Illinois deer research / Union County

Union County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 24.3 — ranked #97 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

E - Below Average
24.3 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#97 of 102
Statewide rank
65
Record-book bucks (deduped)
199,949
Public-land acres
2,057
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Union County index

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

Habitat · 25%25
Herd quality · 30%33
Population · 18%27
Momentum · 12%3
Trophy history · 15%20

Trophy record — counted once

65 unique record-book bucks from 68 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 3 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #67 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only63
In two books2
In all three books0
Unique bucks65

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248311,2262,057
20237901,1841,974
20229061,2112,117
20218461,1441,990
20209671,2572,224
20199441,2932,237
20188701,4062,276
20177961,5462,342
20167491,5732,322
20157931,9522,745
20149091,6242,533
20139211,6622,583
20127541,8032,557
20117151,7042,419
20107581,6832,441
20097691,7942,563
20087991,8982,697
20078232,1252,948
20067482,1072,855
20057662,0452,811

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Union County runs 3.38 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Union County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Union County ran 1,203 bucks (males) and 854 does (females) — 58.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20241,2038542,05758.5%
20231,0808941,97454.7%
20221,0851,0322,11751.3%
20211,0819091,99054.3%
20201,2111,0132,22454.5%
20191,1451,0922,23751.2%
20181,2361,0402,27654.3%
20171,3111,0312,34256%
20161,2731,0492,32254.8%
20151,4731,2722,74553.7%
20141,3491,1842,53353.3%
20131,4361,1472,58355.6%
20121,3961,1612,55754.6%
20111,2631,1562,41952.2%
20101,3071,1342,44153.5%
20091,3721,1912,56353.5%
20081,4401,2572,69753.4%
20071,6431,3052,94855.7%
20061,5971,2582,85555.9%
20051,5761,2352,81156.1%

See full Union County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Union County ran 69.6% adult, 18.7% yearling, and 11.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,4323842412,057
20231,3753512481,974
20221,5213192772,117
20211,3983412511,990
20201,5854012382,224
20191,5673792912,237
20181,5904292572,276
20171,5354653422,342
20161,5744463022,322
20151,8875173412,745
20141,6584773982,533
20131,6735104002,583
20121,5435564582,557
20111,5344913942,419
20101,5484784152,441
20091,6424964252,563
20081,7165534282,697
20071,8525535432,948
20061,7805515242,855
20051,6576115432,811

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 Union 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: 199,949 acres (74.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Union County

Bald Knob Wilderness · 5,830 acClear Springs Wilderness · 4,739 acMiddle Mississippi Purchase Unit · 3,877 acCypress Pond State Natural Area · 1,056 acPanther Den Wilderness · 988 acOzark Hills Nature Preserve · 217 acLa Rue Swamp Nature Preserve · 149 acEphgrave Cave · 80 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Union 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 Union County charts

Nearby counties

Pulaski · 25.2Alexander · 23.9Jackson · 23.9Johnson · 20.2Williamson · 30.3Massac · 30.7Franklin · 39.6Perry · 55.9
← #96 Pulaski County#98 Jackson County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Union County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Union County scores 24.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (E - Below Average), ranked #97 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 Union County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Union County, Illinois?

Yes — about 199,949 acres of public hunting land, roughly 74.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Union County last season?

IDNR records show 2,057 deer harvested in Union County in 2024, the most recent reported season.