Illinois deer research / Wabash County
Wabash County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 55.6 — ranked #46 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Wabash County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
30 unique record-book bucks from 38 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #96 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 29 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 30 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 293 | 239 | 532 |
| 2023 | 321 | 178 | 499 |
| 2022 | 254 | 177 | 431 |
| 2021 | 227 | 163 | 390 |
| 2020 | 265 | 166 | 431 |
| 2019 | 225 | 147 | 372 |
| 2018 | 183 | 199 | 382 |
| 2017 | 208 | 205 | 413 |
| 2016 | 206 | 209 | 415 |
| 2015 | 211 | 250 | 461 |
| 2014 | 240 | 236 | 476 |
| 2013 | 200 | 250 | 450 |
| 2012 | 191 | 310 | 501 |
| 2011 | 177 | 278 | 455 |
| 2010 | 210 | 313 | 523 |
| 2009 | 222 | 310 | 532 |
| 2008 | 263 | 312 | 575 |
| 2007 | 236 | 355 | 591 |
| 2006 | 253 | 387 | 640 |
| 2005 | 287 | 431 | 718 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Wabash County runs 5.28 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Wabash County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Wabash County ran 315 bucks (males) and 217 does (females) — 59.2% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 315 | 217 | 532 | 59.2% |
| 2023 | 312 | 187 | 499 | 62.5% |
| 2022 | 267 | 164 | 431 | 61.9% |
| 2021 | 246 | 144 | 390 | 63.1% |
| 2020 | 266 | 165 | 431 | 61.7% |
| 2019 | 227 | 145 | 372 | 61% |
| 2018 | 256 | 126 | 382 | 67% |
| 2017 | 261 | 152 | 413 | 63.2% |
| 2016 | 245 | 170 | 415 | 59% |
| 2015 | 276 | 185 | 461 | 59.9% |
| 2014 | 247 | 229 | 476 | 51.9% |
| 2013 | 261 | 189 | 450 | 58% |
| 2012 | 287 | 214 | 501 | 57.3% |
| 2011 | 241 | 214 | 455 | 53% |
| 2010 | 284 | 239 | 523 | 54.3% |
| 2009 | 299 | 233 | 532 | 56.2% |
| 2008 | 337 | 238 | 575 | 58.6% |
| 2007 | 344 | 247 | 591 | 58.2% |
| 2006 | 353 | 287 | 640 | 55.2% |
| 2005 | 377 | 341 | 718 | 52.5% |
See full Wabash County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Wabash County ran 71.6% adult, 16.7% yearling, and 11.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 381 | 89 | 62 | 532 |
| 2023 | 346 | 98 | 55 | 499 |
| 2022 | 297 | 83 | 51 | 431 |
| 2021 | 262 | 72 | 56 | 390 |
| 2020 | 320 | 73 | 38 | 431 |
| 2019 | 243 | 87 | 42 | 372 |
| 2018 | 256 | 77 | 49 | 382 |
| 2017 | 280 | 88 | 45 | 413 |
| 2016 | 279 | 78 | 58 | 415 |
| 2015 | 314 | 80 | 67 | 461 |
| 2014 | 341 | 72 | 63 | 476 |
| 2013 | 291 | 97 | 62 | 450 |
| 2012 | 342 | 96 | 63 | 501 |
| 2011 | 287 | 91 | 77 | 455 |
| 2010 | 337 | 101 | 85 | 523 |
| 2009 | 346 | 110 | 76 | 532 |
| 2008 | 356 | 116 | 103 | 575 |
| 2007 | 354 | 102 | 135 | 591 |
| 2006 | 401 | 94 | 145 | 640 |
| 2005 | 461 | 106 | 151 | 718 |
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 Wabash 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: 29,338 acres (20.1% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Wabash 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 Wabash County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Wabash County scores 55.6 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #46 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 Wabash County?
30 record-book whitetails are attributed to Wabash County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Wabash County, Illinois?
Yes — about 29,338 acres of public hunting land, roughly 20.1% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Wabash County last season?
IDNR records show 532 deer harvested in Wabash County in 2024, the most recent reported season.