Illinois deer research / Henry County

Henry County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 47.2 — ranked #64 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
47.2 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#64 of 102
Statewide rank
69
Record-book bucks (deduped)
72,024
Public-land acres
1,153
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Henry County index

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

Habitat · 25%68
Herd quality · 30%31
Population · 18%47
Momentum · 12%57
Trophy history · 15%39

Trophy record — counted once

69 unique record-book bucks from 79 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 10 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #61 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only67
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks69

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246104661,153
20235944641,097
20225074491,016
2021514414994
20205804551,101
2019537407987
20184984841,044
20174705361,036
20164315921,122
20154647481,318
20144416451,193
20134436451,165
20125288481,443
20114357621,259
20104977941,352
20095466991,367
20085428941,523
20075349681,579
20065288791,533
20055031,0631,609

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Henry County runs 3.64 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Henry County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Henry County ran 677 bucks (males) and 476 does (females) — 58.7% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20246774761,15358.7%
20236764211,09761.6%
20226054111,01659.5%
202156742799457%
20206024991,10154.7%
201954544298755.2%
20185754691,04455.1%
20176004361,03657.9%
20166354871,12256.6%
20156876311,31852.1%
20145886051,19349.3%
20135805851,16549.8%
20127816621,44354.1%
20116795801,25953.9%
20107106421,35252.5%
20097216461,36752.7%
20087837401,52351.4%
20078926871,57956.5%
20068227111,53353.6%
20058887211,60955.2%

See full Henry County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Henry County ran 68.7% adult, 18.6% yearling, and 12.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20247922141471,153
20237632061281,097
20226612011541,016
2021640193161994
20207701691621,101
2019654177156987
20186871841731,044
20176762021581,036
20167151822251,122
20158212322651,318
20147452352131,193
20136861982811,165
20128542573321,443
20117562262771,259
20108382232911,352
20098472183021,367
20089252413571,523
20079542663591,579
20069412543381,533
20059472653971,609

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 Henry 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: 72,024 acres (13.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Henry County

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area · 1,329 acLa Chateau Park · 90 acPrairie Preservation Property · 49 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Henry 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 Henry County charts

Nearby counties

Stark · 57Knox · 54.6Whiteside · 36.7Rock Island · 29Bureau · 57.2Mercer · 57.6Peoria · 37.6Warren · 62.3
← #63 Kankakee County#65 Effingham County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Henry County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Henry County scores 47.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #64 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 Henry County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Henry County, Illinois?

Yes — about 72,024 acres of public hunting land, roughly 13.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Henry County last season?

IDNR records show 1,153 deer harvested in Henry County in 2024, the most recent reported season.