Illinois deer research / McDonough County

McDonough County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 56.9 — ranked #39 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
56.9 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#39 of 102
Statewide rank
144
Record-book bucks (deduped)
92,751
Public-land acres
1,444
2024 deer harvest

What drives the McDonough County index

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

Habitat · 25%59
Herd quality · 30%59
Population · 18%68
Momentum · 12%35
Trophy history · 15%52

Trophy record — counted once

144 unique record-book bucks from 171 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 27 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #18 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only136
In two books8
In all three books0
Unique bucks144

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246637811,444
20236427581,400
20226317621,393
20216417271,368
20206507711,421
20195777131,290
20185838441,427
20175368311,367
20165038491,352
20154488361,284
20144617651,226
20134717871,258
20124851,0741,559
20115621,0671,629
20105621,0921,654
20096101,1101,720
20086171,1551,772
20076011,2241,825
20065441,1451,689
20055921,2801,872

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: McDonough County runs 4.84 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full McDonough County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, McDonough County ran 763 bucks (males) and 681 does (females) — 52.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247636811,44452.8%
20238395611,40059.9%
20227516421,39353.9%
20217825861,36857.2%
20207796421,42154.8%
20197025881,29054.4%
20187946331,42755.6%
20177925751,36757.9%
20168035491,35259.4%
20156786061,28452.8%
20146425841,22652.4%
20136486101,25851.5%
20128217381,55952.7%
20118957341,62954.9%
20108737811,65452.8%
20099058151,72052.6%
20089358371,77252.8%
20071,0607651,82558.1%
20069737161,68957.6%
20051,0348381,87255.2%

See full McDonough County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, McDonough County ran 70.7% adult, 15% yearling, and 14.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,0212172061,444
20239802202001,400
20221,0062001871,393
20219442112131,368
20201,0082072061,421
20198542072291,290
20189532202541,427
20179362092221,367
20169042452031,352
20158222032591,284
20147711892661,226
20137552033001,258
20129482034081,559
20111,0362653281,629
20101,0422503621,654
20091,0562514131,720
20081,1042574111,772
20071,1682923651,825
20061,0492583821,689
20051,1602654471,872

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 McDonough 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: 92,751 acres (24.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in McDonough County

Argyle Lake State Park · 1,714 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See McDonough 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 McDonough County charts

Nearby counties

Schuyler · 62.1Warren · 62.3Henderson · 59.8Fulton · 58.4Hancock · 67.8Brown · 58.9Cass · 61.3Knox · 54.6
← #38 Jasper County#40 Putnam County →

Frequently asked questions

Is McDonough County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

McDonough County scores 56.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #39 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 McDonough County?

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

Is there public hunting land in McDonough County, Illinois?

Yes — about 92,751 acres of public hunting land, roughly 24.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in McDonough County last season?

IDNR records show 1,444 deer harvested in McDonough County in 2024, the most recent reported season.