Illinois deer research / Shelby County

Shelby County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 60 — ranked #22 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
60 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#22 of 102
Statewide rank
107
Record-book bucks (deduped)
112,404
Public-land acres
2,511
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Shelby County index

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

Habitat · 25%67
Herd quality · 30%47
Population · 18%76
Momentum · 12%97
Trophy history · 15%25

Trophy record — counted once

107 unique record-book bucks from 114 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #35 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only104
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks107

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,1821,3292,511
20231,0901,2372,327
20221,0581,2282,286
20211,0571,1792,236
20201,0401,2482,288
20191,0041,1162,120
20188321,1311,963
20177401,0691,809
20166481,0871,735
20156751,1611,836
20146269601,586
20136649191,583
20126911,2731,964
20118361,4302,266
20107461,4112,157
20097521,4432,195
20087461,4362,182
20077661,6102,376
20067131,5482,261
20058211,5442,365

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Shelby County runs 5.01 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Shelby County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Shelby County ran 1,415 bucks (males) and 1,096 does (females) — 56.4% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,4151,0962,51156.4%
20231,3999282,32760.1%
20221,2811,0052,28656%
20211,3289082,23659.4%
20201,3639252,28859.6%
20191,2318892,12058.1%
20181,1388251,96358%
20171,0477621,80957.9%
20161,0486871,73560.4%
20151,0567801,83657.5%
20148767101,58655.2%
20138437401,58353.3%
20121,0529121,96453.6%
20111,1521,1142,26650.8%
20101,0631,0942,15749.3%
20091,1561,0392,19552.7%
20081,0951,0872,18250.2%
20071,3751,0012,37657.9%
20061,2571,0042,26155.6%
20051,3521,0132,36557.2%

See full Shelby County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Shelby County ran 69.8% adult, 16% yearling, and 14.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,7524013582,511
20231,5944163172,327
20221,5673983212,286
20211,4544323502,236
20201,4834473582,288
20191,3304393512,120
20181,1964033641,963
20171,1183573341,809
20161,0253733371,735
20151,1263943161,836
20149582773511,586
20139433243161,583
20121,0853665131,964
20111,3923864882,266
20101,3173424982,157
20091,3623764572,195
20081,3373684772,182
20071,4104984682,376
20061,3194165262,261
20051,4034644982,365

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 Shelby 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: 112,404 acres (22.9% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Shelby County

Hidden Springs State Forest · 1,096 acMargaret Guzy Pothole Wetlands State Natural Area · 156 acForest Park · 115 acShelbyville Lake Park · 107 acShelbyville Dam West Access Area · 96 acWolf Creek State Recreation Area · 1 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Shelby 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 Shelby County charts

Nearby counties

Moultrie · 58Effingham · 46.8Fayette · 49.9Macon · 60.2Christian · 57.1Cumberland · 56.5Coles · 63.8Piatt · 71.2
← #21 De Witt County#23 Henderson County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Shelby County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Shelby County scores 60 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #22 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 Shelby County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Shelby County, Illinois?

Yes — about 112,404 acres of public hunting land, roughly 22.9% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Shelby County last season?

IDNR records show 2,511 deer harvested in Shelby County in 2024, the most recent reported season.