Illinois deer research / Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 63.1 — ranked #15 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
63.1 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#15 of 102
Statewide rank
71
Record-book bucks (deduped)
99,325
Public-land acres
2,277
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Hamilton County index

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

Habitat · 25%37
Herd quality · 30%86
Population · 18%79
Momentum · 12%93
Trophy history · 15%18

Trophy record — counted once

71 unique record-book bucks from 79 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #57 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only69
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks71

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0601,2172,277
20231,0241,0732,097
20229081,0851,993
20218021,0001,802
20201,0041,0722,076
20198761,0431,919
20186891,1491,838
20176651,1751,840
20166301,1671,797
20155911,1811,772
20146461,0701,716
20135919751,566
20125391,1891,728
20115501,1731,723
20105871,1981,785
20095511,3071,858
20086141,3471,961
20076191,5142,133
20066011,5352,136
20056571,6162,273

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Hamilton County runs 6.10 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Hamilton County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Hamilton County ran 1,270 bucks (males) and 1,007 does (females) — 55.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,2701,0072,27755.8%
20231,2168812,09758%
20221,1198741,99356.1%
20211,0567461,80258.6%
20201,1659112,07656.1%
20191,0888311,91956.7%
20181,0158231,83855.2%
20171,0378031,84056.4%
20169668311,79753.8%
20159378351,77252.9%
20149387781,71654.7%
20138167501,56652.1%
20129218071,72853.3%
20119178061,72353.2%
20101,0097761,78556.5%
20099818771,85852.8%
20081,0609011,96154.1%
20071,1729612,13354.9%
20061,2309062,13657.6%
20051,2301,0432,27354.1%

See full Hamilton County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Hamilton County ran 72.8% adult, 16.5% yearling, and 10.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,6573762442,277
20231,5723102152,097
20221,4543112281,993
20211,3282761981,802
20201,4963312492,076
20191,3433442321,919
20181,2543532311,838
20171,2323392691,840
20161,2332952691,797
20151,1963122641,772
20141,1462802901,716
20131,0392592681,566
20121,0952953381,728
20111,1252793191,723
20101,1733063061,785
20091,2122793671,858
20081,3313223081,961
20071,3463404472,133
20061,3483514372,136
20051,4423424892,273

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 Hamilton 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: 99,325 acres (35.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Hamilton County

Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area · 5,940 acHamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area · 1,669 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Hamilton 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 Hamilton County charts

Nearby counties

Saline · 39White · 39.8Wayne · 52.4Franklin · 39.6Jefferson · 46Gallatin · 49.7Williamson · 30.3Edwards · 52.6
← #14 Morgan County#16 Warren County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Hamilton County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Hamilton County scores 63.1 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #15 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 Hamilton County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Hamilton County, Illinois?

Yes — about 99,325 acres of public hunting land, roughly 35.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Hamilton County last season?

IDNR records show 2,277 deer harvested in Hamilton County in 2024, the most recent reported season.