Illinois deer research / McHenry County

McHenry County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 33.5 — ranked #90 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
33.5 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#90 of 102
Statewide rank
305
Record-book bucks (deduped)
119,965
Public-land acres
1,164
2024 deer harvest

What drives the McHenry County index

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

Habitat · 25%28
Herd quality · 30%26
Population · 18%18
Momentum · 12%55
Trophy history · 15%60

Trophy record — counted once

305 unique record-book bucks from 341 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 36 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #5 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only303
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks305

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248512361,164
2023694256989
2022669203932
2021644243953
20206622951,023
2019582241866
2018562275899
2017502292824
2016526266891
20155993211,026
2014526309942
2013541263881
20125614181,046
2011575337974
2010583291935
20096213741,117
20085853711,043
20076165401,233
20066324621,220
20056105741,227

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: McHenry County runs 2.18 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full McHenry County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, McHenry County ran 716 bucks (males) and 448 does (females) — 61.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247164481,16461.5%
202363235798963.9%
202259533793263.8%
202162832595365.9%
20206493741,02363.4%
201958927786668%
201855934089962.2%
201753528982464.9%
201655034189161.7%
20156064201,02659.1%
201457336994260.8%
201350737488157.5%
20125714751,04654.6%
201155442097456.9%
201050043593553.5%
20096085091,11754.4%
20085375061,04351.5%
20076945391,23356.3%
20066495711,22053.2%
20057065211,22757.5%

See full McHenry County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, McHenry County ran 62.5% adult, 24.3% yearling, and 13.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20247282831531,164
2023640225124989
2022579227126932
2021570252131953
20206332401501,023
2019541224101866
201857522599899
2017483241100824
2016472233186891
20156172421671,026
2014516267159942
2013482233166881
20126072172221,046
2011549239186974
2010564188183935
20096552372251,117
20086262231941,043
20076822572941,233
20066972612621,220
20057142352781,227

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 McHenry 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: 119,965 acres (30.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in McHenry County

Pleasant Valley 11 · 539 acHackmatack National Wildlife Refuge · 468 acGlacial Park Nature Preserve · 446 acBlack Crown Marsh State Natural Area · 374 acLussky Marsh · 241 acQueen Anne Macrosite · 199 acBates Fen Nature Preserve · 195 acSterne's Fen Nature Preserve · 187 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See McHenry 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 McHenry County charts

Nearby counties

Boone · 40.5Kane · 38.4Lake · 31DeKalb · 38.7DuPage · 37.2Winnebago · 37.8Kendall · 32.1Cook · 38.6
← #89 Jo Daviess County#91 Kendall County →

Frequently asked questions

Is McHenry County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

McHenry County scores 33.5 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #90 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 McHenry County?

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

Is there public hunting land in McHenry County, Illinois?

Yes — about 119,965 acres of public hunting land, roughly 30.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in McHenry County last season?

IDNR records show 1,164 deer harvested in McHenry County in 2024, the most recent reported season.