Illinois deer research / Edwards County
Edwards County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 52.6 — ranked #53 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Edwards County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
48 unique record-book bucks from 51 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 3 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #79 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 47 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 48 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 333 | 485 | 818 |
| 2023 | 326 | 430 | 756 |
| 2022 | 295 | 464 | 759 |
| 2021 | 283 | 389 | 672 |
| 2020 | 331 | 384 | 715 |
| 2019 | 308 | 365 | 673 |
| 2018 | 239 | 425 | 664 |
| 2017 | 223 | 415 | 638 |
| 2016 | 209 | 412 | 621 |
| 2015 | 234 | 462 | 696 |
| 2014 | 249 | 397 | 646 |
| 2013 | 235 | 339 | 574 |
| 2012 | 202 | 431 | 633 |
| 2011 | 225 | 411 | 636 |
| 2010 | 252 | 488 | 740 |
| 2009 | 220 | 510 | 730 |
| 2008 | 214 | 515 | 729 |
| 2007 | 195 | 576 | 771 |
| 2006 | 192 | 622 | 814 |
| 2005 | 223 | 644 | 867 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Edwards County runs 5.95 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Edwards County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Edwards County ran 474 bucks (males) and 344 does (females) — 57.9% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 474 | 344 | 818 | 57.9% |
| 2023 | 467 | 289 | 756 | 61.8% |
| 2022 | 448 | 311 | 759 | 59% |
| 2021 | 406 | 266 | 672 | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 407 | 308 | 715 | 56.9% |
| 2019 | 377 | 296 | 673 | 56% |
| 2018 | 390 | 274 | 664 | 58.7% |
| 2017 | 378 | 260 | 638 | 59.2% |
| 2016 | 352 | 269 | 621 | 56.7% |
| 2015 | 394 | 302 | 696 | 56.6% |
| 2014 | 358 | 288 | 646 | 55.4% |
| 2013 | 332 | 242 | 574 | 57.8% |
| 2012 | 359 | 274 | 633 | 56.7% |
| 2011 | 350 | 286 | 636 | 55% |
| 2010 | 379 | 361 | 740 | 51.2% |
| 2009 | 424 | 306 | 730 | 58.1% |
| 2008 | 429 | 300 | 729 | 58.8% |
| 2007 | 448 | 323 | 771 | 58.1% |
| 2006 | 479 | 335 | 814 | 58.8% |
| 2005 | 506 | 361 | 867 | 58.4% |
See full Edwards County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Edwards County ran 71% adult, 17.7% yearling, and 11.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 581 | 145 | 92 | 818 |
| 2023 | 567 | 116 | 73 | 756 |
| 2022 | 534 | 128 | 97 | 759 |
| 2021 | 461 | 104 | 107 | 672 |
| 2020 | 519 | 112 | 84 | 715 |
| 2019 | 478 | 107 | 88 | 673 |
| 2018 | 446 | 109 | 109 | 664 |
| 2017 | 458 | 93 | 87 | 638 |
| 2016 | 437 | 90 | 94 | 621 |
| 2015 | 441 | 129 | 126 | 696 |
| 2014 | 433 | 102 | 111 | 646 |
| 2013 | 349 | 107 | 118 | 574 |
| 2012 | 415 | 109 | 109 | 633 |
| 2011 | 409 | 93 | 134 | 636 |
| 2010 | 481 | 90 | 169 | 740 |
| 2009 | 487 | 115 | 128 | 730 |
| 2008 | 456 | 128 | 145 | 729 |
| 2007 | 479 | 126 | 166 | 771 |
| 2006 | 499 | 142 | 173 | 814 |
| 2005 | 556 | 110 | 201 | 867 |
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 Edwards County composition charts →
Seasons & access
| Season | Method | Dates | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Jan | archery | 2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18 | otc |
| Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Season | firearm | 2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07 | otc |
| Muzzleloader — December | muzzleloader | 2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14 | otc |
Public hunting land: 39,764 acres (27.9% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Edwards 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.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Edwards County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Edwards County scores 52.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #53 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 Edwards County?
48 record-book whitetails are attributed to Edwards County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Edwards County, Illinois?
Yes — about 39,764 acres of public hunting land, roughly 27.9% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Edwards County last season?
IDNR records show 818 deer harvested in Edwards County in 2024, the most recent reported season.