Illinois deer research / Knox County

Knox County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 54.6 — ranked #47 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
54.6 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#47 of 102
Statewide rank
189
Record-book bucks (deduped)
129,944
Public-land acres
1,950
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Knox County index

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

Habitat · 25%56
Herd quality · 30%54
Population · 18%78
Momentum · 12%22
Trophy history · 15%52

Trophy record — counted once

189 unique record-book bucks from 210 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 21 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #14 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only182
In two books7
In all three books0
Unique bucks189

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248291,1211,950
20231,0291,1782,207
20229501,0812,031
20219761,0642,040
20201,1041,1432,247
20191,0071,0862,093
20189281,1192,047
20179011,1452,046
20168561,2002,056
20159481,3322,280
20149731,1712,144
20138981,0191,917
20129751,6062,581
20111,0161,4792,495
20109601,5552,515
20091,0041,4312,435
20081,0541,6232,677
20071,0281,6822,710
20068671,3872,254
20058731,8212,694

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Knox County runs 5.31 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Knox County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Knox County ran 1,096 bucks (males) and 854 does (females) — 56.2% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0968541,95056.2%
20231,3458622,20760.9%
20221,1338982,03155.8%
20211,1578832,04056.7%
20201,2301,0172,24754.7%
20191,1049892,09352.7%
20181,1139342,04754.4%
20171,1878592,04658%
20161,1668902,05656.7%
20151,2601,0202,28055.3%
20141,1689762,14454.5%
20131,0388791,91754.1%
20121,5101,0712,58158.5%
20111,4141,0812,49556.7%
20101,3501,1652,51553.7%
20091,3051,1302,43553.6%
20081,4401,2372,67753.8%
20071,5321,1782,71056.5%
20061,3718832,25460.8%
20051,5551,1392,69457.7%

See full Knox County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Knox County ran 69.6% adult, 17% yearling, and 13.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,3583312611,950
20231,4944332802,207
20221,4543202572,031
20211,3943413052,040
20201,5853533092,247
20191,4443742752,093
20181,3483433562,047
20171,3663463342,046
20161,3823393352,056
20151,4553764492,280
20141,3503754192,144
20131,2053014111,917
20121,7033884902,581
20111,6083884992,495
20101,6573604982,515
20091,5613615132,435
20081,7093755932,677
20071,7453755902,710
20061,4043684822,254
20051,7193955802,694

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 Knox 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: 129,944 acres (28.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Knox County

Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,487 acSpoon River State Forest · 1,638 acBuffalo Prairie State Fish and Wildlife Area · 292 acVictoria State Habitat Area · 239 acT-Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 190 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Knox 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 Knox County charts

Nearby counties

Warren · 62.3Henry · 47.2Stark · 57Fulton · 58.4Peoria · 37.6Mercer · 57.6Rock Island · 29McDonough · 56.9
← #46 Wabash County#48 Montgomery County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Knox County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Knox County scores 54.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #47 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 Knox County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Knox County, Illinois?

Yes — about 129,944 acres of public hunting land, roughly 28.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Knox County last season?

IDNR records show 1,950 deer harvested in Knox County in 2024, the most recent reported season.