Illinois deer research / Mason County

Mason County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 51 — ranked #57 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
51 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#57 of 102
Statewide rank
58
Record-book bucks (deduped)
71,074
Public-land acres
1,010
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Mason County index

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

Habitat · 25%56
Herd quality · 30%53
Population · 18%44
Momentum · 12%61
Trophy history · 15%39

Trophy record — counted once

58 unique record-book bucks from 66 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #73 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only54
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks58

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246163941,010
2023559393952
2022518382900
2021504352856
2020551389940
2019497357854
2018412434846
2017373379752
2016312439751
2015344491835
2014331411742
2013334428762
2012378621999
2011383595978
20104016011,002
20094176451,062
20084236831,106
20074876881,175
20064666441,110
20054787881,266

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Mason County runs 3.82 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Mason County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Mason County ran 585 bucks (males) and 425 does (females) — 57.9% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20245854251,01057.9%
202360534795263.6%
202254735390060.8%
202153332385662.3%
202056537594060.1%
201949835685458.3%
201847437284656%
201744730575259.4%
201645629575160.7%
201544339283553.1%
201442531774257.3%
201342134176255.2%
201252347699952.4%
201158539397859.8%
20105864161,00258.5%
20095694931,06253.6%
20086005061,10654.2%
20076695061,17556.9%
20066514591,11058.6%
20057145521,26656.4%

See full Mason County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Mason County ran 67.4% adult, 17.8% yearling, and 14.8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20246811801491,010
2023641179132952
2022600165135900
2021556160140856
2020628175137940
2019571161122854
2018527165154846
2017452154146752
2016489128134751
2015522157156835
2014432174136742
2013430155177762
2012586154259999
2011579201198978
20106081951991,002
20096421692511,062
20086711952401,106
20077252022481,175
20066312262531,110
20057002223441,266

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 Mason 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: 71,074 acres (19.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Mason County

Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge · 13,249 acSanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area · 11,150 acSand Ridge State Forest · 7,557 acAnderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,385 acSand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Natural Area · 1,509 acSanganois · 707 acRevis Hill Prairie State Natural Area · 423 acSparks Pond State Natural Area · 373 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Mason 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 Mason County charts

Nearby counties

Menard · 70.1Fulton · 58.4Cass · 61.3Tazewell · 50.4Sangamon · 58.5Logan · 73.9Peoria · 37.6Morgan · 63.5
← #56 Lee County#58 Tazewell County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Mason County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Mason County scores 51 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #57 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 Mason County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Mason County, Illinois?

Yes — about 71,074 acres of public hunting land, roughly 19.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Mason County last season?

IDNR records show 1,010 deer harvested in Mason County in 2024, the most recent reported season.