Illinois deer research / Stephenson County

Stephenson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 40.5 — ranked #73 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
40.5 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#73 of 102
Statewide rank
121
Record-book bucks (deduped)
75,297
Public-land acres
1,030
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Stephenson County index

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

Habitat · 25%50
Herd quality · 30%30
Population · 18%62
Momentum · 12%4
Trophy history · 15%49

Trophy record — counted once

121 unique record-book bucks from 138 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 17 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #24 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only118
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks121

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20244464811,030
20234525351,075
20224135121,011
20214074791,007
20205526181,312
20195325481,187
20184616021,225
20174747081,302
20164748431,477
20154908261,534
20144717761,466
20134087371,339
20124471,0591,727
20114339751,608
20104281,0931,521
20095269371,463
20084651,0861,551
20074481,2041,652
20064691,1061,575
20054531,2041,657

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Stephenson County runs 4.50 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Stephenson County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Stephenson County ran 544 bucks (males) and 486 does (females) — 52.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20245444861,03052.8%
20236534221,07560.7%
20225804311,01157.4%
20215584491,00755.4%
20207245881,31255.2%
20196944931,18758.5%
20186885371,22556.2%
20177425601,30257%
20168356421,47756.5%
20158796551,53457.3%
20147756911,46652.9%
20136726671,33950.2%
20129268011,72753.6%
20118667421,60853.9%
20108226991,52154%
20098186451,46355.9%
20088437081,55154.4%
20079277251,65256.1%
20069016741,57557.2%
20059936641,65759.9%

See full Stephenson County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Stephenson County ran 63.8% adult, 20.6% yearling, and 15.6% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20246572121611,030
20237142091521,075
20226471821821,011
20216431991651,007
20208802351971,312
20197802291781,187
20188052321881,225
20178122472431,302
20168642563571,477
20158682923741,534
20148522353791,466
20137442433521,339
20129633074571,727
20118872944271,608
20108682633901,521
20098112354171,463
20087882754881,551
20078923064541,652
20068413174171,575
20058483524571,657

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 Stephenson 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: 75,297 acres (20.8% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Stephenson County

Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area · 721 acOakdale Nature Preserve · 134 acDublin Highlands State Habitat Area · 124 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Stephenson 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 Stephenson County charts

Nearby counties

Carroll · 37Ogle · 40.2Winnebago · 37.8Jo Daviess · 36.3Whiteside · 36.7Lee · 51.3Boone · 40.5Bureau · 57.2
← #72 Bond County#74 Boone County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Stephenson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Stephenson County scores 40.5 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #73 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 Stephenson County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Stephenson County, Illinois?

Yes — about 75,297 acres of public hunting land, roughly 20.8% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Stephenson County last season?

IDNR records show 1,030 deer harvested in Stephenson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.