Illinois deer research / Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 46 — ranked #67 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Jefferson County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
90 unique record-book bucks from 98 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #44 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 85 |
| In two books | 4 |
| In all three books | 1 |
| Unique bucks | 90 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,066 | 2,087 | 4,153 |
| 2023 | 2,084 | 1,912 | 3,996 |
| 2022 | 1,932 | 1,834 | 3,766 |
| 2021 | 1,833 | 1,818 | 3,651 |
| 2020 | 1,941 | 1,896 | 3,837 |
| 2019 | 1,720 | 1,889 | 3,609 |
| 2018 | 1,490 | 1,906 | 3,396 |
| 2017 | 1,372 | 2,081 | 3,453 |
| 2016 | 1,231 | 1,878 | 3,109 |
| 2015 | 1,264 | 2,114 | 3,378 |
| 2014 | 1,375 | 1,948 | 3,323 |
| 2013 | 1,427 | 1,689 | 3,116 |
| 2012 | 1,381 | 2,183 | 3,564 |
| 2011 | 1,436 | 2,315 | 3,751 |
| 2010 | 1,470 | 2,189 | 3,659 |
| 2009 | 1,554 | 2,385 | 3,939 |
| 2008 | 1,459 | 2,456 | 3,915 |
| 2007 | 1,498 | 2,839 | 4,337 |
| 2006 | 1,503 | 2,691 | 4,194 |
| 2005 | 1,526 | 2,890 | 4,416 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Jefferson County runs 5.76 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Jefferson County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Jefferson County ran 2,323 bucks (males) and 1,830 does (females) — 55.9% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,323 | 1,830 | 4,153 | 55.9% |
| 2023 | 2,333 | 1,663 | 3,996 | 58.4% |
| 2022 | 2,073 | 1,693 | 3,766 | 55% |
| 2021 | 2,036 | 1,615 | 3,651 | 55.8% |
| 2020 | 2,071 | 1,766 | 3,837 | 54% |
| 2019 | 1,956 | 1,653 | 3,609 | 54.2% |
| 2018 | 1,844 | 1,552 | 3,396 | 54.3% |
| 2017 | 1,848 | 1,605 | 3,453 | 53.5% |
| 2016 | 1,702 | 1,407 | 3,109 | 54.7% |
| 2015 | 1,807 | 1,571 | 3,378 | 53.5% |
| 2014 | 1,774 | 1,549 | 3,323 | 53.4% |
| 2013 | 1,658 | 1,458 | 3,116 | 53.2% |
| 2012 | 1,821 | 1,743 | 3,564 | 51.1% |
| 2011 | 1,901 | 1,850 | 3,751 | 50.7% |
| 2010 | 1,867 | 1,792 | 3,659 | 51% |
| 2009 | 1,970 | 1,969 | 3,939 | 50% |
| 2008 | 1,987 | 1,928 | 3,915 | 50.8% |
| 2007 | 2,360 | 1,977 | 4,337 | 54.4% |
| 2006 | 2,234 | 1,960 | 4,194 | 53.3% |
| 2005 | 2,434 | 1,982 | 4,416 | 55.1% |
See full Jefferson County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Jefferson County ran 71.9% adult, 17.4% yearling, and 10.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,987 | 723 | 443 | 4,153 |
| 2023 | 2,822 | 683 | 491 | 3,996 |
| 2022 | 2,651 | 595 | 520 | 3,766 |
| 2021 | 2,512 | 598 | 541 | 3,651 |
| 2020 | 2,648 | 628 | 561 | 3,837 |
| 2019 | 2,409 | 716 | 484 | 3,609 |
| 2018 | 2,220 | 673 | 503 | 3,396 |
| 2017 | 2,239 | 680 | 534 | 3,453 |
| 2016 | 2,038 | 595 | 476 | 3,109 |
| 2015 | 2,134 | 663 | 581 | 3,378 |
| 2014 | 2,151 | 573 | 599 | 3,323 |
| 2013 | 2,012 | 581 | 523 | 3,116 |
| 2012 | 2,193 | 613 | 758 | 3,564 |
| 2011 | 2,369 | 649 | 733 | 3,751 |
| 2010 | 2,342 | 609 | 708 | 3,659 |
| 2009 | 2,576 | 624 | 739 | 3,939 |
| 2008 | 2,507 | 674 | 734 | 3,915 |
| 2007 | 2,675 | 714 | 948 | 4,337 |
| 2006 | 2,505 | 755 | 934 | 4,194 |
| 2005 | 2,614 | 823 | 979 | 4,416 |
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 Jefferson 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: 176,914 acres (47.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Jefferson County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Jefferson County scores 46 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #67 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 Jefferson County?
90 record-book whitetails are attributed to Jefferson County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Jefferson County, Illinois?
Yes — about 176,914 acres of public hunting land, roughly 47.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Jefferson County last season?
IDNR records show 4,153 deer harvested in Jefferson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.