Illinois deer research / Washington County
Washington County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 58.4 — ranked #30 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
B - StrongWhat drives the Washington County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
67 unique record-book bucks from 71 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 4 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #64 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 65 |
| In two books | 2 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 67 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 805 | 1,168 | 1,973 |
| 2023 | 706 | 1,041 | 1,747 |
| 2022 | 659 | 1,071 | 1,730 |
| 2021 | 631 | 924 | 1,555 |
| 2020 | 700 | 960 | 1,660 |
| 2019 | 623 | 909 | 1,532 |
| 2018 | 528 | 1,019 | 1,547 |
| 2017 | 511 | 1,020 | 1,531 |
| 2016 | 463 | 949 | 1,412 |
| 2015 | 479 | 1,001 | 1,480 |
| 2014 | 477 | 893 | 1,370 |
| 2013 | 455 | 889 | 1,344 |
| 2012 | 375 | 1,099 | 1,474 |
| 2011 | 395 | 1,108 | 1,503 |
| 2010 | 453 | 1,159 | 1,612 |
| 2009 | 406 | 1,175 | 1,581 |
| 2008 | 495 | 1,183 | 1,678 |
| 2007 | 452 | 1,426 | 1,878 |
| 2006 | 556 | 1,503 | 2,059 |
| 2005 | 575 | 1,578 | 2,153 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Washington County runs 5.51 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Washington County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Washington County ran 1,091 bucks (males) and 882 does (females) — 55.3% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,091 | 882 | 1,973 | 55.3% |
| 2023 | 1,063 | 684 | 1,747 | 60.8% |
| 2022 | 1,003 | 727 | 1,730 | 58% |
| 2021 | 903 | 652 | 1,555 | 58.1% |
| 2020 | 954 | 706 | 1,660 | 57.5% |
| 2019 | 876 | 656 | 1,532 | 57.2% |
| 2018 | 938 | 609 | 1,547 | 60.6% |
| 2017 | 923 | 608 | 1,531 | 60.3% |
| 2016 | 821 | 591 | 1,412 | 58.1% |
| 2015 | 858 | 622 | 1,480 | 58% |
| 2014 | 782 | 588 | 1,370 | 57.1% |
| 2013 | 734 | 610 | 1,344 | 54.6% |
| 2012 | 799 | 675 | 1,474 | 54.2% |
| 2011 | 800 | 703 | 1,503 | 53.2% |
| 2010 | 870 | 742 | 1,612 | 54% |
| 2009 | 854 | 727 | 1,581 | 54% |
| 2008 | 925 | 753 | 1,678 | 55.1% |
| 2007 | 1,025 | 853 | 1,878 | 54.6% |
| 2006 | 1,173 | 886 | 2,059 | 57% |
| 2005 | 1,222 | 931 | 2,153 | 56.8% |
See full Washington County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Washington County ran 73% adult, 16.2% yearling, and 10.8% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,441 | 319 | 213 | 1,973 |
| 2023 | 1,240 | 299 | 208 | 1,747 |
| 2022 | 1,216 | 286 | 228 | 1,730 |
| 2021 | 1,096 | 245 | 214 | 1,555 |
| 2020 | 1,152 | 315 | 193 | 1,660 |
| 2019 | 1,054 | 269 | 209 | 1,532 |
| 2018 | 1,023 | 308 | 216 | 1,547 |
| 2017 | 967 | 313 | 251 | 1,531 |
| 2016 | 944 | 262 | 206 | 1,412 |
| 2015 | 920 | 334 | 226 | 1,480 |
| 2014 | 843 | 291 | 236 | 1,370 |
| 2013 | 840 | 276 | 228 | 1,344 |
| 2012 | 840 | 324 | 310 | 1,474 |
| 2011 | 920 | 331 | 252 | 1,503 |
| 2010 | 1,032 | 267 | 313 | 1,612 |
| 2009 | 982 | 313 | 286 | 1,581 |
| 2008 | 1,020 | 367 | 291 | 1,678 |
| 2007 | 1,137 | 372 | 369 | 1,878 |
| 2006 | 1,196 | 425 | 438 | 2,059 |
| 2005 | 1,300 | 438 | 415 | 2,153 |
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 Washington 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: 84,191 acres (23.3% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Washington County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Washington 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 Washington County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Washington County scores 58.4 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #30 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 Washington County?
67 record-book whitetails are attributed to Washington County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Washington County, Illinois?
Yes — about 84,191 acres of public hunting land, roughly 23.3% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Washington County last season?
IDNR records show 1,973 deer harvested in Washington County in 2024, the most recent reported season.