Illinois deer research / Macoupin County

Macoupin County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 66.3 — ranked #10 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
66.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#10 of 102
Statewide rank
195
Record-book bucks (deduped)
167,467
Public-land acres
3,193
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Macoupin County index

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

Habitat · 25%55
Herd quality · 30%51
Population · 18%86
Momentum · 12%96
Trophy history · 15%68

Trophy record — counted once

195 unique record-book bucks from 215 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 20 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #13 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only189
In two books6
In all three books0
Unique bucks195

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,3411,8523,193
20231,2661,5282,794
20221,1721,5822,754
20211,1961,4312,627
20201,2811,5512,832
20191,2361,5572,793
20181,0141,7032,717
20171,0191,4862,505
20168531,4042,257
20159171,5452,462
20148211,2022,023
20138701,2222,092
20128531,8152,668
20119541,7362,690
20109561,7362,692
20099531,7382,691
20081,0261,8472,873
20071,0592,2973,356
20061,0302,1273,157
20051,1002,5173,617

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Macoupin County runs 4.63 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Macoupin County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Macoupin County ran 1,784 bucks (males) and 1,409 does (females) — 55.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,7841,4093,19355.9%
20231,5871,2072,79456.8%
20221,6061,1482,75458.3%
20211,4901,1372,62756.7%
20201,6081,2242,83256.8%
20191,6091,1842,79357.6%
20181,5881,1292,71758.4%
20171,4301,0752,50557.1%
20161,2959622,25757.4%
20151,3631,0992,46255.4%
20141,1438802,02356.5%
20131,0979952,09252.4%
20121,4531,2152,66854.5%
20111,4661,2242,69054.5%
20101,4701,2222,69254.6%
20091,4201,2712,69152.8%
20081,5081,3652,87352.5%
20071,8501,5063,35655.1%
20061,7561,4013,15755.6%
20051,9711,6463,61754.5%

See full Macoupin County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Macoupin County ran 68.9% adult, 15.9% yearling, and 15.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20242,2005094843,193
20231,9664194092,794
20221,8824763962,754
20211,7384344552,627
20201,9754863712,832
20191,8675234032,793
20181,6955165062,717
20171,6324604132,505
20161,4344164072,257
20151,5504454672,462
20141,2523833882,023
20131,2613554762,092
20121,6934375382,668
20111,6654505752,690
20101,7244175512,692
20091,6774036112,691
20081,7514836392,873
20072,0565767243,356
20061,8125218243,157
20052,1265958963,617

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 Macoupin 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: 167,467 acres (30.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Macoupin County

Beaver Dam State Park · 699 acHagaman Marsh · 108 acGillespie Prairie State Natural Area · 74 acGoode's Woods State Natural Area · 40 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Macoupin 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 Macoupin County charts

Nearby counties

Madison · 38.1Montgomery · 54.1Jersey · 53.3Greene · 50Morgan · 63.5Sangamon · 58.5Bond · 40.8Scott · 52.5
← #9 McLean County#11 Champaign County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Macoupin County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Macoupin County scores 66.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #10 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 Macoupin County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Macoupin County, Illinois?

Yes — about 167,467 acres of public hunting land, roughly 30.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Macoupin County last season?

IDNR records show 3,193 deer harvested in Macoupin County in 2024, the most recent reported season.