Illinois deer research / Kendall County

Kendall County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 32.1 — ranked #91 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average

32.1 / 100

FDR Herd Index

#91 of 102

Statewide rank

Record-book bucks (deduped)

26,135

Public-land acres

314

2024 deer harvest

What drives the Kendall County index

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

Habitat · 25%69

Herd quality · 30%6

Population · 18%14

Momentum · 12%14

Trophy history · 15%59

Trophy record — counted once

33 unique record-book bucks from 36 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 3 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #94 in Illinois.

Book	Bucks
Listed in one book only	32
In two books	1
In all three books	0
Unique bucks	33

2005–2024 harvest trend

Season	Archery	Firearm	Total
2024	218	70	314
2023	190	65	272
2022	169	64	250
2021	194	71	291
2020	215	78	318
2019	196	65	279
2018	165	87	284
2017	174	79	275
2016	163	98	286
2015	194	85	310
2014	164	84	285
2013	222	82	346
2012	242	114	384
2011	231	102	333
2010	235	97	332
2009	273	97	370
2008	225	106	331
2007	212	119	331
2006	212	132	344
2005	220	148	368

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Kendall County runs 3.00 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Kendall County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Kendall County ran 199 bucks (males) and 115 does (females) — 63.4% bucks.

63.4% bucks36.6% does

Season	Bucks (M)	Does (F)	Total	% bucks
2024	199	115	314	63.4%
2023	169	103	272	62.1%
2022	141	109	250	56.4%
2021	167	124	291	57.4%
2020	162	156	318	50.9%
2019	158	121	279	56.6%
2018	170	114	284	59.9%
2017	158	117	275	57.5%
2016	166	120	286	58%
2015	168	142	310	54.2%
2014	149	136	285	52.3%
2013	179	167	346	51.7%
2012	208	176	384	54.2%
2011	166	167	333	49.8%
2010	177	155	332	53.3%
2009	207	163	370	55.9%
2008	167	164	331	50.5%
2007	185	146	331	55.9%
2006	197	147	344	57.3%
2005	212	156	368	57.6%

See full Kendall County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Kendall County ran 56.1% adult, 28.7% yearling, and 15.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

56.1% adult28.7%15.3% fawn

Season	Adult	Yearling	Fawn	Total
2024	176	90	48	314
2023	166	65	41	272
2022	164	50	36	250
2021	179	73	39	291
2020	209	57	52	318
2019	164	77	38	279
2018	183	62	39	284
2017	164	64	47	275
2016	175	64	47	286
2015	189	69	52	310
2014	186	57	42	285
2013	206	86	54	346
2012	239	68	77	384
2011	215	66	52	333
2010	205	67	60	332
2009	238	58	74	370
2008	217	55	59	331
2007	201	65	65	331
2006	208	80	56	344
2005	231	59	78	368

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 Kendall 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: 26,135 acres (12.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Kendall County

Silver Springs · 1,189 ac Jay Woods Forest Preserve · 116 ac Maramech Woods Nature Preserve · 66 ac Glen D. Palmers State Game Farm · 43 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Kendall 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 — free See all Kendall County charts

Nearby counties

Grundy · 46.5 Kane · 38.4 DuPage · 37.2 DeKalb · 38.7 Will · 45.7 LaSalle · 48.7 Cook · 38.6 Livingston · 59.6

← #90 McHenry County #92 Lake County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Kendall County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Kendall County scores 32.1 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #91 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 Kendall County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Kendall County, Illinois?

Yes — about 26,135 acres of public hunting land, roughly 12.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Kendall County last season?

IDNR records show 314 deer harvested in Kendall County in 2024, the most recent reported season.