Illinois deer research / Jersey County

Jersey County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 53.3 — ranked #51 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
53.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#51 of 102
Statewide rank
111
Record-book bucks (deduped)
103,932
Public-land acres
1,380
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Jersey County index

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

Habitat · 25%39
Herd quality · 30%51
Population · 18%78
Momentum · 12%62
Trophy history · 15%47

Trophy record — counted once

111 unique record-book bucks from 126 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 15 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #28 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only108
In two books2
In all three books1
Unique bucks111

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246597211,380
20236656481,313
20226336481,281
20216055881,193
20206696341,303
20196386261,264
20185386711,209
20174846411,125
20164616741,135
20154886631,151
20144376491,086
20135086511,159
20125479321,479
20115678821,449
20105699411,510
20095889381,526
20086961,0241,720
20076881,0741,762
20067261,2231,949
20057251,2271,952

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Jersey County runs 3.73 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Jersey County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Jersey County ran 718 bucks (males) and 662 does (females) — 52% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247186621,38052%
20237515621,31357.2%
20227065751,28155.1%
20216954981,19358.3%
20207095941,30354.4%
20196955691,26455%
20186545551,20954.1%
20176215041,12555.2%
20166215141,13554.7%
20155975541,15151.9%
20145845021,08653.8%
20136085511,15952.5%
20127787011,47952.6%
20117836661,44954%
20108057051,51053.3%
20097807461,52651.1%
20088758451,72050.9%
20079528101,76254%
20061,0848651,94955.6%
20051,0519011,95253.8%

See full Jersey County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Jersey County ran 70.7% adult, 14.7% yearling, and 14.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249762032011,380
20239172121841,313
20228962121731,281
20218231931771,193
20209182131721,303
20198682321641,264
20188312171611,209
20177361981911,125
20167721781851,135
20157462101951,151
20146761962141,086
20137082052461,159
20129012493291,479
20119102343051,449
20109772352981,510
20099732353181,526
20081,1122423661,720
20071,1013013601,762
20061,1622805071,949
20051,2252704571,952

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 Jersey 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: 103,932 acres (43.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Jersey County

12 Mile Island Wildlife Management Area - Glades · 1,419 acPiasa Island Wildlife Management Area · 912 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Jersey 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 Jersey County charts

Nearby counties

Greene · 50Calhoun · 44.7Macoupin · 66.3Madison · 38.1Scott · 52.5Morgan · 63.5St. Clair · 37.2Pike · 59.2
← #50 Marshall County#52 Randolph County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Jersey County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Jersey County scores 53.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #51 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 Jersey County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Jersey County, Illinois?

Yes — about 103,932 acres of public hunting land, roughly 43.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Jersey County last season?

IDNR records show 1,380 deer harvested in Jersey County in 2024, the most recent reported season.