Illinois deer research / Warren County
Warren County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 62.3 — ranked #16 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Warren County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
67 unique record-book bucks from 75 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 8 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #64 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 63 |
| In two books | 4 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 67 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 346 | 520 | 866 |
| 2023 | 333 | 492 | 825 |
| 2022 | 279 | 459 | 738 |
| 2021 | 286 | 431 | 717 |
| 2020 | 317 | 474 | 791 |
| 2019 | 281 | 465 | 746 |
| 2018 | 271 | 478 | 749 |
| 2017 | 264 | 548 | 812 |
| 2016 | 247 | 562 | 809 |
| 2015 | 279 | 604 | 883 |
| 2014 | 279 | 490 | 769 |
| 2013 | 253 | 502 | 755 |
| 2012 | 268 | 758 | 1,026 |
| 2011 | 282 | 616 | 898 |
| 2010 | 306 | 643 | 949 |
| 2009 | 298 | 614 | 912 |
| 2008 | 265 | 740 | 1,005 |
| 2007 | 275 | 722 | 997 |
| 2006 | 302 | 753 | 1,055 |
| 2005 | 358 | 884 | 1,242 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Warren County runs 4.71 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Warren County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Warren County ran 499 bucks (males) and 367 does (females) — 57.6% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 499 | 367 | 866 | 57.6% |
| 2023 | 507 | 318 | 825 | 61.5% |
| 2022 | 445 | 293 | 738 | 60.3% |
| 2021 | 409 | 308 | 717 | 57% |
| 2020 | 462 | 329 | 791 | 58.4% |
| 2019 | 422 | 324 | 746 | 56.6% |
| 2018 | 433 | 316 | 749 | 57.8% |
| 2017 | 502 | 310 | 812 | 61.8% |
| 2016 | 473 | 336 | 809 | 58.5% |
| 2015 | 504 | 379 | 883 | 57.1% |
| 2014 | 398 | 371 | 769 | 51.8% |
| 2013 | 420 | 335 | 755 | 55.6% |
| 2012 | 579 | 447 | 1,026 | 56.4% |
| 2011 | 491 | 407 | 898 | 54.7% |
| 2010 | 504 | 445 | 949 | 53.1% |
| 2009 | 481 | 431 | 912 | 52.7% |
| 2008 | 570 | 435 | 1,005 | 56.7% |
| 2007 | 576 | 421 | 997 | 57.8% |
| 2006 | 594 | 461 | 1,055 | 56.3% |
| 2005 | 676 | 566 | 1,242 | 54.4% |
See full Warren County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Warren County ran 71% adult, 16.3% yearling, and 12.7% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 615 | 141 | 110 | 866 |
| 2023 | 550 | 128 | 147 | 825 |
| 2022 | 494 | 137 | 107 | 738 |
| 2021 | 481 | 140 | 96 | 717 |
| 2020 | 537 | 134 | 120 | 791 |
| 2019 | 511 | 134 | 101 | 746 |
| 2018 | 475 | 133 | 141 | 749 |
| 2017 | 555 | 142 | 115 | 812 |
| 2016 | 536 | 139 | 134 | 809 |
| 2015 | 540 | 172 | 171 | 883 |
| 2014 | 481 | 146 | 142 | 769 |
| 2013 | 456 | 118 | 181 | 755 |
| 2012 | 685 | 150 | 191 | 1,026 |
| 2011 | 569 | 145 | 184 | 898 |
| 2010 | 647 | 137 | 165 | 949 |
| 2009 | 592 | 142 | 178 | 912 |
| 2008 | 630 | 172 | 203 | 1,005 |
| 2007 | 661 | 166 | 170 | 997 |
| 2006 | 655 | 167 | 233 | 1,055 |
| 2005 | 781 | 182 | 279 | 1,242 |
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 Warren 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: 56,338 acres (16.2% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
See Warren 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 Warren County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Warren County scores 62.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #16 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 Warren County?
67 record-book whitetails are attributed to Warren County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Warren County, Illinois?
Yes — about 56,338 acres of public hunting land, roughly 16.2% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Warren County last season?
IDNR records show 866 deer harvested in Warren County in 2024, the most recent reported season.