Illinois deer research / Coles County

Coles County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 63.8 — ranked #13 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
63.8 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#13 of 102
Statewide rank
109
Record-book bucks (deduped)
62,463
Public-land acres
1,554
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Coles County index

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

Habitat · 25%73
Herd quality · 30%52
Population · 18%76
Momentum · 12%70
Trophy history · 15%53

Trophy record — counted once

109 unique record-book bucks from 129 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 20 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #33 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only105
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks109

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248147401,554
20237665891,355
20227496961,445
20217176581,375
20208276851,512
20197696211,390
20186816581,339
20176415941,235
20165275501,077
20155335641,097
2014496430926
2013481451932
20126026701,272
20116947881,482
20106537741,427
20096357031,338
20086267491,375
20076428341,476
20065357881,323
20055358121,347

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Coles County runs 5.83 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Coles County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Coles County ran 827 bucks (males) and 727 does (females) — 53.2% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248277271,55453.2%
20237785771,35557.4%
20228475981,44558.6%
20218265491,37560.1%
20208846281,51258.5%
20197975931,39057.3%
20187625771,33956.9%
20177364991,23559.6%
20166134641,07756.9%
20156154821,09756.1%
201451940792656%
201352141193255.9%
20127045681,27255.3%
20117836991,48252.8%
20107436841,42752.1%
20097046341,33852.6%
20087246511,37552.7%
20078296471,47656.2%
20067815421,32359%
20057785691,34757.8%

See full Coles County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Coles County ran 66.3% adult, 16.5% yearling, and 17.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,0302562681,554
20239182611761,355
20229822422211,445
20218922472361,375
20209952802371,512
20199102552251,390
20188742522131,339
20177692362301,235
20166292172311,077
20156762042171,097
2014587153186926
2013558191183932
20127562302861,272
20118962623241,482
20109072163041,427
20098332132921,338
20088662023071,375
20079032673061,476
20067932213091,323
20058032482961,347

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 Coles 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: 62,463 acres (19.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Coles County

Fox Ridge State Park · 1,720 acHurricane Creek State Habitat Area · 385 acWarbler Woods Nature Preserve · 192 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Coles 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 Coles County charts

Nearby counties

Cumberland · 56.5Douglas · 56.7Moultrie · 58Clark · 64.6Edgar · 80.5Jasper · 56.9Effingham · 46.8Shelby · 60
← #12 Clark County#14 Morgan County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Coles County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Coles County scores 63.8 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #13 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 Coles County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Coles County, Illinois?

Yes — about 62,463 acres of public hunting land, roughly 19.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Coles County last season?

IDNR records show 1,554 deer harvested in Coles County in 2024, the most recent reported season.