Illinois deer research / Williamson County
Williamson County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research
Southern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 30.3 — ranked #94 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.
D - AverageWhat drives the Williamson County index
Five weighted components, each scored 0–100 against all Illinois counties.
Trophy record — counted once
57 unique record-book bucks from 61 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 4 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #74 in Illinois.
| Book | Bucks |
|---|---|
| Listed in one book only | 56 |
| In two books | 1 |
| In all three books | 0 |
| Unique bucks | 57 |
2005–2024 harvest trend
| Season | Archery | Firearm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,400 | 1,780 | 3,180 |
| 2023 | 1,467 | 1,748 | 3,215 |
| 2022 | 1,470 | 1,969 | 3,439 |
| 2021 | 1,345 | 1,613 | 2,958 |
| 2020 | 1,583 | 1,657 | 3,240 |
| 2019 | 1,402 | 1,860 | 3,262 |
| 2018 | 1,174 | 1,854 | 3,028 |
| 2017 | 1,167 | 1,775 | 2,942 |
| 2016 | 985 | 1,684 | 2,669 |
| 2015 | 1,095 | 1,955 | 3,050 |
| 2014 | 1,100 | 1,627 | 2,727 |
| 2013 | 1,050 | 1,490 | 2,540 |
| 2012 | 866 | 1,676 | 2,542 |
| 2011 | 842 | 1,741 | 2,583 |
| 2010 | 905 | 1,674 | 2,579 |
| 2009 | 753 | 1,634 | 2,387 |
| 2008 | 825 | 1,794 | 2,619 |
| 2007 | 862 | 1,984 | 2,846 |
| 2006 | 809 | 2,001 | 2,810 |
| 2005 | 922 | 2,023 | 2,945 |
IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Williamson County runs 4.09 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.
See full Williamson County harvest charts →
Harvest by sex
IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Williamson County ran 1,739 bucks (males) and 1,441 does (females) — 54.7% bucks.
| Season | Bucks (M) | Does (F) | Total | % bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,739 | 1,441 | 3,180 | 54.7% |
| 2023 | 1,754 | 1,461 | 3,215 | 54.6% |
| 2022 | 1,848 | 1,591 | 3,439 | 53.7% |
| 2021 | 1,729 | 1,229 | 2,958 | 58.5% |
| 2020 | 1,738 | 1,502 | 3,240 | 53.6% |
| 2019 | 1,767 | 1,495 | 3,262 | 54.2% |
| 2018 | 1,687 | 1,341 | 3,028 | 55.7% |
| 2017 | 1,663 | 1,279 | 2,942 | 56.5% |
| 2016 | 1,479 | 1,190 | 2,669 | 55.4% |
| 2015 | 1,657 | 1,393 | 3,050 | 54.3% |
| 2014 | 1,491 | 1,236 | 2,727 | 54.7% |
| 2013 | 1,401 | 1,139 | 2,540 | 55.2% |
| 2012 | 1,369 | 1,173 | 2,542 | 53.9% |
| 2011 | 1,465 | 1,118 | 2,583 | 56.7% |
| 2010 | 1,441 | 1,138 | 2,579 | 55.9% |
| 2009 | 1,310 | 1,077 | 2,387 | 54.9% |
| 2008 | 1,364 | 1,255 | 2,619 | 52.1% |
| 2007 | 1,542 | 1,304 | 2,846 | 54.2% |
| 2006 | 1,601 | 1,209 | 2,810 | 57% |
| 2005 | 1,688 | 1,257 | 2,945 | 57.3% |
See full Williamson County sex-composition chart →
Age structure
IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Williamson County ran 67% adult, 20.6% yearling, and 12.4% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.
| Season | Adult | Yearling | Fawn | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,132 | 654 | 394 | 3,180 |
| 2023 | 2,092 | 668 | 455 | 3,215 |
| 2022 | 2,292 | 665 | 482 | 3,439 |
| 2021 | 1,955 | 614 | 389 | 2,958 |
| 2020 | 2,144 | 660 | 436 | 3,240 |
| 2019 | 2,145 | 652 | 465 | 3,262 |
| 2018 | 1,950 | 626 | 452 | 3,028 |
| 2017 | 1,801 | 685 | 456 | 2,942 |
| 2016 | 1,733 | 580 | 356 | 2,669 |
| 2015 | 1,906 | 662 | 482 | 3,050 |
| 2014 | 1,688 | 566 | 473 | 2,727 |
| 2013 | 1,598 | 549 | 393 | 2,540 |
| 2012 | 1,510 | 549 | 483 | 2,542 |
| 2011 | 1,589 | 565 | 429 | 2,583 |
| 2010 | 1,589 | 557 | 433 | 2,579 |
| 2009 | 1,402 | 530 | 455 | 2,387 |
| 2008 | 1,579 | 583 | 457 | 2,619 |
| 2007 | 1,684 | 551 | 611 | 2,846 |
| 2006 | 1,679 | 589 | 542 | 2,810 |
| 2005 | 1,744 | 636 | 565 | 2,945 |
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 Williamson 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: 177,895 acres (62.6% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.
Where to hunt public in Williamson County
Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.
See Williamson 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 Williamson County, Illinois good for deer hunting?
Williamson County scores 30.3 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #94 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 Williamson County?
57 record-book whitetails are attributed to Williamson County across the major record books, with each buck counted once after cross-book deduplication.
Is there public hunting land in Williamson County, Illinois?
Yes — about 177,895 acres of public hunting land, roughly 62.6% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.
How many deer were harvested in Williamson County last season?
IDNR records show 3,180 deer harvested in Williamson County in 2024, the most recent reported season.