Illinois deer research / Lee County

Lee County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 51.3 — ranked #56 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
51.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#56 of 102
Statewide rank
77
Record-book bucks (deduped)
52,155
Public-land acres
1,440
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Lee County index

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

Habitat · 25%78
Herd quality · 30%21
Population · 18%63
Momentum · 12%49
Trophy history · 15%55

Trophy record — counted once

77 unique record-book bucks from 87 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 10 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #52 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only74
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks77

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20245886751,440
20235295481,159
20224664931,077
20214674441,025
20205045361,040
2019437449886
2018400519919
2017385542927
2016410510920
20154496231,072
2014446540986
20134815541,035
20124347841,218
20114967031,199
20105217341,255
20095146751,189
20084767001,176
20075187621,280
20064938041,297
20055469681,514

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Lee County runs 5.05 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Lee County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Lee County ran 747 bucks (males) and 693 does (females) — 51.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247476931,44051.9%
20237164431,15961.8%
20226174601,07757.3%
20215874381,02557.3%
20206084321,04058.5%
201951537188658.1%
201854537491959.3%
201750742092754.7%
201653538592058.2%
20155994731,07255.9%
201452446298653.1%
20135255101,03550.7%
20126555631,21853.8%
20116185811,19951.5%
20106096461,25548.5%
20095846051,18949.1%
20086175591,17652.5%
20076536271,28051%
20066816161,29752.5%
20058017131,51452.9%

See full Lee County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Lee County ran 64.8% adult, 18.3% yearling, and 16.9% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249332642431,440
20237322621651,159
20226412352011,077
20216182301771,025
20206542151711,040
2019539206141886
2018566200153919
2017580194153927
2016574192154920
20156532152041,072
2014607187192986
20136141702511,035
20127412042731,218
20117222272501,199
20107521963071,255
20096941943011,189
20086911982871,176
20077712073021,280
20067402233341,297
20059102483561,514

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 Lee 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: 52,155 acres (11.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Lee County

Green River State Wildlife Area · 2,529 acRichardson Wildlife Preserve · 1,735 acFranklin Creek State Natural Area · 875 acMaytown State Habitat Area · 154 acSteward State Habitat Area · 80 acPlum Creek Natural Area · 62 acHazelwood Forest Nature Preserve · 47 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Lee 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 Lee County charts

Nearby counties

Ogle · 40.2Bureau · 57.2Putnam · 56.9DeKalb · 38.7LaSalle · 48.7Winnebago · 37.8Whiteside · 36.7Stephenson · 40.5
← #55 Wayne County#57 Mason County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Lee County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Lee County scores 51.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #56 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 Lee County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Lee County, Illinois?

Yes — about 52,155 acres of public hunting land, roughly 11.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Lee County last season?

IDNR records show 1,440 deer harvested in Lee County in 2024, the most recent reported season.