Illinois firearm deer season harvest tops 81,000

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (KBSI) — Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season, which concluded Dec. 7, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The total is slightly lower than the 82,496 deer harvested during the 2024 firearm season.

IDNR reported a preliminary harvest of 29,816 deer during the second weekend of the season, held Dec. 4–7, compared with 27,835 during the same period in 2024. During the first weekend of the 2025 firearm season, held Nov. 21–23, hunters harvested 51,409 deer.

Several deer hunting opportunities remain for the 2025–26 season. Late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease seasons will be held in designated counties Jan. 1–4 and Jan. 16–18. Archery deer season continues through Jan. 18.

Preliminary firearm deer season totals by county, along with comparisons to 2024, were released by IDNR. Jackson County recorded 2,007 deer harvested, Williamson County reported 1,686, Perry County reported 1,415, Franklin County reported 1,201 and Saline County reported 901.

More information about deer hunting in Illinois is available through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.