Illinois deer research / Saline County

Saline County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 39 — ranked #78 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
39 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#78 of 102
Statewide rank
48
Record-book bucks (deduped)
113,097
Public-land acres
1,556
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Saline County index

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

Habitat · 25%26
Herd quality · 30%39
Population · 18%61
Momentum · 12%42
Trophy history · 15%32

Trophy record — counted once

48 unique record-book bucks from 53 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 5 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #79 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only47
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks48

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246359211,556
20236158721,487
20226918741,565
20215947581,352
20207338751,608
20196568801,536
20185709451,515
20175409771,517
20164579041,361
20155279531,480
20145247801,304
20135007101,210
20124671,0281,495
20114859961,481
20105701,0751,645
20095009741,474
20085331,0361,569
20074671,1091,576
20065221,0521,574
20055051,1441,649

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Saline County runs 4.08 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Saline County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Saline County ran 880 bucks (males) and 676 does (females) — 56.6% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248806761,55656.6%
20238606271,48757.8%
20229016641,56557.6%
20217875651,35258.2%
20208967121,60855.7%
20198706661,53656.6%
20188157001,51553.8%
20178386791,51755.2%
20167925691,36158.2%
20158276531,48055.9%
20147036011,30453.9%
20136855251,21056.6%
20128186771,49554.7%
20118016801,48154.1%
20108957501,64554.4%
20098286461,47456.2%
20088716981,56955.5%
20079206561,57658.4%
20069256491,57458.8%
20059526971,64957.7%

See full Saline County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Saline County ran 71.3% adult, 17.3% yearling, and 11.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,1092691781,556
20231,0152791931,487
20221,0922931801,565
20219592271661,352
20201,1003091991,608
20191,0462802101,536
20181,0233051871,515
20171,0152752271,517
20169022721871,361
20159922772111,480
20148742102201,304
20137702501901,210
20129712532711,495
20119712592511,481
20101,0672483301,645
20099722572451,474
20089753182761,569
20079723023021,576
20061,0092842811,574
20059953213331,649

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 Saline 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: 113,097 acres (45.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Saline County

Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area · 4,059 acGarden Of The Gods Wilderness · 3,978 acSaline County State Conservation Area · 1,273 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Saline 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 Saline County charts

Nearby counties

Gallatin · 49.7Hamilton · 63.1Pope · 20.6Hardin · 19Williamson · 30.3Johnson · 20.2Franklin · 39.6White · 39.8
← #77 Franklin County#79 DeKalb County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Saline County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Saline County scores 39 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #78 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 Saline County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Saline County, Illinois?

Yes — about 113,097 acres of public hunting land, roughly 45.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Saline County last season?

IDNR records show 1,556 deer harvested in Saline County in 2024, the most recent reported season.