Illinois deer research / Peoria County

Peoria County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 37.6 — ranked #84 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
37.6 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#84 of 102
Statewide rank
247
Record-book bucks (deduped)
130,442
Public-land acres
1,811
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Peoria County index

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

Habitat · 25%46
Herd quality · 30%21
Population · 18%34
Momentum · 12%38
Trophy history · 15%63

Trophy record — counted once

247 unique record-book bucks from 288 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 41 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #8 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only239
In two books8
In all three books0
Unique bucks247

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20249548571,811
20231,0128581,870
20221,0248761,900
20211,0328141,846
20201,1098751,984
20199698531,822
20188398601,699
20178858661,751
20168049711,775
20158751,1061,981
20148888951,783
20139119161,827
20121,1471,4902,637
20111,2041,4822,686
20101,2541,5602,814
20091,3071,5142,821
20081,3241,6532,977
20071,3181,7693,087
20061,3781,4732,851
20051,2141,7062,920

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Peoria County runs 4.10 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Peoria County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Peoria County ran 957 bucks (males) and 854 does (females) — 52.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20249578541,81152.8%
20231,0528181,87056.3%
20221,0428581,90054.8%
20211,0527941,84657%
20201,0649201,98453.6%
20199958271,82254.6%
20188738261,69951.4%
20179617901,75154.9%
20161,0087671,77556.8%
20151,0739081,98154.2%
20149458381,78353%
20139378901,82751.3%
20121,3491,2882,63751.2%
20111,4251,2612,68653.1%
20101,4671,3472,81452.1%
20091,3911,4302,82149.3%
20081,4341,5432,97748.2%
20071,6711,4163,08754.1%
20061,4881,3632,85152.2%
20051,6291,2912,92055.8%

See full Peoria County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Peoria County ran 65% adult, 18.7% yearling, and 16.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,1783382951,811
20231,2563572571,870
20221,2553622831,900
20211,2043852571,846
20201,3073832941,984
20191,1613832781,822
20181,0293173531,699
20171,1173722621,751
20161,0973503281,775
20151,2063913841,981
20141,1023503311,783
20131,0783054441,827
20121,5834136412,637
20111,6824435612,686
20101,6984566602,814
20091,7064077082,821
20081,7774357652,977
20071,8345447093,087
20061,6604887032,851
20051,6265107842,920

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 Peoria 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: 130,442 acres (32.3% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Peoria County

Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area · 4,361 acJubilee College State Park · 3,338 acPekin Lake · 1,095 acDetweiller Woods Nature Preserve · 643 acForest Park Nature Preserve · 392 acForest Park South Nature Preserve · 177 acMesserling Wildlife Preserve · 167 acBlackmon Wildlife Preserve · 130 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Peoria 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 Peoria County charts

Nearby counties

Stark · 57Tazewell · 50.4Knox · 54.6Marshall · 53.5Fulton · 58.4Woodford · 59Mason · 51Putnam · 56.9
← #83 Winnebago County#85 DuPage County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Peoria County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Peoria County scores 37.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #84 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 Peoria County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Peoria County, Illinois?

Yes — about 130,442 acres of public hunting land, roughly 32.3% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Peoria County last season?

IDNR records show 1,811 deer harvested in Peoria County in 2024, the most recent reported season.