Illinois deer research / Moultrie County
Moultrie County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 58 — ranked #33 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Moultrie County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
29 unique record-book bucks from 30 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 1 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #97 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 29 |
| In two books | 0 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 29 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 470 | 282 | 752 |
| 2023 | 488 | 239 | 727 |
| 2022 | 448 | 223 | 671 |
| 2021 | 420 | 209 | 629 |
| 2020 | 488 | 230 | 718 |
| 2019 | 400 | 238 | 638 |
| 2018 | 361 | 227 | 588 |
| 2017 | 353 | 203 | 556 |
| 2016 | 253 | 201 | 454 |
| 2015 | 312 | 218 | 530 |
| 2014 | 316 | 206 | 522 |
| 2013 | 293 | 191 | 484 |
| 2012 | 267 | 302 | 569 |
| 2011 | 378 | 358 | 736 |
| 2010 | 313 | 338 | 651 |
| 2009 | 353 | 295 | 648 |
| 2008 | 304 | 339 | 643 |
| 2007 | 279 | 369 | 648 |
| 2006 | 305 | 360 | 665 |
| 2005 | 303 | 314 | 617 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Moultrie County runs 5.50 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Moultrie County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Moultrie County ran 431 bucks (males) and 321 does (females) — 57.3% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 431 | 321 | 752 | 57.3% |
| 2023 | 408 | 319 | 727 | 56.1% |
| 2022 | 404 | 267 | 671 | 60.2% |
| 2021 | 356 | 273 | 629 | 56.6% |
| 2020 | 393 | 325 | 718 | 54.7% |
| 2019 | 366 | 272 | 638 | 57.4% |
| 2018 | 353 | 235 | 588 | 60% |
| 2017 | 315 | 241 | 556 | 56.7% |
| 2016 | 255 | 199 | 454 | 56.2% |
| 2015 | 286 | 244 | 530 | 54% |
| 2014 | 292 | 230 | 522 | 55.9% |
| 2013 | 248 | 236 | 484 | 51.2% |
| 2012 | 325 | 244 | 569 | 57.1% |
| 2011 | 363 | 373 | 736 | 49.3% |
| 2010 | 350 | 301 | 651 | 53.8% |
| 2009 | 304 | 344 | 648 | 46.9% |
| 2008 | 334 | 309 | 643 | 51.9% |
| 2007 | 377 | 271 | 648 | 58.2% |
| 2006 | 379 | 286 | 665 | 57% |
| 2005 | 370 | 247 | 617 | 60% |
See full Moultrie County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Moultrie County ran 66% adult, 18.1% yearling, and 16% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 496 | 136 | 120 | 752 |
| 2023 | 484 | 135 | 108 | 727 |
| 2022 | 413 | 145 | 113 | 671 |
| 2021 | 380 | 126 | 123 | 629 |
| 2020 | 454 | 145 | 119 | 718 |
| 2019 | 379 | 164 | 95 | 638 |
| 2018 | 347 | 137 | 104 | 588 |
| 2017 | 341 | 118 | 97 | 556 |
| 2016 | 288 | 85 | 81 | 454 |
| 2015 | 302 | 107 | 121 | 530 |
| 2014 | 278 | 110 | 134 | 522 |
| 2013 | 285 | 101 | 98 | 484 |
| 2012 | 290 | 126 | 153 | 569 |
| 2011 | 424 | 121 | 191 | 736 |
| 2010 | 408 | 114 | 129 | 651 |
| 2009 | 412 | 97 | 139 | 648 |
| 2008 | 411 | 87 | 145 | 643 |
| 2007 | 406 | 109 | 133 | 648 |
| 2006 | 400 | 125 | 140 | 665 |
| 2005 | 379 | 113 | 125 | 617 |
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 Moultrie 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: 28,716 acres (13.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Moultrie 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 Moultrie County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Moultrie County scores 58 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #33 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 Moultrie County?
29 record-book whitetails are attributed to Moultrie County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Moultrie County, Illinois?
Yes — about 28,716 acres of public hunting land, roughly 13.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Moultrie County last season?
IDNR records show 752 deer harvested in Moultrie County in 2024, the most recent reported season.