Prairie State Wire

Hunters in Illinois harvested a total of 54,661 deer during the first weekend of the state's firearm deer season from November 22 to 24. This figure shows an increase compared to the previous years, with hunters harvesting 53,348 deer in 2023 and 52,354 in 2022.

The firearm deer season will continue for a total of seven days, concluding on December 5-8. Other hunting opportunities available in Illinois for the 2024-2025 season include muzzleloader-only hunting from December 13-15 and late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease seasons in select counties on December 26-29 and January 17-19. Archery deer season remains open until January 19 but is closed from December 5-8 in counties where firearm hunting is permitted.

For more details about deer hunting regulations and schedules, individuals are encouraged to visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' website.

A breakdown of preliminary harvest totals by county reveals varying results across different regions. For instance, Adams County reported a slight decrease from previous years with a total of 1,414 deer harvested compared to last year's count of over fourteen hundred. Conversely, Clay County saw an increase with hunters taking home eleven hundred eighteen deer this year.