IL youth hunters set new record for harvested deer after three-day season

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — New data from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources shows a record number of deer were harvested in the state during the youth firearm deer season.

Youth deer hunters are described as hunters who have not turned 18 years old yet. They can, however, participate in hunting under the supervision of a licensed adult.

Youth deer season lasted three days — Oct. 11, 12 and 13. Across the state, youth hunters harvested a record 4,714 deer, the IDNR said. That’s over 600 more deer than last year, when 4,097 deer were harvested.

A table of preliminary Illinois firearm deer harvest totals by county for the 2025 youth deer season, and comparable totals for the 2024 and 2023 seasons, is below:

County	2025	2024	2023
Adams	155	147	153
Alexander	17	8	16
Bond	35	42	36
Boone	7	6	4
Brown	73	70	80
Bureau	31	22	32
Calhoun	46	39	64
Carroll	14	15	18
Cass	36	32	34
Champaign	17	13	17
Christian	29	42	34
Clark	64	50	58
Clay	92	73	88
Clinton	74	74	71
Coles	44	22	22
Crawford	56	44	42
Cumberland	71	66	68
DeKalb	4	2	2
DeWitt	20	14	16
Douglas	19	12	8
Edgar	36	26	28
Edwards	18	10	7
Effingham	118	98	105
Fayette	122	118	127
Ford	4	2	6
Franklin	49	45	50
Fulton	69	77	92
Gallatin	20	17	24
Greene	87	57	82
Grundy	8	8	11
Hamilton	54	56	61
Hancock	73	67	68
Hardin	20	19	26
Henderson	18	9	14
Henry	30	30	29
Iroquois	35	32	32
Jackson	94	77	90
Jasper	97	76	91
Jefferson	155	139	152
Jersey	41	39	36
Jo Daviess	53	46	58
Johnson	42	48	45
Kane	3	1	0
Kankakee	11	7	8
Kendall	2	2	2
Knox	31	35	37
Lake	0	1	0
LaSalle	29	24	23
Lawrence	25	17	40
Lee	33	31	33
Livingston	17	13	18
Logan	27	29	27
Macon	25	21	26
Macoupin	87	79	85
Madison	51	47	46
Marion	135	119	133
Marshall	33	18	25
Mason	24	26	32
Massac	16	24	22
McDonough	35	34	47
McHenry	4	5	6
McLean	42	28	29
Menard	16	20	25
Mercer	20	18	28
Monroe	79	76	74
Montgomery	84	88	84
Morgan	37	31	35
Moultrie	30	36	28
Ogle	26	16	22
Peoria	38	36	48
Perry	96	86	80
Piatt	13	6	5
Pike	164	147	172
Pope	39	31	37
Pulaski	22	18	35
Putnam	13	6	4
Randolph	259	211	227
Richland	38	36	22
Rock Island	26	16	25
Saint Clair	69	52	54
Saline	46	51	56
Sangamon	42	33	41
Schuyler	70	54	86
Scott	18	12	10
Shelby	100	75	90
Stark	5	11	5
Stephenson	18	6	11
Tazewell	39	34	32
Union	64	57	78
Vermilion	32	29	29
Wabash	17	8	14
Warren	14	8	16
Washington	91	60	64
Wayne	92	80	89
White	47	43	41
Whiteside	40	41	35
Will	8	7	12
Williamson	57	48	57
Winnebago	13	11	10
Woodford	55	49	59
Total	4,714	4,097	4,576

Youth hunters with an unfilled, valid youth deer permit can still hunt with the permit during the upcoming firearm deer seasons Nov. 21-23 and Dec. 4-7, the IDNR said. 2025 is the first year that unfilled youth permits are valid for both segments of the firearm season.