Illinois deer research / Hancock County

Hancock County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 67.8 — ranked #7 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
67.8 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#7 of 102
Statewide rank
157
Record-book bucks (deduped)
154,304
Public-land acres
2,782
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Hancock County index

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

Habitat · 25%48
Herd quality · 30%64
Population · 18%94
Momentum · 12%86
Trophy history · 15%63

Trophy record — counted once

157 unique record-book bucks from 170 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 13 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #16 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only154
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks157

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0611,7212,782
20231,0111,5212,532
20221,0261,7172,743
20211,0201,5702,590
20201,0761,7912,867
20199031,6552,558
20188541,7162,570
20177751,8182,593
20167211,6392,360
20156921,8162,508
20146991,7212,420
20137251,5842,309
20127302,0742,804
20117571,9922,749
20107561,9602,716
20098091,9532,762
20088572,3583,215
20078902,3683,258
20069302,2203,150
20058722,5333,405

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Hancock County runs 5.13 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Hancock County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Hancock County ran 1,406 bucks (males) and 1,376 does (females) — 50.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,4061,3762,78250.5%
20231,4811,0512,53258.5%
20221,4731,2702,74353.7%
20211,4291,1612,59055.2%
20201,5011,3662,86752.4%
20191,3761,1822,55853.8%
20181,4151,1552,57055.1%
20171,4811,1122,59357.1%
20161,3441,0162,36056.9%
20151,2991,2092,50851.8%
20141,2481,1722,42051.6%
20131,1961,1132,30951.8%
20121,5581,2462,80455.6%
20111,4881,2612,74954.1%
20101,4421,2742,71653.1%
20091,4471,3152,76252.4%
20081,6031,6123,21549.9%
20071,8061,4523,25855.4%
20061,7681,3823,15056.1%
20051,8981,5073,40555.7%

See full Hancock County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Hancock County ran 70.2% adult, 13.3% yearling, and 16.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,9523694612,782
20231,7703194432,532
20221,9273474692,743
20211,7963714232,590
20201,9543825312,867
20191,6963465162,558
20181,6284065362,570
20171,6564095282,593
20161,5053924632,360
20151,5053806232,508
20141,5103805302,420
20131,4293495312,309
20121,7673906472,804
20111,7324225952,749
20101,7613785772,716
20091,6873836922,762
20082,0044357763,215
20071,9754778063,258
20061,8974937603,150
20052,0265128673,405

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 Hancock 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: 154,304 acres (29.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Hancock County

Cedar Glen State Natural Area · 849 acPrairie State Eagle Refuge State Natural Area · 243 acStony Hills Nature Preserve · 186 acNauvoo State Park · 146 acReed Wildlife State Habitat Area · 79 acMississippi River Sand Hills State Natural Area · 44 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Hancock 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 Hancock County charts

Nearby counties

Adams · 54Henderson · 59.8McDonough · 56.9Schuyler · 62.1Brown · 58.9Warren · 62.3Pike · 59.2Mercer · 57.6
← #6 Menard County#8 Crawford County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Hancock County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Hancock County scores 67.8 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #7 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 Hancock County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Hancock County, Illinois?

Yes — about 154,304 acres of public hunting land, roughly 29.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Hancock County last season?

IDNR records show 2,782 deer harvested in Hancock County in 2024, the most recent reported season.