Illinois deer research / Scott County
Scott County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
West-Central (Golden Triangle) region. FDR Deer Herd Index 52.5 — ranked #54 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
C - Above AverageWhat drives the Scott County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
41 unique record-book bucks from 43 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 2 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #89 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 40 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 41 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 323 | 354 | 677 |
| 2023 | 353 | 378 | 731 |
| 2022 | 328 | 339 | 667 |
| 2021 | 333 | 327 | 660 |
| 2020 | 343 | 311 | 654 |
| 2019 | 298 | 319 | 617 |
| 2018 | 255 | 329 | 584 |
| 2017 | 242 | 315 | 557 |
| 2016 | 201 | 385 | 586 |
| 2015 | 212 | 448 | 660 |
| 2014 | 217 | 379 | 596 |
| 2013 | 188 | 404 | 592 |
| 2012 | 253 | 490 | 743 |
| 2011 | 248 | 519 | 767 |
| 2010 | 239 | 588 | 827 |
| 2009 | 244 | 561 | 805 |
| 2008 | 260 | 578 | 838 |
| 2007 | 290 | 684 | 974 |
| 2006 | 333 | 688 | 1,021 |
| 2005 | 331 | 816 | 1,147 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Scott County runs 4.57 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Scott County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Scott County ran 372 bucks (males) and 305 does (females) — 54.9% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 372 | 305 | 677 | 54.9% |
| 2023 | 416 | 315 | 731 | 56.9% |
| 2022 | 386 | 281 | 667 | 57.9% |
| 2021 | 382 | 278 | 660 | 57.9% |
| 2020 | 380 | 274 | 654 | 58.1% |
| 2019 | 338 | 279 | 617 | 54.8% |
| 2018 | 320 | 264 | 584 | 54.8% |
| 2017 | 323 | 234 | 557 | 58% |
| 2016 | 331 | 255 | 586 | 56.5% |
| 2015 | 334 | 326 | 660 | 50.6% |
| 2014 | 317 | 279 | 596 | 53.2% |
| 2013 | 318 | 274 | 592 | 53.7% |
| 2012 | 393 | 350 | 743 | 52.9% |
| 2011 | 408 | 359 | 767 | 53.2% |
| 2010 | 450 | 377 | 827 | 54.4% |
| 2009 | 398 | 407 | 805 | 49.4% |
| 2008 | 447 | 391 | 838 | 53.3% |
| 2007 | 558 | 416 | 974 | 57.3% |
| 2006 | 559 | 462 | 1,021 | 54.8% |
| 2005 | 595 | 552 | 1,147 | 51.9% |
See full Scott County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Scott County ran 75.6% adult, 10.3% yearling, and 14% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 512 | 70 | 95 | 677 |
| 2023 | 550 | 93 | 88 | 731 |
| 2022 | 491 | 99 | 77 | 667 |
| 2021 | 467 | 85 | 108 | 660 |
| 2020 | 473 | 97 | 84 | 654 |
| 2019 | 449 | 95 | 73 | 617 |
| 2018 | 405 | 94 | 85 | 584 |
| 2017 | 375 | 79 | 103 | 557 |
| 2016 | 396 | 77 | 113 | 586 |
| 2015 | 428 | 123 | 109 | 660 |
| 2014 | 367 | 99 | 130 | 596 |
| 2013 | 373 | 88 | 131 | 592 |
| 2012 | 487 | 105 | 151 | 743 |
| 2011 | 478 | 125 | 164 | 767 |
| 2010 | 519 | 112 | 196 | 827 |
| 2009 | 505 | 96 | 204 | 805 |
| 2008 | 489 | 126 | 223 | 838 |
| 2007 | 603 | 136 | 235 | 974 |
| 2006 | 628 | 130 | 263 | 1,021 |
| 2005 | 681 | 140 | 326 | 1,147 |
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 Scott County composition charts →
Seasons & access
| Season | Method | Dates | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Oct 1 to mid-Jan | archery | 2025-10-01 → 2026-01-18 | otc |
| Firearm — 1st + 2nd Shotgun Season | firearm | 2025-11-21 → 2025-12-07 | otc |
| Muzzleloader — December | muzzleloader | 2025-12-12 → 2025-12-14 | otc |
Public hunting land: 48,373 acres (29.9% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Scott County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Scott 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.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Scott County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Scott County scores 52.5 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #54 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 Scott County?
41 record-book whitetails are attributed to Scott County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Scott County, Illinois?
Yes — about 48,373 acres of public hunting land, roughly 29.9% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Scott County last season?
IDNR records show 677 deer harvested in Scott County in 2024, the most recent reported season.