Illinois deer research / Iroquois County

Iroquois County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 70.2 — ranked #5 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

A - Elite
70.2 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#5 of 102
Statewide rank
84
Record-book bucks (deduped)
53,960
Public-land acres
1,164
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Iroquois County index

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

Habitat · 25%72
Herd quality · 30%83
Population · 18%54
Momentum · 12%76
Trophy history · 15%58

Trophy record — counted once

84 unique record-book bucks from 91 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #48 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only83
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks84

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246075571,164
2023496486982
2022541404945
2021434417851
20205374941,031
2019428493921
2018383466849
2017353519872
2016352518870
2015383557940
2014346570916
20134336281,061
20124658281,293
20114877961,283
20104887311,219
20094916551,146
20084608231,283
20074258361,261
20064287411,169
20054247881,212

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Iroquois County runs 6.07 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Iroquois County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Iroquois County ran 686 bucks (males) and 478 does (females) — 58.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20246864781,16458.9%
202365332998266.5%
202259934694563.4%
202156628585166.5%
20206673641,03164.7%
201956835392161.7%
201849435584958.2%
201748838487256%
201651435687059.1%
201551942194055.2%
201451739991656.4%
20135854761,06155.1%
20127055881,29354.5%
20116496341,28350.6%
20106385811,21952.3%
20096085381,14653.1%
20086566271,28351.1%
20077055561,26155.9%
20066635061,16956.7%
20057244881,21259.7%

See full Iroquois County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Iroquois County ran 71.5% adult, 16.6% yearling, and 11.9% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20248321931391,164
202369519196982
2022642197106945
2021571176104851
20206952171191,031
2019616200105921
2018572154123849
2017548185139872
2016581166123870
2015645167128940
2014575187154916
20136351832431,061
20128302252381,293
20118351872611,283
20108351662181,219
20097531822111,146
20088581932321,283
20077832332451,261
20067231982481,169
20057592322211,212

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 Iroquois 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: 53,960 acres (7.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Iroquois County

Iroquois County State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,946 acLoda State Habitat Area · 160 acButterfield Trail State Recreation Area · 142 acKankakee National Wildlife Refuge And Conservation Area · 132 acClifton State Habitat Area · 82 acMilk's Grove State Fish and Wildlife Area · 79 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Iroquois 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 Iroquois County charts

Nearby counties

Kankakee · 48.6Ford · 59.3Vermilion · 79.2Champaign · 66.1Will · 45.7Livingston · 59.6Grundy · 46.5Kendall · 32.1
← #4 Piatt County#6 Menard County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Iroquois County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Iroquois County scores 70.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (A - Elite), ranked #5 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 Iroquois County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Iroquois County, Illinois?

Yes — about 53,960 acres of public hunting land, roughly 7.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Iroquois County last season?

IDNR records show 1,164 deer harvested in Iroquois County in 2024, the most recent reported season.