Illinois deer research / Lake County

Lake County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 31 — ranked #92 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
31 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#92 of 102
Statewide rank
271
Record-book bucks (deduped)
89,861
Public-land acres
313
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Lake County index

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

Habitat · 25%26
Herd quality · 30%32
Population · 18%20
Momentum · 12%12
Trophy history · 15%67

Trophy record — counted once

271 unique record-book bucks from 319 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 48 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #7 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only269
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks271

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
202430310313
20233114315
20222863289
20212543257
20203841385
20192905295
20183091310
20173251326
20162734277
20154614465
20144603463
20134233426
20124238431
20114465451
20104495454
20094893492
20084449453
200744222464
20064880488
20054610461

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Lake County runs 1.37 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Lake County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Lake County ran 222 bucks (males) and 91 does (females) — 70.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20242229131370.9%
20232278831572.1%
20221979228968.2%
20211659225764.2%
202024214338562.9%
20192078829570.2%
201820710331066.8%
20172279932669.6%
20161789927764.3%
201527219346558.5%
201429017346362.6%
201326516142662.2%
201224818343157.5%
201126418745158.5%
201027617845460.8%
200929719549260.4%
200827817545361.4%
200725421046454.7%
200626022848853.3%
200528917246162.7%

See full Lake County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Lake County ran 58.8% adult, 33.2% yearling, and 8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
202418410425313
20232058822315
20221956925289
20211736717257
20202578642385
20191868722295
20182048224310
20171979831326
20161616749277
20153179751465
201432110933463
201327210747426
20122917961431
20112999755451
201029310655454
200932311158492
200829010558453
20073119261464
20063129878488
20053147572461

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 Lake 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: 89,861 acres (29.8% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Lake County

Chain O'Lakes State Park · 5,124 acAdeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park · 3,186 acRed Wing Slough · 1,001 acVolo Bog · 796 acWadsworth Prairie Nature Preserve · 446 acMacArthur Woods Nature Preserve · 426 acFish Lake And Marl Flat Forest Preserve · 361 acChannel Lake · 322 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Lake 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 Lake County charts

Nearby counties

McHenry · 33.5DuPage · 37.2Cook · 38.6Kane · 38.4Boone · 40.5Kendall · 32.1DeKalb · 38.7Will · 45.7
← #91 Kendall County#93 Massac County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Lake County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Lake County scores 31 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #92 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 Lake County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Lake County, Illinois?

Yes — about 89,861 acres of public hunting land, roughly 29.8% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Lake County last season?

IDNR records show 313 deer harvested in Lake County in 2024, the most recent reported season.