Illinois deer research / Will County

Will County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 45.7 — ranked #68 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

C - Above Average
45.7 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#68 of 102
Statewide rank
318
Record-book bucks (deduped)
119,267
Public-land acres
1,012
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Will County index

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

Habitat · 25%39
Herd quality · 30%37
Population · 18%10
Momentum · 12%74
Trophy history · 15%93

Trophy record — counted once

318 unique record-book bucks from 360 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 42 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #3 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only310
In two books8
In all three books0
Unique bucks318

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20247202181,012
2023718231996
2022702204995
2021730166969
20208252531,140
20197332371,020
20188012761,127
2017697225978
20167292331,022
20157543201,155
20147252751,051
20139213171,238
20128383891,227
20118373701,207
20108673591,226
20099563661,322
20089164171,333
20079574471,404
20068915141,405
20059144561,370

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Will County runs 6.16 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Will County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Will County ran 572 bucks (males) and 440 does (females) — 56.5% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20245724401,01256.5%
202359939799660.1%
202259340299559.6%
202155241796957%
20206904501,14060.5%
20196443761,02063.1%
20186344931,12756.3%
201758739197860%
20165844381,02257.1%
20156325231,15554.7%
20145804711,05155.2%
20136585801,23853.2%
20126685591,22754.4%
20116885191,20757%
20106136131,22650%
20097156071,32254.1%
20087186151,33353.9%
20078095951,40457.6%
20067996061,40556.9%
20057805901,37056.9%

See full Will County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Will County ran 63.6% adult, 18.9% yearling, and 17.5% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20246441911771,012
2023671187138996
2022649195151995
2021636198135969
20207632291481,140
20196442491271,020
20187462151661,127
2017604229145978
20166362071791,022
20157322291941,155
20146562221731,051
20137552752081,238
20127562342371,227
20117412751911,207
20107951872441,226
20098772162291,322
20088772392171,333
20079132752161,404
20068782502771,405
20058722182801,370

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 Will 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: 119,267 acres (21.9% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Will County

Midewin Other · 18,225 acMidewin National Tallgrass Prairie · 7,836 acDes Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area · 4,531 acGoodenow Grove Nature Preserve · 514 acWilmington Shrub Prairie State Natural Area · 390 acBraidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve · 333 acHitts Siding Prairie State Natural Area · 260 acSand Ridge Savanna Nature Preserve · 253 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Will 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 Will County charts

Nearby counties

Kankakee · 48.6DuPage · 37.2Cook · 38.6Grundy · 46.5Kendall · 32.1Kane · 38.4Iroquois · 70.2Livingston · 59.6
← #67 Jefferson County#69 Calhoun County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Will County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Will County scores 45.7 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (C - Above Average), ranked #68 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 Will County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Will County, Illinois?

Yes — about 119,267 acres of public hunting land, roughly 21.9% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Will County last season?

IDNR records show 1,012 deer harvested in Will County in 2024, the most recent reported season.