Illinois deer research / Jackson County
Jackson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 23.9 — ranked #98 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
E - Below AverageWhat drives the Jackson County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
84 unique record-book bucks from 94 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 10 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #48 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 83 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 84 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,227 | 2,042 | 3,269 |
| 2023 | 1,065 | 2,010 | 3,075 |
| 2022 | 1,126 | 2,203 | 3,329 |
| 2021 | 1,088 | 1,865 | 2,953 |
| 2020 | 1,388 | 2,085 | 3,473 |
| 2019 | 1,267 | 2,109 | 3,376 |
| 2018 | 1,155 | 2,440 | 3,595 |
| 2017 | 1,125 | 2,302 | 3,427 |
| 2016 | 997 | 2,247 | 3,244 |
| 2015 | 1,083 | 2,368 | 3,451 |
| 2014 | 1,080 | 2,118 | 3,198 |
| 2013 | 1,058 | 1,932 | 2,990 |
| 2012 | 853 | 2,219 | 3,072 |
| 2011 | 880 | 2,229 | 3,109 |
| 2010 | 913 | 2,190 | 3,103 |
| 2009 | 746 | 2,164 | 2,910 |
| 2008 | 888 | 2,209 | 3,097 |
| 2007 | 717 | 2,532 | 3,249 |
| 2006 | 674 | 2,575 | 3,249 |
| 2005 | 799 | 2,507 | 3,306 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Jackson County runs 3.90 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Jackson County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Jackson County ran 1,804 bucks (males) and 1,465 does (females) — 55.2% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,804 | 1,465 | 3,269 | 55.2% |
| 2023 | 1,786 | 1,289 | 3,075 | 58.1% |
| 2022 | 1,829 | 1,500 | 3,329 | 54.9% |
| 2021 | 1,697 | 1,256 | 2,953 | 57.5% |
| 2020 | 1,938 | 1,535 | 3,473 | 55.8% |
| 2019 | 1,795 | 1,581 | 3,376 | 53.2% |
| 2018 | 2,095 | 1,500 | 3,595 | 58.3% |
| 2017 | 1,952 | 1,475 | 3,427 | 57% |
| 2016 | 1,860 | 1,384 | 3,244 | 57.3% |
| 2015 | 1,941 | 1,510 | 3,451 | 56.2% |
| 2014 | 1,822 | 1,376 | 3,198 | 57% |
| 2013 | 1,658 | 1,332 | 2,990 | 55.5% |
| 2012 | 1,703 | 1,369 | 3,072 | 55.4% |
| 2011 | 1,676 | 1,433 | 3,109 | 53.9% |
| 2010 | 1,677 | 1,426 | 3,103 | 54% |
| 2009 | 1,556 | 1,354 | 2,910 | 53.5% |
| 2008 | 1,693 | 1,404 | 3,097 | 54.7% |
| 2007 | 1,921 | 1,328 | 3,249 | 59.1% |
| 2006 | 1,858 | 1,391 | 3,249 | 57.2% |
| 2005 | 1,897 | 1,409 | 3,306 | 57.4% |
See full Jackson County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Jackson County ran 67.1% adult, 20.8% yearling, and 12.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,194 | 681 | 394 | 3,269 |
| 2023 | 1,984 | 663 | 428 | 3,075 |
| 2022 | 2,211 | 633 | 485 | 3,329 |
| 2021 | 1,910 | 623 | 420 | 2,953 |
| 2020 | 2,313 | 712 | 448 | 3,473 |
| 2019 | 2,250 | 625 | 501 | 3,376 |
| 2018 | 2,287 | 810 | 498 | 3,595 |
| 2017 | 2,099 | 816 | 512 | 3,427 |
| 2016 | 2,081 | 673 | 490 | 3,244 |
| 2015 | 2,167 | 749 | 535 | 3,451 |
| 2014 | 2,007 | 659 | 532 | 3,198 |
| 2013 | 1,819 | 668 | 503 | 2,990 |
| 2012 | 1,825 | 645 | 602 | 3,072 |
| 2011 | 1,853 | 694 | 562 | 3,109 |
| 2010 | 1,925 | 641 | 537 | 3,103 |
| 2009 | 1,781 | 562 | 567 | 2,910 |
| 2008 | 1,957 | 662 | 478 | 3,097 |
| 2007 | 1,877 | 735 | 637 | 3,249 |
| 2006 | 1,925 | 677 | 647 | 3,249 |
| 2005 | 1,905 | 750 | 651 | 3,306 |
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 Jackson County composition charts →
Seasons & access
| Season | Method | Dates | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Jan | archery | 2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18 | otc |
| Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Season | firearm | 2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07 | otc |
| Muzzleloader — December | muzzleloader | 2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14 | otc |
Public hunting land: 217,710 acres (56.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Jackson County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Jackson 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.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Jackson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Jackson County scores 23.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (E - Below Average), ranked #98 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 Jackson County?
84 record-book whitetails are attributed to Jackson County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Jackson County, Illinois?
Yes — about 217,710 acres of public hunting land, roughly 56.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Jackson County last season?
IDNR records show 3,269 deer harvested in Jackson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.