Illinois deer research / McLean County

McLean County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 66.9 — ranked #9 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
66.9 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#9 of 102
Statewide rank
113
Record-book bucks (deduped)
56,223
Public-land acres
1,372
2024 deer harvest

What drives the McLean County index

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

Habitat · 25%74
Herd quality · 30%64
Population · 18%51
Momentum · 12%64
Trophy history · 15%84

Trophy record — counted once

113 unique record-book bucks from 129 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 16 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #27 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only105
In two books8
In all three books0
Unique bucks113

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246946781,372
20236455981,243
20225895261,115
20215165321,048
20206236381,261
20197205241,244
20185295431,072
2017496491987
2016460516976
20154626071,069
20145045501,054
20135315671,098
20126087841,392
20116037241,327
20106927801,472
20095856731,258
20086757311,406
20075917811,372
20065207471,267
20055788421,420

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: McLean County runs 6.00 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full McLean County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, McLean County ran 734 bucks (males) and 638 does (females) — 53.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247346381,37253.5%
20237584851,24361%
20226244911,11556%
20215934551,04856.6%
20207155461,26156.7%
20196126321,24449.2%
20185934791,07255.3%
201754244598754.9%
201655642097657%
20155854841,06954.7%
20145814731,05455.1%
20135505481,09850.1%
20127356571,39252.8%
20116996281,32752.7%
20107687041,47252.2%
20096595991,25852.4%
20086817251,40648.4%
20077446281,37254.2%
20066935741,26754.7%
20057756451,42054.6%

See full McLean County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, McLean County ran 69.2% adult, 17.5% yearling, and 13.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249492401831,372
20238902121411,243
20227892001261,115
20217291931261,048
20208512401701,261
20198862061521,244
20187251941531,072
2017638188161987
2016663174139976
20156971971751,069
20146871751921,054
20136931722331,098
20129312122491,392
20118621922731,327
20109392143191,472
20097691803091,258
20089092072901,406
20078832192701,372
20067592272811,267
20058902193111,420

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 McLean 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: 56,223 acres (7.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in McLean County

Moraine View State Recreational Area · 1,652 acMerwin Preserve · 711 acSaybrook State Habitat Area · 649 acStubblefield Woodlots Nature Preserve · 382 acMohr Preserve · 278 acFunks Grove State Natural Area · 197 acLexington Preserve · 172 acSweeney Woods Preserve · 92 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See McLean 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 McLean County charts

Nearby counties

De Witt · 60Woodford · 59Livingston · 59.6Piatt · 71.2Ford · 59.3Logan · 73.9Macon · 60.2Tazewell · 50.4
← #8 Crawford County#10 Macoupin County →

Frequently asked questions

Is McLean County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

McLean County scores 66.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #9 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 McLean County?

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

Is there public hunting land in McLean County, Illinois?

Yes — about 56,223 acres of public hunting land, roughly 7.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in McLean County last season?

IDNR records show 1,372 deer harvested in McLean County in 2024, the most recent reported season.