Illinois deer research / Tazewell County

Tazewell County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 50.4 — ranked #58 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
50.4 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#58 of 102
Statewide rank
109
Record-book bucks (deduped)
77,747
Public-land acres
1,546
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Tazewell County index

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

Habitat · 25%64
Herd quality · 30%22
Population · 18%39
Momentum · 12%84
Trophy history · 15%71

Trophy record — counted once

109 unique record-book bucks from 117 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #33 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only108
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks109

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20249655811,546
20238255101,335
20228305301,360
20217004801,180
20208024961,298
20196784941,172
20186194831,102
20175355121,047
2016478519997
20155615551,116
2014521477998
20136034781,081
20127308411,571
20117456841,429
20107287121,440
20097487371,485
20087807651,545
20077378401,577
20067757991,574
20057449781,722

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Tazewell County runs 3.93 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Tazewell County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Tazewell County ran 877 bucks (males) and 669 does (females) — 56.7% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248776691,54656.7%
20238245111,33561.7%
20227695911,36056.5%
20216615191,18056%
20207185801,29855.3%
20196435291,17254.9%
20185995031,10254.4%
20176014461,04757.4%
201657742099757.9%
20155825341,11652.2%
201454745199854.8%
20135175641,08147.8%
20128127591,57151.7%
20117956341,42955.6%
20107416991,44051.5%
20097367491,48549.6%
20087957501,54551.5%
20078277501,57752.4%
20068367381,57453.1%
20059367861,72254.4%

See full Tazewell County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Tazewell County ran 64.5% adult, 20% yearling, and 15.5% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20249973092401,546
20238732901721,335
20228842582181,360
20217602561641,180
20208312681991,298
20197252601871,172
20187012171841,102
20176012651811,047
2016569206222997
20156712272181,116
2014583208207998
20136201912701,081
20129372773571,571
20118153053091,429
20108522593291,440
20098672283901,485
20089062843551,545
20079062953761,577
20069052833861,574
20059353074801,722

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 Tazewell 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: 77,747 acres (18.5% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Tazewell County

Spring Lake · 2,123 acPowerton lake State Fish and Wildlife Area · 1,471 acMackinaw River · 972 acWoodford State Fish and Wildlife Area · 735 acManito State Habitat Area · 78 acForest Park Foundation · 45 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Tazewell 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 Tazewell County charts

Nearby counties

Peoria · 37.6Logan · 73.9Woodford · 59Mason · 51Marshall · 53.5Menard · 70.1Stark · 57McLean · 66.9
← #57 Mason County#59 Greene County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Tazewell County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Tazewell County scores 50.4 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #58 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 Tazewell County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Tazewell County, Illinois?

Yes — about 77,747 acres of public hunting land, roughly 18.5% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Tazewell County last season?

IDNR records show 1,546 deer harvested in Tazewell County in 2024, the most recent reported season.