Illinois deer research / Johnson County

Johnson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 20.2 — ranked #101 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

E - Below Average
20.2 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#101 of 102
Statewide rank
56
Record-book bucks (deduped)
178,659
Public-land acres
1,932
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Johnson County index

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

Habitat · 25%22
Herd quality · 30%20
Population · 18%25
Momentum · 12%7
Trophy history · 15%21

Trophy record — counted once

56 unique record-book bucks from 59 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 3 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #77 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only54
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks56

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248421,0901,932
20238491,0791,928
20228571,2142,071
20217961,1591,955
20208681,3212,189
20197841,3842,168
20186661,5622,228
20176771,5892,266
20166311,6402,271
20156701,7362,406
20147841,5392,323
20137611,3842,145
20126381,7192,357
20116991,7092,408
20107211,7062,427
20096121,7742,386
20086611,8512,512
20076711,8962,567
20066011,9012,502
20056461,9132,559

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Johnson County runs 3.36 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Johnson County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Johnson County ran 1,079 bucks (males) and 853 does (females) — 55.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0798531,93255.8%
20231,0768521,92855.8%
20221,1139582,07153.7%
20211,0968591,95556.1%
20201,2219682,18955.8%
20191,1929762,16855%
20181,3289002,22859.6%
20171,3359312,26658.9%
20161,2541,0172,27155.2%
20151,3211,0852,40654.9%
20141,3091,0142,32356.3%
20131,2319142,14557.4%
20121,2921,0652,35754.8%
20111,3201,0882,40854.8%
20101,3221,1052,42754.5%
20091,3521,0342,38656.7%
20081,3971,1152,51255.6%
20071,4611,1062,56756.9%
20061,5169862,50260.6%
20051,4911,0682,55958.3%

See full Johnson County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Johnson County ran 68.4% adult, 19.8% yearling, and 11.8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,3213832281,932
20231,2674202411,928
20221,3814002902,071
20211,3013722821,955
20201,4944522432,189
20191,4074792822,168
20181,3765403122,228
20171,3495393782,266
20161,4444963312,271
20151,5095363612,406
20141,4044794402,323
20131,3295063102,145
20121,4045214322,357
20111,3935744412,408
20101,4285444552,427
20091,4555333982,386
20081,5245204682,512
20071,5405135142,567
20061,5155324552,502
20051,4825755022,559

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 Johnson 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: 178,659 acres (80.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Johnson County

Shawnee National Forest · 391,507 acFerne Clyffe State Park · 2,572 acFarm Service Agency Interest Of Il · 665 acDeer Pond State Natural Area · 251 acSkinner Farm State Habitat Area · 227 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Johnson 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 Johnson County charts

Nearby counties

Williamson · 30.3Massac · 30.7Pope · 20.6Pulaski · 25.2Union · 24.3Saline · 39Franklin · 39.6Alexander · 23.9
← #100 Pope County#102 Hardin County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Johnson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Johnson County scores 20.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (E - Below Average), ranked #101 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 Johnson County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Johnson County, Illinois?

Yes — about 178,659 acres of public hunting land, roughly 80.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Johnson County last season?

IDNR records show 1,932 deer harvested in Johnson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.