Illinois deer research / Pike County
Pike County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59.2 — ranked #26 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Pike County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
779 unique record-book bucks from 894 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 115 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #1 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 753 |
| In two books | 25 |
| In all three books | 1 |
| Unique bucks | 779 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,326 | 1,958 | 4,284 |
| 2023 | 2,176 | 1,817 | 3,993 |
| 2022 | 2,231 | 1,853 | 4,084 |
| 2021 | 2,243 | 1,633 | 3,876 |
| 2020 | 2,409 | 1,882 | 4,291 |
| 2019 | 2,155 | 1,929 | 4,084 |
| 2018 | 2,135 | 2,056 | 4,191 |
| 2017 | 2,065 | 1,995 | 4,060 |
| 2016 | 2,062 | 2,131 | 4,193 |
| 2015 | 2,144 | 2,213 | 4,357 |
| 2014 | 2,178 | 2,163 | 4,341 |
| 2013 | 2,508 | 2,270 | 4,778 |
| 2012 | 2,842 | 3,073 | 5,915 |
| 2011 | 2,953 | 2,958 | 5,911 |
| 2010 | 3,228 | 3,132 | 6,360 |
| 2009 | 3,575 | 3,272 | 6,847 |
| 2008 | 3,754 | 3,356 | 7,110 |
| 2007 | 3,699 | 3,754 | 7,453 |
| 2006 | 4,208 | 3,758 | 7,966 |
| 2005 | 3,999 | 4,173 | 8,172 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Pike County runs 8.58 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Pike County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Pike County ran 2,293 bucks (males) and 1,991 does (females) — 53.5% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,293 | 1,991 | 4,284 | 53.5% |
| 2023 | 2,296 | 1,697 | 3,993 | 57.5% |
| 2022 | 2,307 | 1,777 | 4,084 | 56.5% |
| 2021 | 2,109 | 1,767 | 3,876 | 54.4% |
| 2020 | 2,373 | 1,918 | 4,291 | 55.3% |
| 2019 | 2,207 | 1,877 | 4,084 | 54% |
| 2018 | 2,306 | 1,885 | 4,191 | 55% |
| 2017 | 2,320 | 1,740 | 4,060 | 57.1% |
| 2016 | 2,389 | 1,804 | 4,193 | 57% |
| 2015 | 2,346 | 2,011 | 4,357 | 53.8% |
| 2014 | 2,316 | 2,025 | 4,341 | 53.4% |
| 2013 | 2,419 | 2,359 | 4,778 | 50.6% |
| 2012 | 3,198 | 2,717 | 5,915 | 54.1% |
| 2011 | 3,171 | 2,740 | 5,911 | 53.6% |
| 2010 | 3,350 | 3,010 | 6,360 | 52.7% |
| 2009 | 3,463 | 3,384 | 6,847 | 50.6% |
| 2008 | 3,680 | 3,430 | 7,110 | 51.8% |
| 2007 | 3,980 | 3,473 | 7,453 | 53.4% |
| 2006 | 4,192 | 3,774 | 7,966 | 52.6% |
| 2005 | 4,317 | 3,855 | 8,172 | 52.8% |
See full Pike County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Pike County ran 78.5% adult, 10.8% yearling, and 10.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,365 | 464 | 455 | 4,284 |
| 2023 | 3,067 | 491 | 435 | 3,993 |
| 2022 | 3,163 | 506 | 415 | 4,084 |
| 2021 | 2,932 | 443 | 501 | 3,876 |
| 2020 | 3,306 | 497 | 488 | 4,291 |
| 2019 | 3,023 | 545 | 516 | 4,084 |
| 2018 | 3,147 | 523 | 521 | 4,191 |
| 2017 | 3,024 | 503 | 533 | 4,060 |
| 2016 | 3,088 | 539 | 566 | 4,193 |
| 2015 | 3,161 | 528 | 668 | 4,357 |
| 2014 | 3,125 | 545 | 671 | 4,341 |
| 2013 | 3,357 | 607 | 814 | 4,778 |
| 2012 | 4,236 | 616 | 1,063 | 5,915 |
| 2011 | 4,351 | 614 | 946 | 5,911 |
| 2010 | 4,639 | 660 | 1,061 | 6,360 |
| 2009 | 4,899 | 637 | 1,311 | 6,847 |
| 2008 | 5,196 | 688 | 1,226 | 7,110 |
| 2007 | 5,214 | 781 | 1,458 | 7,453 |
| 2006 | 5,450 | 793 | 1,723 | 7,966 |
| 2005 | 5,653 | 765 | 1,754 | 8,172 |
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 Pike 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: 222,856 acres (41.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Pike County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Pike 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 Pike County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Pike County scores 59.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #26 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 Pike County?
779 record-book whitetails are attributed to Pike County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Pike County, Illinois?
Yes — about 222,856 acres of public hunting land, roughly 41.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Pike County last season?
IDNR records show 4,284 deer harvested in Pike County in 2024, the most recent reported season.