Illinois deer research / Greene County

Greene County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 50 — ranked #59 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
50 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#59 of 102
Statewide rank
111
Record-book bucks (deduped)
115,806
Public-land acres
2,134
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Greene County index

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

Habitat · 25%43
Herd quality · 30%68
Population · 18%16
Momentum · 12%77
Trophy history · 15%46

Trophy record — counted once

111 unique record-book bucks from 122 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 11 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #28 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only106
In two books5
In all three books0
Unique bucks111

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0301,1042,134
20239551,0141,969
20229001,0221,922
20218439541,797
20201,0301,0752,105
20199131,0431,956
20188431,0291,872
20178141,0591,873
20166501,0551,705
20156611,1871,848
20146411,0361,677
20136961,1031,799
20128111,3512,162
20117861,3862,172
20108431,4402,283
20097631,3872,150
20088571,4852,342
20078361,7142,550
20068661,7582,624
20058732,0172,890

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Greene County runs 5.12 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Greene County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Greene County ran 1,086 bucks (males) and 1,048 does (females) — 50.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0861,0482,13450.9%
20231,0659041,96954.1%
20221,0179051,92252.9%
20219308671,79751.8%
20201,0941,0112,10552%
20191,0449121,95653.4%
20189449281,87250.4%
20179649091,87351.5%
20169048011,70553%
20159249241,84850%
20148398381,67750%
20138749251,79948.6%
20121,1321,0302,16252.4%
20111,1081,0642,17251%
20101,1041,1792,28348.4%
20091,0531,0972,15049%
20081,2031,1392,34251.4%
20071,3611,1892,55053.4%
20061,4041,2202,62453.5%
20051,4761,4142,89051.1%

See full Greene County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Greene County ran 71.2% adult, 12.8% yearling, and 15.9% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,5202743402,134
20231,4332552811,969
20221,3592353281,922
20211,2302103571,797
20201,5022393642,105
20191,3592913061,956
20181,3022333371,872
20171,2472483781,873
20161,1392333331,705
20151,2022324141,848
20141,0912173691,677
20131,1312334351,799
20121,4012624992,162
20111,4152654922,172
20101,5012505322,283
20091,3772095642,150
20081,4693125612,342
20071,5793386332,550
20061,6073356822,624
20051,6863448602,890

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 Greene 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: 115,806 acres (33.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Greene County

Providence Woods Natural Area · 100 acMcMaster Woods · 44 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Greene 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 Greene County charts

Nearby counties

Jersey · 53.3Scott · 52.5Calhoun · 44.7Morgan · 63.5Macoupin · 66.3Pike · 59.2Cass · 61.3Brown · 58.9
← #58 Tazewell County#60 Fayette County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Greene County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Greene County scores 50 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #59 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 Greene County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Greene County, Illinois?

Yes — about 115,806 acres of public hunting land, roughly 33.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Greene County last season?

IDNR records show 2,134 deer harvested in Greene County in 2024, the most recent reported season.