Illinois deer research / Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 61.4 — ranked #18 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
61.4 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#18 of 102
Statewide rank
67
Record-book bucks (deduped)
61,758
Public-land acres
1,379
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Lawrence County index

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

Habitat · 25%57
Herd quality · 30%55
Population · 18%89
Momentum · 12%54
Trophy history · 15%56

Trophy record — counted once

67 unique record-book bucks from 78 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 11 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #64 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only64
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks67

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246477321,379
20236346181,252
20225935831,176
20214905391,029
20205975631,160
20195595771,136
20184426441,086
20174836131,096
20164765841,060
20154866551,141
20144685581,026
2013439467906
20124135911,004
2011390560950
20104305911,021
20094376701,107
20084226091,031
20073757381,113
20064728011,273
20055148391,353

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Lawrence County runs 5.08 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Lawrence County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Lawrence County ran 742 bucks (males) and 637 does (females) — 53.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247426371,37953.8%
20237285241,25258.1%
20226735031,17657.2%
20216004291,02958.3%
20206585021,16056.7%
20195865501,13651.6%
20186074791,08655.9%
20176224741,09656.8%
20165974631,06056.3%
20156095321,14153.4%
20145374891,02652.3%
201348542190653.5%
20125374671,00453.5%
201149745395052.3%
20105774441,02156.5%
20096174901,10755.7%
20085684631,03155.1%
20076174961,11355.4%
20067315421,27357.4%
20057386151,35354.5%

See full Lawrence County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Lawrence County ran 68.1% adult, 16.8% yearling, and 15.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249392312091,379
20238342281901,252
20228251951561,176
20216771691831,029
20208132021451,160
20197652091621,136
20186832051981,086
20177102231631,096
20167031901671,060
20157472181761,141
20146581871811,026
2013578152176906
20126551801691,004
2011582164204950
20106551851811,021
20097221931921,107
20086531981801,031
20076821782531,113
20067412342981,273
20058432033071,353

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 Lawrence 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: 61,758 acres (25.8% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Lawrence County

Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area · 2,179 acRed Hills State Park · 964 acChauncey Marsh State Natural Area · 652 acRobeson Hills Nature Preserve · 117 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Lawrence 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 Lawrence County charts

Nearby counties

Crawford · 67.2Wabash · 55.6Richland · 58.3Edwards · 52.6Jasper · 56.9Clark · 64.6Cumberland · 56.5Wayne · 52.4
← #17 Schuyler County#19 Cass County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Lawrence County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Lawrence County scores 61.4 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #18 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 Lawrence County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Lawrence County, Illinois?

Yes — about 61,758 acres of public hunting land, roughly 25.8% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Lawrence County last season?

IDNR records show 1,379 deer harvested in Lawrence County in 2024, the most recent reported season.