Illinois's statewide archery share rose from about 35% of the deer harvest in 2005 to 47% in 2024, with distinct county patterns behind that increase. A county-by-county look at archery's share shows an almost two-part split: bows account for nearly the entire harvest in the metropolitan northeast, while firearms remain dominant in the rural south and west. The hunting-method map reflects land use and firearm laws. It gives hunters a clearer picture of how a county is hunted than any harvest total can.
KEY FINDINGS
- Across Illinois, bows increased their portion of harvested deer from ~35% in 2005 to 47% in 2024. That statewide average masks a sharp regional split.
- In the metropolitan northeast, bows account for nearly the entire harvest. Firearm rules and urban archery seasons drive the pattern: Cook and DuPage approach 100% archery, followed by Lake at 97%, Kane at 90%, McHenry at 73% and Will at 71%.
- Firearms still dominate rural counties in southern and western Illinois. Bow harvest shares are 32% in Monroe, 34% in Randolph and 38% in both Jackson and Adams. This shotgun region produces large harvests and accounts for most deer killed in Illinois.
- Hunting methods mirror the landscape and its rules. Archery patterns provide clues about firearm laws and how land is used.
IOne state, two seasons
An average with a sharp regional split
Over twenty years of Illinois deer harvest data, archery's growth from about a third of the kill to close to half is among the clearest trends. A single statewide line can suggest a straightforward story of hunters moving toward bows. That figure, though, divides the total archery harvest by the total deer harvest across 102 counties with widely different patterns. Bows take almost every harvested deer in some counties and barely a third in others. Deer seasons vary from one part of Illinois to another.
IIBow country
Why nearly all deer harvest in the metro northeast comes from archery
Rules limiting firearm hunting help account for archery's strongholds. Cook and DuPage, along with Lake and the part of Kane east of State Route 47, contain Chicago's suburbs. In those areas, IDNR's uninterrupted archery season starts October 1 and lasts to January 17, with no distinct firearm season. With firearms unavailable as an option, the remaining harvest is nearly all archery by default. Those rules help account for Cook and DuPage approaching 100% archery and Lake reaching 97%. Suburban land use, together with firearm restrictions, shapes the metro's archery dominance.
Archery accounts for 100% of Cook County's harvest because the county has no other deer season.
IIIGun country
Where hunters take the deer
Rural counties in southern and western Illinois sit firmly on the firearm side of the map. The counties of Monroe and Randolph, along with Jackson and Adams, have extensive woods and farmland, and each produces a harvest of thousands of deer annually. Roughly a 62 to 68 percent share of those kills comes during firearm seasons (68 in Monroe, 66 in Randolph, 62 in Jackson and 62 in Adams). For these counties, firearm seasons produce roughly a 62 to 68 percent share of the 2024 harvest, mainly within the state's brief firearm windows during late November and the early part of December. Archery has also grown here, accounting for about a 23 to 29 percent share in 2005 and a 32 to 38 percent share in 2024. Even so, firearm seasons take most of the harvest.
IVA map of land and law
What hunting-method shares tell you
Looking at both extremes, archery's portion of the harvest gives clues about firearm rules and land use. The pattern spans densely settled metro suburbs and open rural farms and forests. A county's bow share helps a hunter understand its regulations and hunting practices. That share does not establish when hunting pressure comes or how tightly the pressure is clustered. Those details matter when choosing a place and time to hunt.
VWhat it means
Check the hunting method ahead of the map
A county's archery percentage quickly tells a hunter what kind of hunting to expect. Where bow shares are high in the metro, the archery season stays open continuously starting October 1 and ending January 17. A southern county with a low bow share still offers archery, but firearm windows account for about two-thirds of its harvested deer. Neither setting is better than the other. Each presents a different hunting game. Before you check any harvest total, the method map shows which game you would be entering. When planning a hunt, a county's figure puts the statewide 47% into local perspective.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Calculate each county's archery share by dividing its bow harvest by its total harvest, using IDNR data. For 2024, representative county shares are Cook at ~100%, DuPage at ~100%, Lake at 97%, Kane at 90%, McHenry at 73%, Will at 71%, Sangamon at 67%, Vermilion at 63%, Adams at 38%, Jackson at 38%, Randolph at 34% and Monroe at 32%. Across Illinois, the share increased from ~35% in 2005 to 47% in 2024.
- In and around Chicago's collar counties, metro archery dominance follows restrictions on firearms and uninterrupted urban bow seasons. Limits to keep in mind: county bow shares reflect both land use and regulation, so hunter preference alone does not explain them. Urban counties with small deer harvests post high percentages despite low actual counts (Cook, for example, had a total harvest of 128 in 2024).
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. Fully Drawn Research is independent and not affiliated with IDNR. Harvest data are IDNR public records analyzed independently by FDR; figures current to the 2024 season. Informational only, not hunting, wildlife-management, or investment advice.
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