Illinois deer research / Livingston County
Livingston County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59.6 — ranked #24 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Livingston County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
68 unique record-book bucks from 71 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 3 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #62 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 68 |
| In two books | 0 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 68 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 292 | 431 | 787 |
| 2023 | 271 | 392 | 717 |
| 2022 | 241 | 362 | 655 |
| 2021 | 231 | 380 | 662 |
| 2020 | 247 | 387 | 687 |
| 2019 | 236 | 360 | 633 |
| 2018 | 219 | 387 | 663 |
| 2017 | 210 | 364 | 606 |
| 2016 | 191 | 400 | 627 |
| 2015 | 244 | 427 | 725 |
| 2014 | 236 | 444 | 680 |
| 2013 | 271 | 415 | 686 |
| 2012 | 305 | 613 | 918 |
| 2011 | 290 | 568 | 858 |
| 2010 | 317 | 645 | 962 |
| 2009 | 333 | 483 | 816 |
| 2008 | 313 | 597 | 910 |
| 2007 | 311 | 647 | 958 |
| 2006 | 306 | 567 | 873 |
| 2005 | 337 | 615 | 952 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Livingston County runs 5.43 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Livingston County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Livingston County ran 449 bucks (males) and 338 does (females) — 57.1% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 449 | 338 | 787 | 57.1% |
| 2023 | 417 | 300 | 717 | 58.2% |
| 2022 | 391 | 264 | 655 | 59.7% |
| 2021 | 400 | 262 | 662 | 60.4% |
| 2020 | 384 | 303 | 687 | 55.9% |
| 2019 | 351 | 282 | 633 | 55.5% |
| 2018 | 357 | 306 | 663 | 53.8% |
| 2017 | 361 | 245 | 606 | 59.6% |
| 2016 | 355 | 272 | 627 | 56.6% |
| 2015 | 407 | 318 | 725 | 56.1% |
| 2014 | 370 | 310 | 680 | 54.4% |
| 2013 | 374 | 312 | 686 | 54.5% |
| 2012 | 492 | 426 | 918 | 53.6% |
| 2011 | 414 | 444 | 858 | 48.3% |
| 2010 | 490 | 472 | 962 | 50.9% |
| 2009 | 434 | 382 | 816 | 53.2% |
| 2008 | 477 | 433 | 910 | 52.4% |
| 2007 | 536 | 422 | 958 | 55.9% |
| 2006 | 495 | 378 | 873 | 56.7% |
| 2005 | 525 | 427 | 952 | 55.1% |
See full Livingston County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Livingston County ran 67.1% adult, 17.2% yearling, and 15.8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 528 | 135 | 124 | 787 |
| 2023 | 509 | 116 | 92 | 717 |
| 2022 | 440 | 121 | 94 | 655 |
| 2021 | 478 | 83 | 101 | 662 |
| 2020 | 438 | 146 | 103 | 687 |
| 2019 | 415 | 128 | 90 | 633 |
| 2018 | 414 | 140 | 109 | 663 |
| 2017 | 365 | 127 | 114 | 606 |
| 2016 | 383 | 113 | 131 | 627 |
| 2015 | 443 | 140 | 142 | 725 |
| 2014 | 408 | 125 | 147 | 680 |
| 2013 | 388 | 134 | 164 | 686 |
| 2012 | 567 | 152 | 199 | 918 |
| 2011 | 516 | 158 | 184 | 858 |
| 2010 | 588 | 178 | 196 | 962 |
| 2009 | 493 | 148 | 175 | 816 |
| 2008 | 557 | 163 | 190 | 910 |
| 2007 | 564 | 189 | 205 | 958 |
| 2006 | 508 | 177 | 188 | 873 |
| 2005 | 589 | 166 | 197 | 952 |
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 Livingston 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: 36,449 acres (5.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Livingston 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.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Livingston County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Livingston County scores 59.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #24 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 Livingston County?
68 record-book whitetails are attributed to Livingston County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Livingston County, Illinois?
Yes — about 36,449 acres of public hunting land, roughly 5.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Livingston County last season?
IDNR records show 787 deer harvested in Livingston County in 2024, the most recent reported season.