Illinois deer research / Ford County

Ford County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59.3 — ranked #25 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
59.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#25 of 102
Statewide rank
8
Record-book bucks (deduped)
14,499
Public-land acres
2,227
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Ford County index

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

Habitat · 25%75
Herd quality · 30%51
Population · 18%63
Momentum · 12%71
Trophy history · 15%35

Trophy record — counted once

8 unique record-book bucks from 9 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 1 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #102 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only7
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks8

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0711,1422,227
20231,0141,0222,036
20228509401,790
20219248881,812
20201,0879372,024
20199048851,789
20188941,1062,000
20178891,0161,905
20167779491,726
20157969641,760
20147389061,644
20137418061,547
20127771,1681,945
20118201,1361,956
20108411,1792,020
20098381,1611,999
20087991,1951,994
20077431,3032,046
20067061,2751,981
20057501,4112,161

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Ford County runs 23.74 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Ford County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Ford County ran 1,188 bucks (males) and 1,039 does (females) — 53.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,1881,0392,22753.3%
20231,1339032,03655.6%
20229818091,79054.8%
20211,0657471,81258.8%
20201,1199052,02455.3%
20199158741,78951.1%
20181,1248762,00056.2%
20171,0318741,90554.1%
20169667601,72656%
20159388221,76053.3%
20148657791,64452.6%
20137907571,54751.1%
20121,0219241,94552.5%
20111,0029541,95651.2%
20101,0709502,02053%
20091,0879121,99954.4%
20081,0539411,99452.8%
20071,1498972,04656.2%
20061,0838981,98154.7%
20051,2039582,16155.7%

See full Ford County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Ford County ran 72.6% adult, 12.8% yearling, and 14.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,6162843272,227
20231,4063312992,036
20221,2722552631,790
20211,2562612951,812
20201,4053023172,024
20191,1722713461,789
20181,3413203392,000
20171,2803203051,905
20161,1652702911,726
20151,1602983021,760
20141,0792343311,644
20139662493321,547
20121,3052843561,945
20111,1653144771,956
20101,2763034412,020
20091,2983153861,999
20081,3013193741,994
20071,2193255022,046
20061,1782985051,981
20051,3753214652,161

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 Ford 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: 14,499 acres (4.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Ford County

Sibley State Habitat Area · 633 acPerdueville State Habitat Area · 123 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Ford 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 Ford County charts

Nearby counties

Iroquois · 70.2Livingston · 59.6Champaign · 66.1McLean · 66.9Vermilion · 79.2Kankakee · 48.6Piatt · 71.2Grundy · 46.5
← #24 Livingston County#26 Pike County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Ford County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Ford County scores 59.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #25 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 Ford County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Ford County, Illinois?

Yes — about 14,499 acres of public hunting land, roughly 4.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Ford County last season?

IDNR records show 2,227 deer harvested in Ford County in 2024, the most recent reported season.