Illinois deer research / Morgan County
Morgan County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 63.5 — ranked #14 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Morgan County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
103 unique record-book bucks from 105 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 2 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #37 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 102 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 103 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 727 | 707 | 1,434 |
| 2023 | 695 | 667 | 1,362 |
| 2022 | 661 | 679 | 1,340 |
| 2021 | 667 | 580 | 1,247 |
| 2020 | 681 | 632 | 1,313 |
| 2019 | 678 | 632 | 1,310 |
| 2018 | 581 | 747 | 1,328 |
| 2017 | 566 | 714 | 1,280 |
| 2016 | 511 | 774 | 1,285 |
| 2015 | 508 | 792 | 1,300 |
| 2014 | 469 | 702 | 1,171 |
| 2013 | 467 | 770 | 1,237 |
| 2012 | 543 | 975 | 1,518 |
| 2011 | 568 | 926 | 1,494 |
| 2010 | 554 | 929 | 1,483 |
| 2009 | 641 | 1,094 | 1,735 |
| 2008 | 647 | 1,007 | 1,654 |
| 2007 | 659 | 1,233 | 1,892 |
| 2006 | 708 | 1,170 | 1,878 |
| 2005 | 691 | 1,373 | 2,064 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Morgan County runs 5.54 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Morgan County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Morgan County ran 833 bucks (males) and 601 does (females) — 58.1% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 833 | 601 | 1,434 | 58.1% |
| 2023 | 836 | 526 | 1,362 | 61.4% |
| 2022 | 809 | 531 | 1,340 | 60.4% |
| 2021 | 769 | 478 | 1,247 | 61.7% |
| 2020 | 768 | 545 | 1,313 | 58.5% |
| 2019 | 783 | 527 | 1,310 | 59.8% |
| 2018 | 793 | 535 | 1,328 | 59.7% |
| 2017 | 767 | 513 | 1,280 | 59.9% |
| 2016 | 719 | 566 | 1,285 | 56% |
| 2015 | 718 | 582 | 1,300 | 55.2% |
| 2014 | 626 | 545 | 1,171 | 53.5% |
| 2013 | 656 | 581 | 1,237 | 53% |
| 2012 | 853 | 665 | 1,518 | 56.2% |
| 2011 | 827 | 667 | 1,494 | 55.4% |
| 2010 | 818 | 665 | 1,483 | 55.2% |
| 2009 | 902 | 833 | 1,735 | 52% |
| 2008 | 856 | 798 | 1,654 | 51.8% |
| 2007 | 1,063 | 829 | 1,892 | 56.2% |
| 2006 | 1,056 | 822 | 1,878 | 56.2% |
| 2005 | 1,144 | 920 | 2,064 | 55.4% |
See full Morgan County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Morgan County ran 70.6% adult, 16.3% yearling, and 13.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,012 | 234 | 188 | 1,434 |
| 2023 | 1,014 | 179 | 169 | 1,362 |
| 2022 | 1,006 | 178 | 156 | 1,340 |
| 2021 | 911 | 186 | 150 | 1,247 |
| 2020 | 939 | 206 | 168 | 1,313 |
| 2019 | 898 | 224 | 188 | 1,310 |
| 2018 | 891 | 201 | 236 | 1,328 |
| 2017 | 884 | 192 | 204 | 1,280 |
| 2016 | 862 | 205 | 218 | 1,285 |
| 2015 | 841 | 232 | 227 | 1,300 |
| 2014 | 746 | 185 | 240 | 1,171 |
| 2013 | 755 | 183 | 299 | 1,237 |
| 2012 | 944 | 247 | 327 | 1,518 |
| 2011 | 948 | 234 | 312 | 1,494 |
| 2010 | 882 | 262 | 339 | 1,483 |
| 2009 | 1,085 | 222 | 428 | 1,735 |
| 2008 | 1,050 | 227 | 377 | 1,654 |
| 2007 | 1,152 | 269 | 471 | 1,892 |
| 2006 | 1,146 | 287 | 445 | 1,878 |
| 2005 | 1,218 | 291 | 555 | 2,064 |
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 Morgan 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: 82,730 acres (22.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Morgan County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Morgan 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 Morgan County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Morgan County scores 63.5 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #14 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 Morgan County?
103 record-book whitetails are attributed to Morgan County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Morgan County, Illinois?
Yes — about 82,730 acres of public hunting land, roughly 22.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Morgan County last season?
IDNR records show 1,434 deer harvested in Morgan County in 2024, the most recent reported season.