Illinois deer research / Fayette County

Fayette County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 49.9 — ranked #60 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
49.9 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#60 of 102
Statewide rank
110
Record-book bucks (deduped)
168,016
Public-land acres
3,522
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Fayette County index

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

Habitat · 25%43
Herd quality · 30%51
Population · 18%45
Momentum · 12%99
Trophy history · 15%27

Trophy record — counted once

110 unique record-book bucks from 114 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 4 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #31 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only109
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks110

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,5461,9763,522
20231,3201,6833,003
20221,1441,7262,870
20211,0891,5692,658
20201,2151,6232,838
20191,0811,5142,595
20188871,5872,474
20177511,5452,296
20166541,5012,155
20156411,6612,302
20146371,4442,081
20136851,3942,079
20126871,7232,410
20117711,9522,723
20107641,7572,521
20098121,9122,724
20088302,1152,945
20078842,2963,180
20068452,2073,052
20058502,3653,215

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Fayette County runs 4.18 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Fayette County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Fayette County ran 1,949 bucks (males) and 1,573 does (females) — 55.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,9491,5733,52255.3%
20231,7361,2673,00357.8%
20221,5721,2982,87054.8%
20211,5321,1262,65857.6%
20201,6341,2042,83857.6%
20191,4931,1022,59557.5%
20181,4391,0352,47458.2%
20171,3279692,29657.8%
20161,2129432,15556.2%
20151,2891,0132,30256%
20141,1699122,08156.2%
20131,1489312,07955.2%
20121,2721,1382,41052.8%
20111,4971,2262,72355%
20101,3241,1972,52152.5%
20091,4241,3002,72452.3%
20081,5651,3802,94553.1%
20071,7841,3963,18056.1%
20061,6891,3633,05255.3%
20051,7641,4513,21554.9%

See full Fayette County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Fayette County ran 68.8% adult, 14.6% yearling, and 16.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20242,4235155843,522
20232,0485294263,003
20221,8274945492,870
20211,7434294862,658
20201,8984844562,838
20191,7105043812,595
20181,5215174362,474
20171,3644954372,296
20161,2334225002,155
20151,3194964872,302
20141,2703854262,081
20131,2094314392,079
20121,3454296362,410
20111,5695316232,723
20101,4384586252,521
20091,6384626242,724
20081,7135576752,945
20071,8066047703,180
20061,7145687703,052
20051,7996217953,215

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 Fayette 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: 168,016 acres (36.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Fayette County

Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area · 1,759 acCarlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 1,251 acDean Hills State Natural Area · 84 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Fayette 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 Fayette County charts

Nearby counties

Marion · 56.1Bond · 40.8Effingham · 46.8Shelby · 60Montgomery · 54.1Clinton · 43.6Clay · 56.1Christian · 57.1
← #59 Greene County#61 Gallatin County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Fayette County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Fayette County scores 49.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #60 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 Fayette County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Fayette County, Illinois?

Yes — about 168,016 acres of public hunting land, roughly 36.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Fayette County last season?

IDNR records show 3,522 deer harvested in Fayette County in 2024, the most recent reported season.