Illinois deer research / Effingham County

Effingham County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 46.8 — ranked #65 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
46.8 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#65 of 102
Statewide rank
47
Record-book bucks (deduped)
96,268
Public-land acres
1,885
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Effingham County index

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

Habitat · 25%51
Herd quality · 30%21
Population · 18%74
Momentum · 12%88
Trophy history · 15%26

Trophy record — counted once

47 unique record-book bucks from 47 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 0 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #81 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only47
In two books0
In all three books0
Unique bucks47

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20247531,1321,885
20236199471,566
20226129651,577
20217049141,618
20206919481,639
20196208881,508
20184899881,477
20174248721,296
20164228071,229
20154118721,283
20143546781,032
20133716681,039
20124109351,345
20114761,0501,526
20104171,0321,449
20094891,0281,517
20084411,0591,500
20074111,1831,594
20064681,2331,701
20054841,2101,694

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Effingham County runs 3.86 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Effingham County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Effingham County ran 1,031 bucks (males) and 854 does (females) — 54.7% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0318541,88554.7%
20239196471,56658.7%
20228457321,57753.6%
20219766421,61860.3%
20209307091,63956.7%
20198326761,50855.2%
20188616161,47758.3%
20177725241,29659.6%
20167075221,22957.5%
20157345491,28357.2%
20145944381,03257.6%
20135724671,03955.1%
20127196261,34553.5%
20118037231,52652.6%
20107526971,44951.9%
20098316861,51754.8%
20087807201,50052%
20078937011,59456%
20069677341,70156.8%
20059417531,69455.5%

See full Effingham County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Effingham County ran 67.6% adult, 16.9% yearling, and 15.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,2753192911,885
20231,0533012121,566
20229842923011,577
20211,0123053011,618
20201,0293242861,639
20199702852531,508
20189062882831,477
20177982692291,296
20167352302641,229
20157492832511,283
20146002282041,032
20135952022421,039
20126892554011,345
20118263043961,526
20108152463881,449
20098682743751,517
20088942613451,500
20079013373561,594
20068823714481,701
20059533174241,694

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 Effingham 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: 96,268 acres (31.3% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Effingham County

Wildcat Hollow State Habitat Area · 748 acRock Cave State Natural Area · 143 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Effingham 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 Effingham County charts

Nearby counties

Clay · 56.1Shelby · 60Cumberland · 56.5Fayette · 49.9Jasper · 56.9Marion · 56.1Moultrie · 58Coles · 63.8
← #64 Henry County#66 Grundy County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Effingham County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Effingham County scores 46.8 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #65 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 Effingham County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Effingham County, Illinois?

Yes — about 96,268 acres of public hunting land, roughly 31.3% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Effingham County last season?

IDNR records show 1,885 deer harvested in Effingham County in 2024, the most recent reported season.