Illinois deer research / Randolph County

Randolph County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 52.7 — ranked #52 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
52.7 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#52 of 102
Statewide rank
118
Record-book bucks (deduped)
160,793
Public-land acres
3,524
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Randolph County index

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

Habitat · 25%29
Herd quality · 30%57
Population · 18%73
Momentum · 12%65
Trophy history · 15%49

Trophy record — counted once

118 unique record-book bucks from 125 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #26 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only115
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks118

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,2132,3113,524
20231,2592,1833,442
20221,2152,2123,427
20211,2622,1063,368
20201,4212,2493,670
20191,2892,2603,549
20181,1042,2753,379
20171,0872,4043,491
20161,0052,2903,295
20159722,3393,311
20149981,9572,955
20139431,7872,730
20128562,2223,078
20118882,1853,073
20109192,1933,112
20098772,2623,139
20089412,4943,435
20079192,6093,528
20069392,7513,690
20059602,6663,626

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Randolph County runs 5.98 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Randolph County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Randolph County ran 1,874 bucks (males) and 1,650 does (females) — 53.2% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,8741,6503,52453.2%
20231,9151,5273,44255.6%
20221,8951,5323,42755.3%
20211,8761,4923,36855.7%
20201,9591,7113,67053.4%
20191,9251,6243,54954.2%
20181,9051,4743,37956.4%
20171,9181,5733,49154.9%
20161,8861,4093,29557.2%
20151,8311,4803,31155.3%
20141,6331,3222,95555.3%
20131,5451,1852,73056.6%
20121,6921,3863,07855%
20111,6371,4363,07353.3%
20101,7341,3783,11255.7%
20091,6431,4963,13952.3%
20081,8631,5723,43554.2%
20071,9851,5433,52856.3%
20062,0761,6143,69056.3%
20052,0441,5823,62656.4%

See full Randolph County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Randolph County ran 69% adult, 16.4% yearling, and 14.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20242,4305775173,524
20232,4005544883,442
20222,3775465043,427
20212,2875375443,368
20202,5965914833,670
20192,4635994873,549
20182,1726845233,379
20172,3225676023,491
20162,1915815233,295
20152,1495995633,311
20141,9315284962,955
20131,7245094972,730
20121,9155466173,078
20111,9915055773,073
20101,9705316113,112
20092,0404646353,139
20082,2216325823,435
20072,1116467713,528
20062,1597128193,690
20052,1196808273,626

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 Randolph 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: 160,793 acres (42.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Randolph County

Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area · 16,770 acTurkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,284 acRandolph County State Recreation Area · 1,138 acPiney Creek Ravine State Natural Area · 202 acSwayne Hollow State Natural Area · 81 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Randolph 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 Randolph County charts

Nearby counties

Monroe · 44.6St. Clair · 37.2Perry · 55.9Washington · 58.4Jackson · 23.9Clinton · 43.6Madison · 38.1Union · 24.3
← #51 Jersey County#53 Edwards County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Randolph County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Randolph County scores 52.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #52 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 Randolph County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Randolph County, Illinois?

Yes — about 160,793 acres of public hunting land, roughly 42.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Randolph County last season?

IDNR records show 3,524 deer harvested in Randolph County in 2024, the most recent reported season.