Illinois deer research / Vermilion County

Vermilion County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 79.2 — ranked #2 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

A - Elite
79.2 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#2 of 102
Statewide rank
142
Record-book bucks (deduped)
88,700
Public-land acres
1,712
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Vermilion County index

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

Habitat · 25%77
Herd quality · 30%81
Population · 18%77
Momentum · 12%85
Trophy history · 15%76

Trophy record — counted once

142 unique record-book bucks from 156 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 14 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #20 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only139
In two books3
In all three books0
Unique bucks142

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20241,0796331,712
20231,1216061,727
20221,1555741,729
20211,0735971,670
20201,1765601,736
20199455101,455
20188864881,374
20177885411,329
20167455821,327
20158216491,470
20147845611,345
20139225731,495
20129319471,878
20111,0619602,021
20101,0658801,945
20091,1608241,984
20081,0609672,027
20071,0801,0122,092
20069449291,873
20051,0231,0182,041

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Vermilion County runs 5.87 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Vermilion County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Vermilion County ran 944 bucks (males) and 768 does (females) — 55.1% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20249447681,71255.1%
20231,0197081,72759%
20229687611,72956%
20219826881,67058.8%
20209747621,73656.1%
20198186371,45556.2%
20188105641,37459%
20177575721,32957%
20167875401,32759.3%
20157906801,47053.7%
20147386071,34554.9%
20137867091,49552.6%
20129699091,87851.6%
20111,0339882,02151.1%
20101,0429031,94553.6%
20091,0539311,98453.1%
20081,1239042,02755.4%
20071,1859072,09256.6%
20061,0648091,87356.8%
20051,1508912,04156.3%

See full Vermilion County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Vermilion County ran 74.2% adult, 15.8% yearling, and 10% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,2702711711,712
20231,2193101981,727
20221,1882792621,729
20211,2272441991,670
20201,2392752221,736
20199942512101,455
20189332461951,374
20179332241721,329
20168652382241,327
20159552642511,470
20149222331901,345
20139532552871,495
20121,2163043581,878
20111,3063084072,021
20101,3033063361,945
20091,2893083871,984
20081,3343193742,027
20071,3343454132,092
20061,1693323721,873
20051,3213643562,041

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 Vermilion 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: 88,700 acres (15.4% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Vermilion County

Kickapoo State Recreation Area · 4,131 acMiddle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area · 2,818 acHarry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area · 1,337 acRussell M. Duffin Nature Preserve · 184 acHerschel Workman State Habitat Area · 136 acDoris Westfall Prairie Restoration Nature Preserve · 45 acJordan Creek of the North Fork Nature Preserve · 45 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Vermilion 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 Vermilion County charts

Nearby counties

Champaign · 66.1Edgar · 80.5Iroquois · 70.2Douglas · 56.7Ford · 59.3Coles · 63.8Clark · 64.6Piatt · 71.2
← #1 Edgar County#3 Logan County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Vermilion County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Vermilion County scores 79.2 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (A - Elite), ranked #2 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 Vermilion County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Vermilion County, Illinois?

Yes — about 88,700 acres of public hunting land, roughly 15.4% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Vermilion County last season?

IDNR records show 1,712 deer harvested in Vermilion County in 2024, the most recent reported season.