Illinois deer research / Cass County

Cass County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 61.3 — ranked #19 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
61.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#19 of 102
Statewide rank
135
Record-book bucks (deduped)
78,422
Public-land acres
1,463
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Cass County index

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

Habitat · 25%37
Herd quality · 30%71
Population · 18%71
Momentum · 12%44
Trophy history · 15%84

Trophy record — counted once

135 unique record-book bucks from 155 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 20 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #23 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only131
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks135

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20247607031,463
20236856371,322
20226816791,360
20216695871,256
20207456551,400
20196665991,265
20186436931,336
20175886531,241
20165306841,214
20156057591,364
20145346311,165
20135386081,146
20126448161,460
20115646741,238
20105956831,278
20096367311,367
20085727571,329
20076019211,522
20066599251,584
20056601,0291,689

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Cass County runs 5.23 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Cass County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Cass County ran 813 bucks (males) and 650 does (females) — 55.6% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248136501,46355.6%
20237745481,32258.5%
20227206401,36052.9%
20217085481,25656.4%
20207466541,40053.3%
20196945711,26554.9%
20187196171,33653.8%
20177015401,24156.5%
20166535611,21453.8%
20157286361,36453.4%
20146505151,16555.8%
20135735731,14650%
20127347261,46050.3%
20117035351,23856.8%
20106546241,27851.2%
20097006671,36751.2%
20087166131,32953.9%
20078756471,52257.5%
20069146701,58457.7%
20059057841,68953.6%

See full Cass County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Cass County ran 69.8% adult, 15% yearling, and 15.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,0212192231,463
20239201992031,322
20229881931791,360
20218671832061,256
20209641952411,400
20198531902221,265
20188531793041,336
20178301822291,241
20167961762421,214
20159041842761,364
20147561742351,165
20137341822301,146
20129281673651,460
20118201802381,238
20108671672441,278
20099151652871,367
20088941752601,329
20071,0242212771,522
20069782533531,584
20059992494411,689

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 Cass 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: 78,422 acres (31.9% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Cass County

Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area · 16,550 acWeinberg-King State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,391 acSanganois · 707 acShick Shack Sand Pond State Natural Area · 60 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Cass 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 Cass County charts

Nearby counties

Morgan · 63.5Scott · 52.5Schuyler · 62.1Mason · 51Menard · 70.1Fulton · 58.4Brown · 58.9Sangamon · 58.5
← #18 Lawrence County#20 Macon County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Cass County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Cass County scores 61.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #19 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 Cass County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Cass County, Illinois?

Yes — about 78,422 acres of public hunting land, roughly 31.9% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Cass County last season?

IDNR records show 1,463 deer harvested in Cass County in 2024, the most recent reported season.