Illinois deer research / Sangamon County

Sangamon County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 58.5 — ranked #29 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
58.5 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#29 of 102
Statewide rank
111
Record-book bucks (deduped)
92,775
Public-land acres
1,639
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Sangamon County index

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

Habitat · 25%60
Herd quality · 30%64
Population · 18%35
Momentum · 12%67
Trophy history · 15%68

Trophy record — counted once

111 unique record-book bucks from 121 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 10 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #28 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only107
In two books4
In all three books0
Unique bucks111

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0905491,639
20239604931,453
20229105181,428
20218665281,394
20209985631,561
20199375241,461
20189035601,463
20177746271,401
20166765891,265
20157267261,452
20147156081,323
20136985411,239
20127488741,622
20117977941,591
20107368371,573
20098178311,648
20088418871,728
20078279801,807
20068549511,805
20058571,0261,883

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Sangamon County runs 4.72 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Sangamon County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Sangamon County ran 907 bucks (males) and 732 does (females) — 55.3% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20249077321,63955.3%
20238466071,45358.2%
20227756531,42854.3%
20217906041,39456.7%
20209066551,56158%
20197946671,46154.3%
20188366271,46357.1%
20177996021,40157%
20167175481,26556.7%
20157906621,45254.4%
20146906331,32352.2%
20136635761,23953.5%
20128947281,62255.1%
20118617301,59154.1%
20108057681,57351.2%
20098517971,64851.6%
20089218071,72853.3%
20071,0147931,80756.1%
20061,0038021,80555.6%
20051,0318521,88354.8%

See full Sangamon County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Sangamon County ran 71.7% adult, 15.9% yearling, and 12.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,1752612031,639
20231,0592221721,453
20221,0432301551,428
20219432252261,394
20201,0912692011,561
20191,0292481841,461
20189612642381,463
20179382641991,401
20168132142381,265
20159302682541,452
20148352302581,323
20137512422461,239
20121,0132613481,622
20119962873081,591
20109932263541,573
20091,0322124041,648
20081,0742683861,728
20071,1093313671,807
20061,0753024281,805
20051,1432894511,883

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 Sangamon 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: 92,775 acres (16.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Sangamon County

Carpenter Park Nature Preserve · 383 acSangamon River State Natural Area · 179 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Sangamon 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 Sangamon County charts

Nearby counties

Menard · 70.1Christian · 57.1Logan · 73.9Morgan · 63.5Mason · 51Montgomery · 54.1Macoupin · 66.3Cass · 61.3
← #28 Brown County#30 Washington County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Sangamon County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Sangamon County scores 58.5 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #29 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 Sangamon County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Sangamon County, Illinois?

Yes — about 92,775 acres of public hunting land, roughly 16.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Sangamon County last season?

IDNR records show 1,639 deer harvested in Sangamon County in 2024, the most recent reported season.