Illinois deer research / Richland County

Richland County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 58.3 — ranked #32 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
58.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#32 of 102
Statewide rank
73
Record-book bucks (deduped)
58,195
Public-land acres
1,338
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Richland County index

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

Habitat · 25%59
Herd quality · 30%70
Population · 18%46
Momentum · 12%63
Trophy history · 15%46

Trophy record — counted once

73 unique record-book bucks from 82 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 9 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #55 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only71
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks73

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20245657731,338
20235597051,264
20225277071,234
20215206721,192
20205706791,249
20195376851,222
20184296941,123
20174407321,172
20163857251,110
20153847501,134
20143866681,054
2013377579956
20124167511,167
20114128171,229
20104488111,259
20094268801,306
20084418831,324
20074281,0121,440
20064651,0921,557
20055511,1691,720

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Richland County runs 5.79 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Richland County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Richland County ran 713 bucks (males) and 625 does (females) — 53.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247136251,33853.3%
20237155491,26456.6%
20226565781,23453.2%
20216615311,19255.5%
20206925571,24955.4%
20196685541,22254.7%
20186175061,12354.9%
20176415311,17254.7%
20165965141,11053.7%
20156285061,13455.4%
20145525021,05452.4%
201349146595651.4%
20126205471,16753.1%
20116216081,22950.5%
20106276321,25949.8%
20096716351,30651.4%
20086926321,32452.3%
20077766641,44053.9%
20068257321,55753%
20059407801,72054.7%

See full Richland County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Richland County ran 70% adult, 13% yearling, and 17% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249361742281,338
20238761931951,264
20228371892081,234
20217921582421,192
20208172162161,249
20198052012161,222
20186881832521,123
20177461982281,172
20167211802091,110
20156922182241,134
20146901442201,054
2013600163193956
20126652082941,167
20117102183011,229
20107901872821,259
20098342092631,306
20088122222901,324
20078492023891,440
20069112513951,557
20051,0252644311,720

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 Richland 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: 58,195 acres (25.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Richland County

Richland County Wildlife Management Area · 1,547 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Richland 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 Richland County charts

Nearby counties

Edwards · 52.6Jasper · 56.9Lawrence · 61.4Wabash · 55.6Clay · 56.1Crawford · 67.2Wayne · 52.4Cumberland · 56.5
← #31 Fulton County#33 Moultrie County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Richland County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Richland County scores 58.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #32 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 Richland County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Richland County, Illinois?

Yes — about 58,195 acres of public hunting land, roughly 25.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Richland County last season?

IDNR records show 1,338 deer harvested in Richland County in 2024, the most recent reported season.