Illinois deer research / Madison County

Madison County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 38.1 — ranked #82 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
38.1 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#82 of 102
Statewide rank
95
Record-book bucks (deduped)
130,773
Public-land acres
1,803
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Madison County index

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

Habitat · 25%45
Herd quality · 30%14
Population · 18%48
Momentum · 12%78
Trophy history · 15%32

Trophy record — counted once

95 unique record-book bucks from 104 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 9 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #40 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only90
In two books5
In all three books0
Unique bucks95

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0527511,803
20231,0936551,748
20221,0426991,741
20211,0566371,693
20201,1486251,773
20199876331,620
20189017791,680
20178027361,538
20167306211,351
20158577361,593
20148545941,448
20138966551,551
20121,1139242,037
20111,1099042,013
20101,1408902,030
20091,0389411,979
20081,0679241,991
20071,1471,2782,425
20061,1841,1512,335
20051,1381,2552,393

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Madison County runs 3.30 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Madison County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Madison County ran 1,001 bucks (males) and 802 does (females) — 55.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,0018021,80355.5%
20239877611,74856.5%
20229977441,74157.3%
20219807131,69357.9%
20209917821,77355.9%
20198767441,62054.1%
20189497311,68056.5%
20178626761,53856%
20167276241,35153.8%
20158567371,59353.7%
20147197291,44849.7%
20137887631,55150.8%
20121,0719662,03752.6%
20111,0759382,01353.4%
20101,0489822,03051.6%
20091,0229571,97951.6%
20089969951,99150%
20071,3251,1002,42554.6%
20061,3141,0212,33556.3%
20051,3391,0542,39356%

See full Madison County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Madison County ran 66.4% adult, 20.5% yearling, and 13.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,1983692361,803
20231,1783422281,748
20221,1453502461,741
20211,1123352461,693
20201,1513752471,773
20191,0473592141,620
20181,0363832611,680
20179943212231,538
20168172792551,351
20159883182871,593
20148882842761,448
20138802833881,551
20121,2014074292,037
20111,2293784062,013
20101,2273674362,030
20091,2293364141,979
20081,1743704471,991
20071,4104835322,425
20061,2714705942,335
20051,3674545722,393

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 Madison 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: 130,773 acres (27.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Madison County

Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,118 acJohn M. Olin Nature Preserve · 296 acLevee Lake · 233 acEagle Park Marsh · 106 acHorseshoe Lake-Madison State Fish and Wildlife Area · 91 acCypress Pond · 8 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Madison 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 Madison County charts

Nearby counties

St. Clair · 37.2Macoupin · 66.3Bond · 40.8Jersey · 53.3Clinton · 43.6Montgomery · 54.1Monroe · 44.6Washington · 58.4
← #81 Kane County#83 Winnebago County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Madison County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Madison County scores 38.1 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #82 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 Madison County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Madison County, Illinois?

Yes — about 130,773 acres of public hunting land, roughly 27.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Madison County last season?

IDNR records show 1,803 deer harvested in Madison County in 2024, the most recent reported season.