Illinois deer research / Fulton County

Fulton County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 58.4 — ranked #31 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
58.4 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#31 of 102
Statewide rank
391
Record-book bucks (deduped)
244,880
Public-land acres
3,777
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Fulton County index

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

Habitat · 25%36
Herd quality · 30%64
Population · 18%97
Momentum · 12%43
Trophy history · 15%50

Trophy record — counted once

391 unique record-book bucks from 439 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 48 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #2 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only381
In two books10
In all three books0
Unique bucks391

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,7752,0023,777
20231,6351,8343,469
20221,5451,8523,397
20211,5861,6673,253
20201,7011,9273,628
20191,7471,9043,651
20181,5761,9003,476
20171,6232,0003,623
20161,4922,0133,505
20151,6222,1663,788
20141,5581,9793,537
20131,6141,8943,508
20122,0102,8164,826
20111,8222,5814,403
20101,8442,4984,342
20091,8162,6154,431
20081,8202,6994,519
20071,5962,6924,288
20061,5442,5074,051
20051,5432,9874,530

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Fulton County runs 4.86 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Fulton County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Fulton County ran 2,064 bucks (males) and 1,713 does (females) — 54.6% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20242,0641,7133,77754.6%
20232,0181,4513,46958.2%
20221,9651,4323,39757.8%
20211,9361,3173,25359.5%
20201,9941,6343,62855%
20192,0661,5853,65156.6%
20181,8811,5953,47654.1%
20172,0871,5363,62357.6%
20162,0181,4873,50557.6%
20152,0461,7423,78854%
20141,8951,6423,53753.6%
20131,8231,6853,50852%
20122,6462,1804,82654.8%
20112,3742,0294,40353.9%
20102,3681,9744,34254.5%
20092,3492,0824,43153%
20082,3612,1584,51952.2%
20072,4281,8604,28856.6%
20062,3271,7244,05157.4%
20052,5491,9814,53056.3%

See full Fulton County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Fulton County ran 70.6% adult, 14.8% yearling, and 14.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20242,6655595533,777
20232,4335614753,469
20222,4315024643,397
20212,2755334453,253
20202,6255254783,628
20192,5126664733,651
20182,2735636403,476
20172,5295555393,623
20162,3695545823,505
20152,4805947143,788
20142,2845946593,537
20132,1355388353,508
20123,1336401,0534,826
20112,9155998894,403
20102,8016558864,342
20092,8055821,0444,431
20082,8396361,0444,519
20072,7157048694,288
20062,4596809124,051
20052,6736941,1634,530

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 Fulton 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: 244,880 acres (43.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Fulton County

Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 7,115 acEmiquon National Wildlife Refuge · 5,262 acBanner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area · 4,361 acAnderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,385 acNature Conservancy · 2,054 acDouble "T" State Fish and Wildlife Area · 1,966 acFoggy Bottom · 87 acHarper-Rector Woods State Natural Area · 40 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Fulton 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 Fulton County charts

Nearby counties

Mason · 51Knox · 54.6McDonough · 56.9Cass · 61.3Schuyler · 62.1Peoria · 37.6Warren · 62.3Menard · 70.1
← #30 Washington County#32 Richland County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Fulton County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Fulton County scores 58.4 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #31 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 Fulton County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Fulton County, Illinois?

Yes — about 244,880 acres of public hunting land, roughly 43.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Fulton County last season?

IDNR records show 3,777 deer harvested in Fulton County in 2024, the most recent reported season.