Illinois deer research / Jasper County

Jasper County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 56.9 — ranked #38 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
56.9 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#38 of 102
Statewide rank
106
Record-book bucks (deduped)
83,153
Public-land acres
2,134
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Jasper County index

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

Habitat · 25%58
Herd quality · 30%49
Population · 18%58
Momentum · 12%89
Trophy history · 15%44

Trophy record — counted once

106 unique record-book bucks from 118 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 12 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #36 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only104
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks106

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248831,2512,134
20239041,0811,985
20228211,1561,977
20218661,0271,893
20208571,0801,937
20197331,0311,764
20186591,0151,674
20175759871,562
20164839731,456
20154969441,440
20144628521,314
20134258371,262
20125351,1601,695
20116091,2591,868
20106581,2181,876
20096571,2511,908
20086501,2911,941
20076551,4002,055
20065981,3721,970
20056781,3382,016

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Jasper County runs 5.59 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Jasper County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Jasper County ran 1,123 bucks (males) and 1,011 does (females) — 52.6% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,1231,0112,13452.6%
20231,0759101,98554.2%
20221,0699081,97754.1%
20211,0508431,89355.5%
20201,0478901,93754.1%
20199088561,76451.5%
20189527221,67456.9%
20179216411,56259%
20168046521,45655.2%
20158146261,44056.5%
20146936211,31452.7%
20136705921,26253.1%
20129017941,69553.2%
20119279411,86849.6%
20109739031,87651.9%
20099849241,90851.6%
20081,0079341,94151.9%
20071,1319242,05555%
20061,0818891,97054.9%
20051,1178992,01655.4%

See full Jasper County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Jasper County ran 67.2% adult, 14.1% yearling, and 18.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,4353003992,134
20231,3213123521,985
20221,2623154001,977
20211,2293083561,893
20201,2423263691,937
20191,1322773551,764
20181,0223133391,674
20179653122851,562
20169162722681,456
20158962492951,440
20148051953141,314
20137592372661,262
20129742944271,695
20111,0953034701,868
20101,1012894861,876
20091,1523054511,908
20081,1913224281,941
20071,2173185202,055
20061,1553155001,970
20051,1993244932,016

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 Jasper 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: 83,153 acres (26.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Jasper County

Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area · 2,666 acSam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area · 1,164 acNewton Lake · 879 acCecil E. Meeker State Habitat Area · 68 acRobert Ridgway Grasslands Nature Preserve · 41 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Jasper 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 Jasper County charts

Nearby counties

Cumberland · 56.5Richland · 58.3Crawford · 67.2Clay · 56.1Effingham · 46.8Clark · 64.6Coles · 63.8Lawrence · 61.4
← #37 Stark County#39 McDonough County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Jasper County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Jasper County scores 56.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #38 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 Jasper County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Jasper County, Illinois?

Yes — about 83,153 acres of public hunting land, roughly 26.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Jasper County last season?

IDNR records show 2,134 deer harvested in Jasper County in 2024, the most recent reported season.