Illinois deer research / Whiteside County

Whiteside County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 36.7 — ranked #88 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
36.7 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#88 of 102
Statewide rank
45
Record-book bucks (deduped)
70,017
Public-land acres
1,327
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Whiteside County index

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

Habitat · 25%62
Herd quality · 30%23
Population · 18%15
Momentum · 12%51
Trophy history · 15%37

Trophy record — counted once

45 unique record-book bucks from 56 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 11 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #84 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only44
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks45

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20246676601,327
20236336111,244
20225475791,126
20215185071,025
20205746111,185
20194935601,053
20184886351,123
20174636171,080
20164815761,057
20154777291,206
20144735961,069
20134886401,128
20124928691,361
20114557441,199
20104358501,285
20095237731,296
20085238321,355
20075041,0251,529
20064719561,427
20054891,1271,616

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Whiteside County runs 4.06 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Whiteside County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Whiteside County ran 719 bucks (males) and 608 does (females) — 54.2% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20247196081,32754.2%
20237295151,24458.6%
20226294971,12655.9%
20215684571,02555.4%
20206195661,18552.2%
20196014521,05357.1%
20186135101,12354.6%
20175824981,08053.9%
20165575001,05752.7%
20156355711,20652.7%
20145505191,06951.4%
20135895391,12852.2%
20127326291,36153.8%
20116015981,19950.1%
20106456401,28550.2%
20096536431,29650.4%
20086746811,35549.7%
20078087211,52952.8%
20067496781,42752.5%
20058717451,61653.9%

See full Whiteside County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Whiteside County ran 66.4% adult, 19.6% yearling, and 14% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20248812601861,327
20238042431971,244
20227522031711,126
20216252051951,025
20207621872361,185
20196662191681,053
20186832322081,123
20176662142001,080
20166652021901,057
20157512192361,206
20146312162221,069
20136212202871,128
20127872373371,361
20117252052691,199
20107382133341,285
20097252173541,296
20087642153761,355
20079092373831,529
20068002463811,427
20059192614361,616

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 Whiteside 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: 70,017 acres (15.7% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Whiteside County

Springs Slough · 455 acLyndon Prairie · 77 acMillroad Marsh State Habitat Area · 43 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Whiteside 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 Whiteside County charts

Nearby counties

Carroll · 37Henry · 47.2Bureau · 57.2Lee · 51.3Stephenson · 40.5Ogle · 40.2Stark · 57Jo Daviess · 36.3
← #87 Carroll County#89 Jo Daviess County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Whiteside County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Whiteside County scores 36.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #88 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 Whiteside County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Whiteside County, Illinois?

Yes — about 70,017 acres of public hunting land, roughly 15.7% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Whiteside County last season?

IDNR records show 1,327 deer harvested in Whiteside County in 2024, the most recent reported season.