Illinois deer research / Calhoun County

Calhoun County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 44.7 — ranked #69 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
44.7 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#69 of 102
Statewide rank
162
Record-book bucks (deduped)
115,791
Public-land acres
1,622
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Calhoun County index

Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.

Habitat · 25%24
Herd quality · 30%74
Population · 18%53
Momentum · 12%6
Trophy history · 15%42

Trophy record — counted once

162 unique record-book bucks from 178 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 16 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #15 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only157
In two books5
In all three books0
Unique bucks162

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248128101,622
20238137521,565
20227477281,475
20217906501,440
20209967791,775
20198918491,740
20187768531,629
20176768131,489
20166347931,427
20157409561,696
20146518031,454
20137167921,508
20127759901,765
20119031,1262,029
20109821,1012,083
20091,0821,3862,468
20081,1161,3432,459
20071,0681,5382,606
20061,2701,6402,910
20051,1471,6222,769

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Calhoun County runs 5.34 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Calhoun County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Calhoun County ran 847 bucks (males) and 775 does (females) — 52.2% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248477751,62252.2%
20238856801,56556.5%
20227766991,47552.6%
20217257151,44050.3%
20209068691,77551%
20199417991,74054.1%
20188727571,62953.5%
20178816081,48959.2%
20168006271,42756.1%
20159537431,69656.2%
20147846701,45453.9%
20137947141,50852.7%
20129667991,76554.7%
20111,1458842,02956.4%
20101,1099742,08353.2%
20091,2151,2532,46849.2%
20081,2621,1972,45951.3%
20071,4301,1762,60654.9%
20061,5821,3282,91054.4%
20051,4961,2732,76954%

See full Calhoun County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Calhoun County ran 74% adult, 13.2% yearling, and 12.8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,2012142071,622
20231,0912332411,565
20221,1191731831,475
20219811762831,440
20201,3022102631,775
20191,2712112581,740
20181,2101942251,629
20171,0762241891,489
20161,0381762131,427
20151,1752482731,696
20149752162631,454
20131,0262372451,508
20121,0972344341,765
20111,3833063402,029
20101,4672343822,083
20091,6782485422,468
20081,6653114832,459
20071,7443145482,606
20061,9243396472,910
20051,7383676642,769

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 Calhoun County composition charts →

Seasons & access

SeasonMethodDatesTags
Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Janarchery2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18otc
Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Seasonfirearm2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07otc
Muzzleloader — Decembermuzzleloader2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14otc

Public hunting land: 115,791 acres (63.8% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Calhoun County

Great River National Wildlife Refuge · 4,986 acTwo Rivers National Wildlife Refuge · 1,866 acRed's Landing · 1,189 acMcCulley Heritage Project · 1,118 acMississippi River State Forest Wildlife Area - Mortland · 526 acKamp's Glade · 214 acClarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge · 189 acBatchtown Fish and Wildlife Area · 151 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Calhoun 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.

Open Fully Drawn Scout — freeSee all Calhoun County charts

Nearby counties

Jersey · 53.3Greene · 50Pike · 59.2Scott · 52.5Morgan · 63.5Macoupin · 66.3Brown · 58.9Madison · 38.1
← #68 Will County#70 Monroe County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Calhoun County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Calhoun County scores 44.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #69 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 Calhoun County?

162 record-book whitetails are attributed to Calhoun County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.

Is there public hunting land in Calhoun County, Illinois?

Yes — about 115,791 acres of public hunting land, roughly 63.8% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Calhoun County last season?

IDNR records show 1,622 deer harvested in Calhoun County in 2024, the most recent reported season.