Illinois deer research / Carroll County

Carroll County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 37 — ranked #87 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
37 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#87 of 102
Statewide rank
119
Record-book bucks (deduped)
82,577
Public-land acres
1,158
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Carroll County index

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

Habitat · 25%45
Herd quality · 30%28
Population · 18%60
Momentum · 12%5
Trophy history · 15%41

Trophy record — counted once

119 unique record-book bucks from 142 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 23 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #25 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only117
In two books1
In all three books1
Unique bucks119

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20245235321,158
20235085221,116
20225124921,124
20215114401,032
20206075661,278
20195986411,314
20185466841,337
20175536861,342
20165417501,291
20155647821,346
20145657421,307
20135538291,382
20126431,1511,794
20115619551,516
20107141,0321,746
20096351,0291,664
20086131,1311,744
20075721,1871,759
20065391,1481,687
20055561,2581,814

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Carroll County runs 4.53 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Carroll County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Carroll County ran 667 bucks (males) and 491 does (females) — 57.6% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20246674911,15857.6%
20236414751,11657.4%
20226185061,12455%
20215594731,03254.2%
20206815971,27853.3%
20197146001,31454.3%
20187346031,33754.9%
20177485941,34255.7%
20167435481,29157.6%
20157416051,34655.1%
20146736341,30751.5%
20137096731,38251.3%
20129748201,79454.3%
20118296871,51654.7%
20108788681,74650.3%
20098448201,66450.7%
20088748701,74450.1%
20079588011,75954.5%
20069177701,68754.4%
20059738411,81453.6%

See full Carroll County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Carroll County ran 66.1% adult, 19.8% yearling, and 14.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20247662291631,158
20237422141601,116
20227371971901,124
20216981891451,032
20208112741931,278
20199142131871,314
20188752671951,337
20178862512051,342
20168412262241,291
20158632462371,346
20148452422201,307
20138532322971,382
20121,1413073461,794
20118872893401,516
20101,0712754001,746
20091,0272423951,664
20081,0292954201,744
20071,0882953761,759
20061,0032834011,687
20051,1032624491,814

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 Carroll 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: 82,577 acres (27.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Carroll County

Little Rock Creek State Habitat Area · 147 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Carroll 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 Carroll County charts

Nearby counties

Whiteside · 36.7Stephenson · 40.5Jo Daviess · 36.3Ogle · 40.2Lee · 51.3Henry · 47.2Bureau · 57.2Winnebago · 37.8
← #86 St. Clair County#88 Whiteside County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Carroll County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Carroll County scores 37 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #87 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 Carroll County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Carroll County, Illinois?

Yes — about 82,577 acres of public hunting land, roughly 27.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Carroll County last season?

IDNR records show 1,158 deer harvested in Carroll County in 2024, the most recent reported season.