Illinois deer research / Henderson County

Henderson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59.8 — ranked #23 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
59.8 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#23 of 102
Statewide rank
72
Record-book bucks (deduped)
68,597
Public-land acres
904
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Henderson County index

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

Habitat · 25%49
Herd quality · 30%55
Population · 18%94
Momentum · 12%39
Trophy history · 15%63

Trophy record — counted once

72 unique record-book bucks from 77 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 5 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #56 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only70
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks72

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
2024445459904
2023403459862
2022365432797
2021387385772
2020409458867
2019312406718
2018251445696
2017258494752
2016254522776
2015282560842
2014264531795
2013242517759
2012257634891
2011246619865
2010234624858
2009255601856
2008229676905
20072587631,021
20062457921,037
20052689421,210

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Henderson County runs 3.80 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Henderson County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Henderson County ran 550 bucks (males) and 354 does (females) — 60.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
202455035490460.8%
202353432886261.9%
202247232579759.2%
202146131177259.7%
202049537286757.1%
201942629271859.3%
201840728969658.5%
201745629675260.6%
201649128577663.3%
201545338984253.8%
201442936679554%
201341734275954.9%
201248041189153.9%
201147039586554.3%
201048037885855.9%
200947038685654.9%
200847443190552.4%
20076094121,02159.6%
20065694681,03754.9%
20056885221,21056.9%

See full Henderson County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Henderson County ran 68.9% adult, 19.5% yearling, and 11.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
2024623176105904
2023587151124862
202257312599797
2021540127105772
2020587160120867
2019479129110718
2018486106104696
2017492128132752
2016505155116776
2015533135174842
2014513136146795
2013469132158759
2012551132208891
2011526155184865
2010556118184858
2009514135207856
2008570146189905
20076111832271,021
20065962092321,037
20057112162831,210

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 Henderson 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: 68,597 acres (27.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Henderson County

Big River State Forest · 2,804 acHenderson County State Fish and Wildlife Area · 91 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Henderson 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 Henderson County charts

Nearby counties

Warren · 62.3Mercer · 57.6McDonough · 56.9Hancock · 67.8Knox · 54.6Schuyler · 62.1Rock Island · 29Fulton · 58.4
← #22 Shelby County#24 Livingston County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Henderson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Henderson County scores 59.8 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #23 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 Henderson County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Henderson County, Illinois?

Yes — about 68,597 acres of public hunting land, roughly 27.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Henderson County last season?

IDNR records show 904 deer harvested in Henderson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.