Illinois deer research / Mercer County

Mercer County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 57.6 — ranked #34 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
57.6 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#34 of 102
Statewide rank
91
Record-book bucks (deduped)
85,486
Public-land acres
1,425
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Mercer County index

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

Habitat · 25%52
Herd quality · 30%52
Population · 18%92
Momentum · 12%52
Trophy history · 15%41

Trophy record — counted once

91 unique record-book bucks from 98 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #43 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only91
In two books0
In all three books0
Unique bucks91

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20245908351,425
20235758271,402
20225327801,312
20214987431,241
20206248361,460
20195387891,327
20185208521,372
20175048331,337
20164158661,281
20155199001,419
20144187391,157
20134047501,154
20123841,0191,403
20114239631,386
20104279751,402
20094118711,282
20083879821,369
20073821,0851,467
20064511,0631,514
20053901,1321,522

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Mercer County runs 4.41 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Mercer County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Mercer County ran 794 bucks (males) and 631 does (females) — 55.7% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247946311,42555.7%
20238295731,40259.1%
20227685441,31258.5%
20217405011,24159.6%
20208376231,46057.3%
20197226051,32754.4%
20187676051,37255.9%
20177795581,33758.3%
20167255561,28156.6%
20157756441,41954.6%
20146255321,15754%
20136195351,15453.6%
20127616421,40354.2%
20117406461,38653.4%
20107276751,40251.9%
20096975851,28254.4%
20087326371,36953.5%
20078416261,46757.3%
20068856291,51458.5%
20058696531,52257.1%

See full Mercer County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Mercer County ran 68.2% adult, 15.4% yearling, and 16.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249722202331,425
20239442452131,402
20228992082051,312
20218302112001,241
20209972502131,460
20198392252631,327
20188732262731,372
20178422342611,337
20168152062601,281
20158572303321,419
20147012222341,157
20136532112901,154
20128831953251,403
20118732192941,386
20108632363031,402
20097462263101,282
20088482193021,369
20078512723441,467
20068862683601,514
20058892573761,522

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 Mercer 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: 85,486 acres (23.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

See Mercer 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 Mercer County charts

Nearby counties

Rock Island · 29Warren · 62.3Henderson · 59.8Knox · 54.6Henry · 47.2McDonough · 56.9Hancock · 67.8Fulton · 58.4
← #33 Moultrie County#35 Bureau County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Mercer County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Mercer County scores 57.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #34 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 Mercer County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Mercer County, Illinois?

Yes — about 85,486 acres of public hunting land, roughly 23.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Mercer County last season?

IDNR records show 1,425 deer harvested in Mercer County in 2024, the most recent reported season.