Illinois deer research / Woodford County

Woodford County, Illinois — Deer Hunting Research

Central IL region. FDR Deer Herd Index 59 — ranked #27 of 102 Illinois counties. Built from IDNR public harvest records and three record books deduplicated so every buck counts once.

B - Strong
59 / 100
FDR Herd Index
#27 of 102
Statewide rank
81
Record-book bucks (deduped)
62,476
Public-land acres
1,689
2024 deer harvest

What drives the Woodford County index

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

Habitat · 25%70
Herd quality · 30%43
Population · 18%65
Momentum · 12%69
Trophy history · 15%58

Trophy record — counted once

81 unique record-book bucks from 88 total listings across the major whitetail record books — 7 cross-book duplicates removed. Trophy rank #51 in Illinois.

BookBucks
Listed in one book only80
In two books1
In all three books0
Unique bucks81

2005–2024 harvest trend

SeasonArcheryFirearmTotal
20248338561,689
20238397141,553
20228286321,460
20217525731,325
20207905881,378
20196956051,300
20185705421,112
20175426041,146
20164745961,070
20154966991,195
20144505871,037
20135365721,108
20126089771,585
20116528111,463
20106719791,650
20096869371,623
20087341,1001,834
20076311,1261,757
20066081,0741,682
20056691,1621,831

IDNR reports harvest by archery / firearm / CWD; muzzleloader is not broken out separately. Success proxy: Woodford County runs 5.49 record-book bucks per 1,000 hunter-trips.

See full Woodford County harvest charts →

Harvest by sex

IDNR records each harvested deer by sex. In 2024, Woodford County ran 841 bucks (males) and 848 does (females) — 49.8% bucks.

SeasonBucks (M)Does (F)Total% bucks
20248418481,68949.8%
20238097441,55352.1%
20227597011,46052%
20216806451,32551.3%
20206996791,37850.7%
20196496511,30049.9%
20185975151,11253.7%
20176025441,14652.5%
20166014691,07056.2%
20156755201,19556.5%
20145764611,03755.5%
20135755331,10851.9%
20128157701,58551.4%
20117317321,46350%
20107858651,65047.6%
20098297941,62351.1%
20088919431,83448.6%
20079088491,75751.7%
20068867961,68252.7%
20059279041,83150.6%

See full Woodford County sex-composition chart →

Age structure

IDNR classifies each deer as adult, yearling (1.5-yr), or fawn. In 2024, Woodford County ran 65.9% adult, 13.9% yearling, and 20.2% fawn — a higher adult share points to a more mature age structure.

SeasonAdultYearlingFawnTotal
20241,1132343421,689
20231,0922162451,553
20229562352691,460
20218921962371,325
20209172082531,378
20198482042481,300
20187291692141,112
20177211952301,146
20166591882231,070
20157231992731,195
20146112072191,037
20135941903241,108
20129562313981,585
20118731973931,463
20109942244321,650
20099342174721,623
20081,0842764741,834
20079932684961,757
20069352534941,682
20051,0432455431,831

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 Woodford 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: 62,476 acres (18.0% of the county). Verify current season dates, permits, and site-specific rules with IDNR before hunting.

Where to hunt public in Woodford County

Franklin Kenyon Preserve · 151 acSpring Bay Fen State Natural Area · 50 acHazle Preserve · 40 ac

Full list on the Illinois public hunting land directory.

See Woodford 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 Woodford County charts

Nearby counties

Marshall · 53.5Tazewell · 50.4Putnam · 56.9McLean · 66.9Peoria · 37.6LaSalle · 48.7Stark · 57Livingston · 59.6
← #26 Pike County#28 Brown County →

Frequently asked questions

Is Woodford County, Illinois good for deer hunting?

Woodford County scores 59 of 100 on the FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #27 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 Woodford County?

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

Is there public hunting land in Woodford County, Illinois?

Yes — about 62,476 acres of public hunting land, roughly 18.0% of the county. Always verify current site regulations and permit requirements before hunting.

How many deer were harvested in Woodford County last season?

IDNR records show 1,689 deer harvested in Woodford County in 2024, the most recent reported season.