Illinois deer research / Schuyler County

Schuyler County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 62.1 — ranked #17 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
62.1 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#17 of 102
Statewide rank
239
Record-book bucks (deduped)
145,778
Public-land acres
2,425
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Schuyler County index

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

Habitat · 25%33
Herd quality · 30%76
Population · 18%93
Momentum · 12%56
Trophy history · 15%49

Trophy record — counted once

239 unique record-book bucks from 264 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 25 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #9 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only231
In two books8
In all three books0
Unique bucks239

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0631,3622,425
20239951,3012,296
20221,0261,3532,379
20211,1191,2692,388
20201,1061,2932,399
20191,0761,3162,392
20181,0001,5062,506
20171,0091,3132,322
20168481,2932,141
20158571,4162,273
20148111,3172,128
20137861,2962,082
20129061,7042,610
20111,0281,6282,656
20109881,6592,647
20099881,6872,675
20089571,7832,740
20079231,9172,840
20068721,7962,668
20058172,0672,884

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Schuyler County runs 5.37 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Schuyler County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Schuyler County ran 1,304 bucks (males) and 1,121 does (females) — 53.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,3041,1212,42553.8%
20231,3339632,29658.1%
20221,3859942,37958.2%
20211,3511,0372,38856.6%
20201,2941,1052,39953.9%
20191,3151,0772,39255%
20181,3771,1292,50654.9%
20171,3269962,32257.1%
20161,2808612,14159.8%
20151,2421,0312,27354.6%
20141,1939352,12856.1%
20131,1119712,08253.4%
20121,4031,2072,61053.8%
20111,3971,2592,65652.6%
20101,3771,2702,64752%
20091,3941,2812,67552.1%
20081,4311,3092,74052.2%
20071,6061,2342,84056.5%
20061,5131,1552,66856.7%
20051,5601,3242,88454.1%

See full Schuyler County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Schuyler County ran 72.3% adult, 14.8% yearling, and 12.9% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,7533593132,425
20231,6033523412,296
20221,6953413432,379
20211,7562983342,388
20201,7312993692,399
20191,6583683662,392
20181,6463704902,506
20171,6303503422,322
20161,4463423532,141
20151,4733184822,273
20141,3323464502,128
20131,3123154552,082
20121,6443246422,610
20111,7813645112,656
20101,7333595552,647
20091,7233126402,675
20081,8203535672,740
20071,7954086372,840
20061,6244086362,668
20051,7283877692,884

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 Schuyler 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: 145,778 acres (51.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Schuyler County

Weinberg-King State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,391 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Schuyler 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 Schuyler County charts

Nearby counties

Brown · 58.9McDonough · 56.9Cass · 61.3Fulton · 58.4Scott · 52.5Adams · 54Hancock · 67.8Pike · 59.2
← #16 Warren County#18 Lawrence County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Schuyler County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Schuyler County scores 62.1 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #17 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 Schuyler County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Schuyler County, Illinois?

Yes — about 145,778 acres of public hunting land, roughly 51.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Schuyler County last season?

IDNR records show 2,425 deer harvested in Schuyler County in 2024, the most recent reported season.