Illinois deer research / Massac County
Massac County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 30.7 — ranked #93 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
D - AverageWhat drives the Massac County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
34 unique record-book bucks from 35 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 1 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #93 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 33 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 34 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 414 | 392 | 806 |
| 2023 | 389 | 386 | 775 |
| 2022 | 368 | 387 | 755 |
| 2021 | 367 | 382 | 749 |
| 2020 | 402 | 392 | 794 |
| 2019 | 401 | 435 | 836 |
| 2018 | 334 | 456 | 790 |
| 2017 | 328 | 526 | 854 |
| 2016 | 338 | 587 | 925 |
| 2015 | 369 | 671 | 1,040 |
| 2014 | 395 | 557 | 952 |
| 2013 | 398 | 551 | 949 |
| 2012 | 377 | 701 | 1,078 |
| 2011 | 404 | 642 | 1,046 |
| 2010 | 393 | 686 | 1,079 |
| 2009 | 332 | 665 | 997 |
| 2008 | 439 | 630 | 1,069 |
| 2007 | 384 | 726 | 1,110 |
| 2006 | 336 | 716 | 1,052 |
| 2005 | 396 | 732 | 1,128 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Massac County runs 3.64 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Massac County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Massac County ran 435 bucks (males) and 371 does (females) — 54% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 435 | 371 | 806 | 54% |
| 2023 | 462 | 313 | 775 | 59.6% |
| 2022 | 449 | 306 | 755 | 59.5% |
| 2021 | 417 | 332 | 749 | 55.7% |
| 2020 | 437 | 357 | 794 | 55% |
| 2019 | 466 | 370 | 836 | 55.7% |
| 2018 | 428 | 362 | 790 | 54.2% |
| 2017 | 472 | 382 | 854 | 55.3% |
| 2016 | 502 | 423 | 925 | 54.3% |
| 2015 | 568 | 472 | 1,040 | 54.6% |
| 2014 | 474 | 478 | 952 | 49.8% |
| 2013 | 510 | 439 | 949 | 53.7% |
| 2012 | 544 | 534 | 1,078 | 50.5% |
| 2011 | 544 | 502 | 1,046 | 52% |
| 2010 | 574 | 505 | 1,079 | 53.2% |
| 2009 | 514 | 483 | 997 | 51.6% |
| 2008 | 565 | 504 | 1,069 | 52.9% |
| 2007 | 635 | 475 | 1,110 | 57.2% |
| 2006 | 612 | 440 | 1,052 | 58.2% |
| 2005 | 608 | 520 | 1,128 | 53.9% |
See full Massac County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Massac County ran 72.8% adult, 18.6% yearling, and 8.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 587 | 150 | 69 | 806 |
| 2023 | 584 | 134 | 57 | 775 |
| 2022 | 556 | 127 | 72 | 755 |
| 2021 | 547 | 124 | 78 | 749 |
| 2020 | 595 | 115 | 84 | 794 |
| 2019 | 615 | 140 | 81 | 836 |
| 2018 | 564 | 145 | 81 | 790 |
| 2017 | 627 | 141 | 86 | 854 |
| 2016 | 666 | 157 | 102 | 925 |
| 2015 | 736 | 173 | 131 | 1,040 |
| 2014 | 670 | 148 | 134 | 952 |
| 2013 | 670 | 163 | 116 | 949 |
| 2012 | 730 | 157 | 191 | 1,078 |
| 2011 | 712 | 173 | 161 | 1,046 |
| 2010 | 723 | 175 | 181 | 1,079 |
| 2009 | 682 | 166 | 149 | 997 |
| 2008 | 701 | 170 | 198 | 1,069 |
| 2007 | 755 | 161 | 194 | 1,110 |
| 2006 | 673 | 214 | 165 | 1,052 |
| 2005 | 730 | 188 | 210 | 1,128 |
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 Massac 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: 80,935 acres (52.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Massac County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Massac 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 Massac County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Massac County scores 30.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #93 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 Massac County?
34 record-book whitetails are attributed to Massac County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Massac County, Illinois?
Yes — about 80,935 acres of public hunting land, roughly 52.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Massac County last season?
IDNR records show 806 deer harvested in Massac County in 2024, the most recent reported season.