Illinois deer research / Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 54.1 — ranked #48 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
54.1 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#48 of 102
Statewide rank
96
Record-book bucks (deduped)
99,712
Public-land acres
2,088
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Montgomery County index

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

Habitat · 25%67
Herd quality · 30%45
Population · 18%44
Momentum · 12%91
Trophy history · 15%33

Trophy record — counted once

96 unique record-book bucks from 104 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #38 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only94
In two books1
In all three books1
Unique bucks96

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0261,0622,088
20239538791,832
20228618781,739
20218878021,689
20209278161,743
20198417991,640
20187338001,533
20176327891,421
20165757751,350
20156029241,526
20145668631,429
20136018311,432
20126751,0471,722
20116751,1771,852
20107011,1281,829
20097371,1901,927
20087121,2311,943
20076741,4922,166
20067031,4152,118
20057691,5462,315

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Montgomery County runs 4.61 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Montgomery County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Montgomery County ran 1,121 bucks (males) and 967 does (females) — 53.7% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,1219672,08853.7%
20231,0797531,83258.9%
20229677721,73955.6%
20219637261,68957%
20201,0127311,74358.1%
20199017391,64054.9%
20189136201,53359.6%
20178196021,42157.6%
20167735771,35057.3%
20158766501,52657.4%
20147996301,42955.9%
20137227101,43250.4%
20128958271,72252%
20111,0088441,85254.4%
20109928371,82954.2%
20091,0608671,92755%
20081,0249191,94352.7%
20071,1869802,16654.8%
20061,1899292,11856.1%
20051,2831,0322,31555.4%

See full Montgomery County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Montgomery County ran 67.7% adult, 16% yearling, and 16.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,4133343412,088
20231,2633372321,832
20221,1512932951,739
20211,1292892711,689
20201,1953152331,743
20191,1013012381,640
20189933142261,533
20178892842481,421
20168082632791,350
20158983472811,526
20148263062971,429
20138442503381,432
20121,0193173861,722
20111,1463303761,852
20101,1263303731,829
20091,1543514221,927
20081,1593594251,943
20071,2404464802,166
20061,2094134962,118
20051,2884216062,315

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 Montgomery 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: 99,712 acres (22.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Montgomery County

Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 536 acFreeman Mine State Habitat Area · 178 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Montgomery 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 Montgomery County charts

Nearby counties

Bond · 40.8Christian · 57.1Macoupin · 66.3Fayette · 49.9Sangamon · 58.5Madison · 38.1Clinton · 43.6Shelby · 60
← #47 Knox County#49 Adams County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Montgomery County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Montgomery County scores 54.1 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #48 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 Montgomery County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Montgomery County, Illinois?

Yes — about 99,712 acres of public hunting land, roughly 22.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Montgomery County last season?

IDNR records show 2,088 deer harvested in Montgomery County in 2024, the most recent reported season.