Illinois deer research / Piatt County
Piatt County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 71.2 — ranked #4 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
A - EliteWhat drives the Piatt County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
35 unique record-book bucks from 39 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 4 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #90 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 32 |
| In two books | 3 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 35 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 298 | 146 | 444 |
| 2023 | 261 | 120 | 381 |
| 2022 | 246 | 135 | 381 |
| 2021 | 242 | 111 | 353 |
| 2020 | 285 | 135 | 420 |
| 2019 | 262 | 116 | 378 |
| 2018 | 182 | 119 | 301 |
| 2017 | 174 | 101 | 275 |
| 2016 | 129 | 111 | 240 |
| 2015 | 124 | 98 | 222 |
| 2014 | 162 | 117 | 279 |
| 2013 | 185 | 119 | 304 |
| 2012 | 192 | 194 | 386 |
| 2011 | 251 | 185 | 436 |
| 2010 | 250 | 201 | 451 |
| 2009 | 234 | 197 | 431 |
| 2008 | 226 | 206 | 432 |
| 2007 | 228 | 246 | 474 |
| 2006 | 290 | 220 | 510 |
| 2005 | 321 | 282 | 603 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Piatt County runs 6.29 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Piatt County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Piatt County ran 245 bucks (males) and 199 does (females) — 55.2% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 245 | 199 | 444 | 55.2% |
| 2023 | 224 | 157 | 381 | 58.8% |
| 2022 | 216 | 165 | 381 | 56.7% |
| 2021 | 225 | 128 | 353 | 63.7% |
| 2020 | 256 | 164 | 420 | 61% |
| 2019 | 218 | 160 | 378 | 57.7% |
| 2018 | 171 | 130 | 301 | 56.8% |
| 2017 | 155 | 120 | 275 | 56.4% |
| 2016 | 149 | 91 | 240 | 62.1% |
| 2015 | 130 | 92 | 222 | 58.6% |
| 2014 | 134 | 145 | 279 | 48% |
| 2013 | 151 | 153 | 304 | 49.7% |
| 2012 | 196 | 190 | 386 | 50.8% |
| 2011 | 213 | 223 | 436 | 48.9% |
| 2010 | 238 | 213 | 451 | 52.8% |
| 2009 | 222 | 209 | 431 | 51.5% |
| 2008 | 224 | 208 | 432 | 51.9% |
| 2007 | 268 | 206 | 474 | 56.5% |
| 2006 | 298 | 212 | 510 | 58.4% |
| 2005 | 332 | 271 | 603 | 55.1% |
See full Piatt County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Piatt County ran 75% adult, 16.9% yearling, and 8.1% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 333 | 75 | 36 | 444 |
| 2023 | 268 | 69 | 44 | 381 |
| 2022 | 275 | 64 | 42 | 381 |
| 2021 | 253 | 56 | 44 | 353 |
| 2020 | 285 | 81 | 54 | 420 |
| 2019 | 258 | 79 | 41 | 378 |
| 2018 | 203 | 61 | 37 | 301 |
| 2017 | 199 | 55 | 21 | 275 |
| 2016 | 160 | 50 | 30 | 240 |
| 2015 | 153 | 36 | 33 | 222 |
| 2014 | 187 | 49 | 43 | 279 |
| 2013 | 203 | 50 | 51 | 304 |
| 2012 | 253 | 68 | 65 | 386 |
| 2011 | 281 | 72 | 83 | 436 |
| 2010 | 298 | 65 | 88 | 451 |
| 2009 | 279 | 69 | 83 | 431 |
| 2008 | 289 | 66 | 77 | 432 |
| 2007 | 304 | 92 | 78 | 474 |
| 2006 | 327 | 85 | 98 | 510 |
| 2005 | 389 | 101 | 113 | 603 |
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 Piatt 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: 18,821 acres (6.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Piatt County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Piatt 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 Piatt County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Piatt County scores 71.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (A - Elite), ranked #4 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 Piatt County?
35 record-book whitetails are attributed to Piatt County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Piatt County, Illinois?
Yes — about 18,821 acres of public hunting land, roughly 6.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Piatt County last season?
IDNR records show 444 deer harvested in Piatt County in 2024, the most recent reported season.