Illinois deer research / Stark County
Stark County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 57 — ranked #37 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Stark County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
28 unique record-book bucks from 28 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 0 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #99 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 28 |
| In two books | 0 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 28 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 161 | 219 | 380 |
| 2023 | 156 | 195 | 351 |
| 2022 | 142 | 172 | 314 |
| 2021 | 137 | 152 | 289 |
| 2020 | 145 | 183 | 328 |
| 2019 | 144 | 149 | 293 |
| 2018 | 121 | 176 | 297 |
| 2017 | 116 | 199 | 315 |
| 2016 | 110 | 194 | 304 |
| 2015 | 110 | 226 | 336 |
| 2014 | 110 | 220 | 330 |
| 2013 | 128 | 205 | 333 |
| 2012 | 152 | 342 | 494 |
| 2011 | 145 | 297 | 442 |
| 2010 | 158 | 361 | 519 |
| 2009 | 152 | 306 | 458 |
| 2008 | 153 | 361 | 514 |
| 2007 | 170 | 352 | 522 |
| 2006 | 180 | 359 | 539 |
| 2005 | 170 | 407 | 577 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Stark County runs 5.87 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Stark County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Stark County ran 224 bucks (males) and 156 does (females) — 58.9% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 224 | 156 | 380 | 58.9% |
| 2023 | 226 | 125 | 351 | 64.4% |
| 2022 | 182 | 132 | 314 | 58% |
| 2021 | 162 | 127 | 289 | 56.1% |
| 2020 | 182 | 146 | 328 | 55.5% |
| 2019 | 175 | 118 | 293 | 59.7% |
| 2018 | 156 | 141 | 297 | 52.5% |
| 2017 | 171 | 144 | 315 | 54.3% |
| 2016 | 172 | 132 | 304 | 56.6% |
| 2015 | 193 | 143 | 336 | 57.4% |
| 2014 | 180 | 150 | 330 | 54.5% |
| 2013 | 166 | 167 | 333 | 49.8% |
| 2012 | 281 | 213 | 494 | 56.9% |
| 2011 | 259 | 183 | 442 | 58.6% |
| 2010 | 282 | 237 | 519 | 54.3% |
| 2009 | 258 | 200 | 458 | 56.3% |
| 2008 | 272 | 242 | 514 | 52.9% |
| 2007 | 296 | 226 | 522 | 56.7% |
| 2006 | 302 | 237 | 539 | 56% |
| 2005 | 312 | 265 | 577 | 54.1% |
See full Stark County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Stark County ran 70.3% adult, 18.4% yearling, and 11.3% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 267 | 70 | 43 | 380 |
| 2023 | 211 | 92 | 48 | 351 |
| 2022 | 223 | 61 | 30 | 314 |
| 2021 | 200 | 52 | 37 | 289 |
| 2020 | 231 | 41 | 56 | 328 |
| 2019 | 197 | 56 | 40 | 293 |
| 2018 | 184 | 52 | 61 | 297 |
| 2017 | 210 | 57 | 48 | 315 |
| 2016 | 208 | 55 | 41 | 304 |
| 2015 | 221 | 72 | 43 | 336 |
| 2014 | 214 | 59 | 57 | 330 |
| 2013 | 194 | 54 | 85 | 333 |
| 2012 | 311 | 86 | 97 | 494 |
| 2011 | 280 | 74 | 88 | 442 |
| 2010 | 299 | 82 | 138 | 519 |
| 2009 | 256 | 71 | 131 | 458 |
| 2008 | 308 | 63 | 143 | 514 |
| 2007 | 322 | 83 | 117 | 522 |
| 2006 | 323 | 83 | 133 | 539 |
| 2005 | 344 | 82 | 151 | 577 |
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 Stark 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: 19,140 acres (10.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Stark County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Stark 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 Stark County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Stark County scores 57 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #37 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 Stark County?
28 record-book whitetails are attributed to Stark County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Stark County, Illinois?
Yes — about 19,140 acres of public hunting land, roughly 10.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Stark County last season?
IDNR records show 380 deer harvested in Stark County in 2024, the most recent reported season.