Illinois deer research / Gallatin County
Gallatin County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 49.7 — ranked #61 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Gallatin County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
52 unique record-book bucks from 58 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 6 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #78 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 49 |
| In two books | 3 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 52 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 278 | 457 | 735 |
| 2023 | 262 | 429 | 691 |
| 2022 | 326 | 450 | 776 |
| 2021 | 286 | 373 | 659 |
| 2020 | 349 | 426 | 775 |
| 2019 | 315 | 399 | 714 |
| 2018 | 257 | 421 | 678 |
| 2017 | 279 | 448 | 727 |
| 2016 | 254 | 470 | 724 |
| 2015 | 347 | 518 | 865 |
| 2014 | 329 | 470 | 799 |
| 2013 | 340 | 439 | 779 |
| 2012 | 301 | 516 | 817 |
| 2011 | 357 | 582 | 939 |
| 2010 | 373 | 617 | 990 |
| 2009 | 387 | 648 | 1,035 |
| 2008 | 306 | 624 | 930 |
| 2007 | 369 | 690 | 1,059 |
| 2006 | 305 | 714 | 1,019 |
| 2005 | 330 | 699 | 1,029 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Gallatin County runs 4.54 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Gallatin County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Gallatin County ran 441 bucks (males) and 294 does (females) — 60% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 441 | 294 | 735 | 60% |
| 2023 | 428 | 263 | 691 | 61.9% |
| 2022 | 460 | 316 | 776 | 59.3% |
| 2021 | 403 | 256 | 659 | 61.2% |
| 2020 | 458 | 317 | 775 | 59.1% |
| 2019 | 422 | 292 | 714 | 59.1% |
| 2018 | 403 | 275 | 678 | 59.4% |
| 2017 | 416 | 311 | 727 | 57.2% |
| 2016 | 431 | 293 | 724 | 59.5% |
| 2015 | 493 | 372 | 865 | 57% |
| 2014 | 447 | 352 | 799 | 55.9% |
| 2013 | 434 | 345 | 779 | 55.7% |
| 2012 | 443 | 374 | 817 | 54.2% |
| 2011 | 528 | 411 | 939 | 56.2% |
| 2010 | 553 | 437 | 990 | 55.9% |
| 2009 | 599 | 436 | 1,035 | 57.9% |
| 2008 | 521 | 409 | 930 | 56% |
| 2007 | 619 | 440 | 1,059 | 58.5% |
| 2006 | 622 | 397 | 1,019 | 61% |
| 2005 | 592 | 437 | 1,029 | 57.5% |
See full Gallatin County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Gallatin County ran 72% adult, 18.4% yearling, and 9.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 529 | 135 | 71 | 735 |
| 2023 | 489 | 123 | 79 | 691 |
| 2022 | 563 | 129 | 84 | 776 |
| 2021 | 452 | 110 | 97 | 659 |
| 2020 | 571 | 123 | 81 | 775 |
| 2019 | 491 | 125 | 98 | 714 |
| 2018 | 441 | 128 | 109 | 678 |
| 2017 | 501 | 112 | 114 | 727 |
| 2016 | 498 | 138 | 88 | 724 |
| 2015 | 590 | 145 | 130 | 865 |
| 2014 | 549 | 131 | 119 | 799 |
| 2013 | 563 | 109 | 107 | 779 |
| 2012 | 554 | 123 | 140 | 817 |
| 2011 | 679 | 132 | 128 | 939 |
| 2010 | 705 | 127 | 158 | 990 |
| 2009 | 707 | 182 | 146 | 1,035 |
| 2008 | 624 | 158 | 148 | 930 |
| 2007 | 689 | 151 | 219 | 1,059 |
| 2006 | 638 | 175 | 206 | 1,019 |
| 2005 | 676 | 160 | 193 | 1,029 |
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 Gallatin 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: 64,266 acres (30.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Gallatin 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 Gallatin County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Gallatin County scores 49.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #61 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 Gallatin County?
52 record-book whitetails are attributed to Gallatin County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Gallatin County, Illinois?
Yes — about 64,266 acres of public hunting land, roughly 30.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Gallatin County last season?
IDNR records show 735 deer harvested in Gallatin County in 2024, the most recent reported season.