Illinois deer research / Winnebago County

Winnebago County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Northern IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 37.8 — ranked #83 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

D - Average
37.8 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#83 of 102
Statewide rank
140
Record-book bucks (deduped)
83,231
Public-land acres
934
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Winnebago County index

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

Habitat · 25%40
Herd quality · 30%38
Population · 18%6
Momentum · 12%27
Trophy history · 15%82

Trophy record — counted once

140 unique record-book bucks from 151 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 11 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #21 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only140
In two books0
In all three books0
Unique bucks140

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
2024539307934
2023514279844
2022436225756
2021468247795
2020559285908
2019480264811
2018462370924
2017453354860
2016459346911
2015485379999
2014425339894
2013391320830
20123905341,013
2011379437907
2010383445921
20094424691,103
20084185091,006
20074185671,052
20064445361,083
20054466831,212

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Winnebago County runs 3.00 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Winnebago County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Winnebago County ran 579 bucks (males) and 355 does (females) — 62% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
202457935593462%
202355129384465.3%
202246429275661.4%
202150928679564%
202056234690861.9%
201950530681162.3%
201856835692461.5%
201752133986060.6%
201658632591164.3%
201561238799961.3%
201449839689455.7%
201347036083056.6%
20125964171,01358.8%
201153637190759.1%
201055436792160.2%
20096005031,10354.4%
20085544521,00655.1%
20076054471,05257.5%
20066384451,08358.9%
20056935191,21257.2%

See full Winnebago County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Winnebago County ran 67.1% adult, 19.7% yearling, and 13.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
2024627184123934
2023536189119844
202250715990756
2021499178118795
2020586200122908
2019525170116811
2018584229111924
2017501219140860
2016532221158911
2015562235202999
2014544188162894
2013475187168830
20125782332021,013
2011504216187907
2010496215210921
20096202132701,103
20085532092441,006
20075702432391,052
20065732512591,083
20057082222821,212

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 Winnebago 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: 83,231 acres (25.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Winnebago County

Rock Cut State Park · 3,080 acSugar River · 2,771 acCrooked River Forest Preserve · 237 acSugar River Alder Nature Preserve · 179 acJ. Norman Jensen Forest Preserve · 135 acSilver Creek Preserve · 126 acRockton Bog State Natural Area · 102 acUpper Rock 002-06 · 63 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Winnebago 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 Winnebago County charts

Nearby counties

Ogle · 40.2Boone · 40.5Stephenson · 40.5DeKalb · 38.7Lee · 51.3McHenry · 33.5Carroll · 37Kane · 38.4
← #82 Madison County#84 Peoria County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Winnebago County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Winnebago County scores 37.8 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (D - Average), ranked #83 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 Winnebago County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Winnebago County, Illinois?

Yes — about 83,231 acres of public hunting land, roughly 25.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Winnebago County last season?

IDNR records show 934 deer harvested in Winnebago County in 2024, the most recent reported season.