Illinois deer research / Franklin County
Franklin County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 39.6 — ranked #77 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
D - AverageWhat drives the Franklin County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
59 unique record-book bucks from 66 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #71 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 56 |
| In two books | 3 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 59 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,147 | 1,510 | 2,657 |
| 2023 | 1,182 | 1,350 | 2,532 |
| 2022 | 1,177 | 1,424 | 2,601 |
| 2021 | 1,124 | 1,234 | 2,358 |
| 2020 | 1,344 | 1,278 | 2,622 |
| 2019 | 1,240 | 1,376 | 2,616 |
| 2018 | 1,093 | 1,409 | 2,502 |
| 2017 | 1,002 | 1,373 | 2,375 |
| 2016 | 966 | 1,297 | 2,263 |
| 2015 | 1,050 | 1,350 | 2,400 |
| 2014 | 998 | 1,173 | 2,171 |
| 2013 | 958 | 1,077 | 2,035 |
| 2012 | 870 | 1,310 | 2,180 |
| 2011 | 804 | 1,314 | 2,118 |
| 2010 | 824 | 1,230 | 2,054 |
| 2009 | 798 | 1,209 | 2,007 |
| 2008 | 772 | 1,206 | 1,978 |
| 2007 | 776 | 1,381 | 2,157 |
| 2006 | 852 | 1,481 | 2,333 |
| 2005 | 934 | 1,575 | 2,509 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Franklin County runs 5.23 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Franklin County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Franklin County ran 1,391 bucks (males) and 1,266 does (females) — 52.4% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,391 | 1,266 | 2,657 | 52.4% |
| 2023 | 1,363 | 1,169 | 2,532 | 53.8% |
| 2022 | 1,308 | 1,293 | 2,601 | 50.3% |
| 2021 | 1,205 | 1,153 | 2,358 | 51.1% |
| 2020 | 1,364 | 1,258 | 2,622 | 52% |
| 2019 | 1,294 | 1,322 | 2,616 | 49.5% |
| 2018 | 1,274 | 1,228 | 2,502 | 50.9% |
| 2017 | 1,222 | 1,153 | 2,375 | 51.5% |
| 2016 | 1,197 | 1,066 | 2,263 | 52.9% |
| 2015 | 1,228 | 1,172 | 2,400 | 51.2% |
| 2014 | 1,153 | 1,018 | 2,171 | 53.1% |
| 2013 | 1,067 | 968 | 2,035 | 52.4% |
| 2012 | 1,105 | 1,075 | 2,180 | 50.7% |
| 2011 | 1,141 | 977 | 2,118 | 53.9% |
| 2010 | 1,100 | 954 | 2,054 | 53.6% |
| 2009 | 1,049 | 958 | 2,007 | 52.3% |
| 2008 | 1,079 | 899 | 1,978 | 54.6% |
| 2007 | 1,188 | 969 | 2,157 | 55.1% |
| 2006 | 1,300 | 1,033 | 2,333 | 55.7% |
| 2005 | 1,393 | 1,116 | 2,509 | 55.5% |
See full Franklin County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Franklin County ran 71.2% adult, 16.1% yearling, and 12.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,891 | 429 | 337 | 2,657 |
| 2023 | 1,773 | 440 | 319 | 2,532 |
| 2022 | 1,801 | 411 | 389 | 2,601 |
| 2021 | 1,619 | 389 | 350 | 2,358 |
| 2020 | 1,792 | 461 | 369 | 2,622 |
| 2019 | 1,788 | 432 | 396 | 2,616 |
| 2018 | 1,651 | 465 | 386 | 2,502 |
| 2017 | 1,538 | 449 | 388 | 2,375 |
| 2016 | 1,465 | 402 | 396 | 2,263 |
| 2015 | 1,527 | 476 | 397 | 2,400 |
| 2014 | 1,377 | 360 | 434 | 2,171 |
| 2013 | 1,269 | 378 | 388 | 2,035 |
| 2012 | 1,352 | 394 | 434 | 2,180 |
| 2011 | 1,300 | 425 | 393 | 2,118 |
| 2010 | 1,294 | 389 | 371 | 2,054 |
| 2009 | 1,258 | 347 | 402 | 2,007 |
| 2008 | 1,241 | 390 | 347 | 1,978 |
| 2007 | 1,235 | 406 | 516 | 2,157 |
| 2006 | 1,410 | 451 | 472 | 2,333 |
| 2005 | 1,477 | 460 | 572 | 2,509 |
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 Franklin 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: 113,911 acres (41.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Franklin County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Franklin 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 Franklin County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Franklin County scores 39.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #77 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 Franklin County?
59 record-book whitetails are attributed to Franklin County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Franklin County, Illinois?
Yes — about 113,911 acres of public hunting land, roughly 41.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Franklin County last season?
IDNR records show 2,657 deer harvested in Franklin County in 2024, the most recent reported season.