Illinois deer research / Monroe County
Monroe County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 44.6 — ranked #70 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Monroe County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
42 unique record-book bucks from 44 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 2 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #87 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 41 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 42 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 527 | 1,122 | 1,649 |
| 2023 | 480 | 1,100 | 1,580 |
| 2022 | 496 | 1,141 | 1,637 |
| 2021 | 479 | 935 | 1,414 |
| 2020 | 531 | 982 | 1,513 |
| 2019 | 473 | 949 | 1,422 |
| 2018 | 384 | 1,019 | 1,403 |
| 2017 | 403 | 941 | 1,344 |
| 2016 | 345 | 923 | 1,268 |
| 2015 | 312 | 958 | 1,270 |
| 2014 | 373 | 738 | 1,111 |
| 2013 | 321 | 810 | 1,131 |
| 2012 | 327 | 1,011 | 1,338 |
| 2011 | 251 | 950 | 1,201 |
| 2010 | 300 | 996 | 1,296 |
| 2009 | 277 | 1,089 | 1,366 |
| 2008 | 312 | 1,104 | 1,416 |
| 2007 | 305 | 1,204 | 1,509 |
| 2006 | 334 | 1,292 | 1,626 |
| 2005 | 374 | 1,272 | 1,646 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Monroe County runs 4.20 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Monroe County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Monroe County ran 951 bucks (males) and 698 does (females) — 57.7% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 951 | 698 | 1,649 | 57.7% |
| 2023 | 964 | 616 | 1,580 | 61% |
| 2022 | 961 | 676 | 1,637 | 58.7% |
| 2021 | 864 | 550 | 1,414 | 61.1% |
| 2020 | 885 | 628 | 1,513 | 58.5% |
| 2019 | 814 | 608 | 1,422 | 57.2% |
| 2018 | 838 | 565 | 1,403 | 59.7% |
| 2017 | 813 | 531 | 1,344 | 60.5% |
| 2016 | 750 | 518 | 1,268 | 59.1% |
| 2015 | 738 | 532 | 1,270 | 58.1% |
| 2014 | 685 | 426 | 1,111 | 61.7% |
| 2013 | 636 | 495 | 1,131 | 56.2% |
| 2012 | 739 | 599 | 1,338 | 55.2% |
| 2011 | 672 | 529 | 1,201 | 56% |
| 2010 | 689 | 607 | 1,296 | 53.2% |
| 2009 | 743 | 623 | 1,366 | 54.4% |
| 2008 | 792 | 624 | 1,416 | 55.9% |
| 2007 | 868 | 641 | 1,509 | 57.5% |
| 2006 | 976 | 650 | 1,626 | 60% |
| 2005 | 931 | 715 | 1,646 | 56.6% |
See full Monroe County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Monroe County ran 67.4% adult, 19.5% yearling, and 13.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,111 | 322 | 216 | 1,649 |
| 2023 | 1,062 | 322 | 196 | 1,580 |
| 2022 | 1,111 | 303 | 223 | 1,637 |
| 2021 | 903 | 324 | 187 | 1,414 |
| 2020 | 1,022 | 297 | 194 | 1,513 |
| 2019 | 919 | 310 | 193 | 1,422 |
| 2018 | 874 | 339 | 190 | 1,403 |
| 2017 | 848 | 307 | 189 | 1,344 |
| 2016 | 812 | 259 | 197 | 1,268 |
| 2015 | 825 | 283 | 162 | 1,270 |
| 2014 | 667 | 249 | 195 | 1,111 |
| 2013 | 680 | 251 | 200 | 1,131 |
| 2012 | 821 | 300 | 217 | 1,338 |
| 2011 | 729 | 257 | 215 | 1,201 |
| 2010 | 828 | 224 | 244 | 1,296 |
| 2009 | 861 | 249 | 256 | 1,366 |
| 2008 | 898 | 308 | 210 | 1,416 |
| 2007 | 918 | 315 | 276 | 1,509 |
| 2006 | 921 | 376 | 329 | 1,626 |
| 2005 | 947 | 356 | 343 | 1,646 |
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 Monroe 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: 93,180 acres (36.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Monroe County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Monroe 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 Monroe County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Monroe County scores 44.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #70 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 Monroe County?
42 record-book whitetails are attributed to Monroe County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Monroe County, Illinois?
Yes — about 93,180 acres of public hunting land, roughly 36.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Monroe County last season?
IDNR records show 1,649 deer harvested in Monroe County in 2024, the most recent reported season.