Illinois deer research / Perry County

Perry County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 55.9 — ranked #45 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
55.9 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#45 of 102
Statewide rank
83
Record-book bucks (deduped)
117,647
Public-land acres
2,413
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Perry County index

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

Habitat · 25%27
Herd quality · 30%67
Population · 18%70
Momentum · 12%81
Trophy history · 15%45

Trophy record — counted once

83 unique record-book bucks from 88 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 5 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #50 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only79
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks83

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20249961,4172,413
20239411,3262,267
20229521,3702,322
20218761,1081,984
20201,1511,2602,411
20191,0061,3192,325
20188711,3512,222
20178281,2722,100
20168051,2102,015
20158041,3452,149
20147961,1511,947
20137011,0321,733
20126701,2941,964
20116601,2441,904
20107001,2421,942
20096051,3461,951
20086421,3862,028
20076991,6262,325
20067711,7072,478
20058051,7502,555

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Perry County runs 5.69 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Perry County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Perry County ran 1,285 bucks (males) and 1,128 does (females) — 53.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,2851,1282,41353.3%
20231,2929752,26757%
20221,2871,0352,32255.4%
20211,1168681,98456.2%
20201,3691,0422,41156.8%
20191,2911,0342,32555.5%
20181,2529702,22256.3%
20171,2078932,10057.5%
20161,1009152,01554.6%
20151,1709792,14954.4%
20141,0828651,94755.6%
20139507831,73354.8%
20121,0668981,96454.3%
20111,0408641,90454.6%
20101,0748681,94255.3%
20091,0908611,95155.9%
20081,1269022,02855.5%
20071,2771,0482,32554.9%
20061,4151,0632,47857.1%
20051,3971,1582,55554.7%

See full Perry County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Perry County ran 72.8% adult, 14.7% yearling, and 12.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,7563543032,413
20231,6423322932,267
20221,6743233252,322
20211,4092832921,984
20201,6973893252,411
20191,5993943322,325
20181,5593533102,222
20171,4273363372,100
20161,3843143172,015
20151,4343723432,149
20141,3273073131,947
20131,1602972761,733
20121,2693253701,964
20111,2073503471,904
20101,2873073481,942
20091,2413553551,951
20081,3283753252,028
20071,4143755362,325
20061,5654524612,478
20051,6194514852,555

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 Perry 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: 117,647 acres (41.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Perry County

Pyramid State Recreation Area · 18,936 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Perry 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 Perry County charts

Nearby counties

Washington · 58.4Jackson · 23.9Franklin · 39.6Randolph · 52.7Jefferson · 46Clinton · 43.6Williamson · 30.3Union · 24.3
← #44 Marion County#46 Wabash County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Perry County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Perry County scores 55.9 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #45 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 Perry County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Perry County, Illinois?

Yes — about 117,647 acres of public hunting land, roughly 41.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Perry County last season?

IDNR records show 2,413 deer harvested in Perry County in 2024, the most recent reported season.