitat31
Herd quality93
Population65
Momentum25
Buck Index59

Buck Index

92→ out of 100. How this county ranks on the Buck Index against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Land is measured as what a hunter can actually hunt (10 m estimate).

Hunting pressure

Pressure Index 5.1 / 10 (Middle). About 5.7 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land: 51st percentile of 3,051 rated counties in 48 states, 80th percentile within Illinois. How often deer run into people, 0 to 10 on one scale across every rated state; 10 is the most crowded county in the country.

Modeled. Illinois does not publish hunter numbers by county, so FDR places this county within Illinois from deer harvest per huntable acre (2020 to 2024 seasons) and population density. The model was checked against agency hunter counts in Michigan, Indiana and Missouri, and against agency hunter surveys by hunting unit in 10 more states. It estimates crowding; it is not a hunter count. Illinois averages 5.2 deer hunters per square mile of huntable land (state wildlife agency count, 2023-24 season).

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248021,4572,259
20237571,1851,942
20228271,3682,195
20218621,1151,977
20208631,3172,180
20198761,2422,118
20189381,3862,324
20178571,3392,196
20168221,3142,136
20157561,5042,260
20147271,3472,074
20137551,3192,074
20129201,9692,889
20119291,7152,644
20109611,7002,661
20098881,9792,867
20089901,8612,851
20079681,9472,915
20069251,9852,910
20059252,0252,950

Totals are IDNR's all-season county harvest; firearm includes the youth, muzzleloader and late-winter seasons. Source: Hunt Illinois county deer harvest. Buck density: Brown County averages 4.66 adult bucks harvested per 1,000 huntable acres (2005-2024).

See full Brown County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Brown County ran 1,086 bucks (males) and 1,173 does (females): 48.1% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0861,1732,25948.1%
20231,0848581,94255.8%
20221,1591,0362,19552.8%
20211,0629151,97753.7%
20201,1701,0102,18053.7%
20191,1399792,11853.8%
20181,2431,0812,32453.5%
20171,1861,0102,19654%
20161,1191,0172,13652.4%
20151,1521,1082,26051%
20141,0651,0092,07451.4%
20131,0061,0682,07448.5%
20121,4321,4572,88949.6%
20111,3411,3032,64450.7%
20101,3221,3392,66149.7%
20091,3811,4862,86748.2%
20081,3781,4732,85148.3%
20071,5481,3672,91553.1%
20061,5101,4002,91051.9%
20051,5271,4232,95051.8%

See full Brown County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Brown County ran 74% adult, 11.3% yearling, and 14.7% fawn. A higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,6722553322,259
20231,4472082871,942
20221,6362423172,195
20211,4552123101,977
20201,5992483332,180
20191,4942713532,118
20181,6542654052,324
20171,5412843712,196
20161,5212673482,136
20151,4752745112,260
20141,3452854442,074
20131,3032705012,074
20121,8952577372,889
20111,7063116272,644
20101,7593185842,661
20091,8352997332,867
20081,8773086662,851
20071,8913306942,915
20061,8753077282,910
20051,8783487182,944

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 Brown County composition charts →

Seasons & access

SeasonMethodDatesTags
Archery · Oct 1 to mid-Janarchery2026-10-01 → 2027-01-17otc
Firearm · 1st + 2nd Shotgun Seasonfirearm2026-11-20 → 2026-12-06otc
Muzzleloader · Decembermuzzleloader2026-12-11 → 2026-12-13otc

Bow-huntable land, public and private: 150,710 acres (10 m estimate). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

See Brown 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.

See all Brown County charts

Nearby counties

Schuyler · 64.4Pike · 59.6Scott · 51.7Adams · 54.9McDonough · 57.9Cass · 63.5Morgan · 62.1Hancock · 67.9
← #24 Marion County#26 Macon County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Brown County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Brown County scores 59 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #25 of 102 Illinois counties. The index is built from IDNR public harvest records, habitat, herd quality, momentum, and the Buck Index.

What is the Buck Index for Brown County?

Brown County has a Buck Index of 92 out of 100. How this county ranks on the Buck Index against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Land is measured as what a hunter can actually hunt (10 m estimate).

How many deer were harvested in Brown County last season?

IDNR records show 2,259 deer harvested in Brown County in 2024, the most recent reported season.

Cite this

Fully Drawn Research. "Brown County, Illinois deer hunting research." County page. https://www.fullydrawnresearch.ai/research/il/brown. Accessed Nov 1, 2026.

Data and charts from this page are free to use with attribution. See the Content Lab.

Sources: Illinois DNR public harvest and public-land records, plus FDR's own land data for the Buck Index. Public-record data only: no private contact information, no landowner lists.

Fully Drawn Research is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Historical data and modeled indexes describe the past; they are not a promise of hunting outcomes. Always verify current seasons, permits, and site rules with IDNR before you hunt.

© Fully Drawn Research · FDR Scout