Illinois deer hunting: Harvest down, again

Preliminary harvest figures for the 2014-15 deer-hunting seasons in Illinois are down, even from the collapse in harvest numbers in the 2013-14 seasons.

Here is the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:

Illinois Deer Hunters Harvest Preliminary Total of 145,804 Deer during 2014-2015 Seasons Deer Hunting Seasons Closed January 18 SPRINGFIELD, IL. – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 145,804 deer during all 2014-15 seasons, which concluded Jan. 18. The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons of 145,804 compares with a total harvest for all seasons of 148,614 in 2013-14. During this year’s deer seasons, hunters took 47 percent does and 53 percent males. A breakdown of Illinois deer hunting seasons are as follows: Archery: Archery deer hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 56,083 deer during the archery season (Oct. 1, 2014-Jan. 18, 2015), compared with the archery deer harvest of 57,364 in the 2013-14 archery season. Youth: Young deer hunters harvested 2,768 deer during the 2014 Illinois Youth Deer Season (Oct. 11-13, 2014), compared with 3,016 deer in 2013. Traditional Firearm Season: Hunters took a preliminary total of 76,729 deer during the 2014 Illinois Firearm Deer Season (Nov. 21-23 and Dec. 4-7, 2014), compared with 74,318 taken during the 2013 season. Muzzleloader: Hunters using muzzleloading rifles harvested 3,478 deer during the 2014 Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season (Dec. 12-14, 2014), compared with 3,536 in 2013. Late-Winter Seasons: The 2014-15 Late-Winter Antlerless Only and Special CWD deer seasons concluded on Jan. 18, with a combined preliminary harvest total for both seasons of 6,746 deer, compared with a harvest of 10,380 deer taken during those seasons in 2013-14. Season dates for the Late-Winter and CWD seasons were Jan. 1-4, and 16-18, 2015. With the addition of Will County this year, 12 northern Illinois counties were open to the Special CWD Season, compared to 11 in 2013-14. The Special CWD season is used to assist in slowing the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd. Twenty fewer counties were open for the Late Winter Antlerless Season in 2014 because they had reached deer population goals. The number of open counties went from 55 to 35 this year. Counties that are at or below their individual goal for two consecutive years may be removed from the late-winter season. Preliminary county harvest totals for all the 2014-15 Illinois deer seasons are included below, followed by tables for the 2013-14 seasons. Preliminary county harvest totals for all the 2014-15 Illinois deer seasons are included below, followed by tables for the 2013-14 seasons.

2014 All SeasonsCountyArcheryYouthFirearmMuzzleloaderLW/CWDTotalAdams1213672111104CLOSED3495Alexander2021639832CLOSED648Bond3441756929CLOSED959Boone1522111330298Brown72644997662382071Bureau62226102961CLOSED1738Calhoun6473480354CLOSED1538Carroll56512742261291474Cass5332563324CLOSED1215Champaign2981222821CLOSED559Christian4622253318CLOSED1035Clark70836926441391853Clay53041974361171698Clinton3801558318CLOSED996Coles496164301936997Cook130CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED130Crawford73633908401311848Cumberland334360813CLOSED958DeKalb1621132745347DeWitt4591734223CLOSED841Douglas131415710CLOSED302Dupage36CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED36Edgar3943051933791055Edwards249173971377753Effingham3542567820511128Fayette63742144354CLOSED2176Ford5071077CLOSED171Franklin99852117334CLOSED2257Fulton15578019801054444166Gallatin3281246927CLOSED836Greene64141103655CLOSED1773Grundy3449339989790Hamilton644331070451711963Hancock69942172181CLOSED2543Hardin4282884550CLOSED1351Henderson263125322480911Henry4411564525CLOSED1126Iroquois3451757131CLOSED964Jackson108064211871CLOSED3333Jasper4623885331CLOSED1384Jefferson137569194899CLOSED3491Jersey4373064931CLOSED1147JoDaviess1128492055785083818Johnson78448153959CLOSED2430Kane340151124417Kankakee307918712CLOSED515Kendall164284537292Knox972561171462162461Lake460CLOSED4CLOSEDCLOSED464LaSalle74824803381391752Lawrence4682255827CLOSED1075Lee4461754016971116Livingston2341144619CLOSED710Logan2552835024CLOSED657Macon4791924320CLOSED761Macoupin820601203541452282Madison85320594261091602Marion962601361651892637Marshall3272156115761000Mason3311541120CLOSED777Massac3951755729CLOSED998McDonough46120765351021383McHenry525832710106976McLean5042755127701179Menard3111233215CLOSED670Mercer41734739271411358Monroe3733073820581219Montgomery5652586321721546Morgan4703170225CLOSED1228Moultrie3151920713CLOSED554Ogle66622846262261786Peoria88626898451942049Perry79539115164CLOSED2049Piatt16281175CLOSED292Pike217615221631485285167Pope95835150252CLOSED2547Pulaski2722149742CLOSED832Putnam255103571650688Randolph99881195788CLOSED3124Richland3862366822CLOSED1099Rock Island69022729361361613Saline53034774371451520Sangamon7152760837CLOSED1387Schuyler811611316662682522Scott2171437924CLOSED634Shelby6242596036861731St. Clair5191663323CLOSED1191Stark1105220624365Stephenson4718788192181504Tazewell5212447719CLOSED1041Union90765162686CLOSED2684Vermilion78228562371081517Wabash239102389CLOSED496Warren27694933075883Washington4762089332CLOSED1421Wayne839411406582862630White63934777392761765Whiteside4731559617CLOSED1101Will7252027522511093Williamson109741163058CLOSED2826Winnebago423734610130916Woodford4503458729CLOSED1100Total5608327687672934786746145804

2013 All SeasonsCountyArcheryYouthFirearmMuzzleloaderLW/CWDTotalAdams1210831785533513482Alexander2431848054CLOSED795Bond355255648701022Boone143573320244Brown755491008532092074Bureau65931986581551889Calhoun71651792332161808Carroll55318829511531604Cass5382760819CLOSED1192Champaign3341422527CLOSED600Christian4712853618CLOSED1053Clark782311004462032066Clay50234863361091544Clinton384145471040995Coles4812145117401010Cook146CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED146Crawford74135806311531766Cumberland3471659211401006DeKalb1784131835356DeWitt5322033716CLOSED905Douglas14451435CLOSED297DuPage42CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED42Edgar46527648291031272Edwards235193391483690Effingham3713066818811168Fayette685491394401442312Ford6769617CLOSED186Franklin95845107755CLOSED2135Fulton1614861894864054085Gallatin3402043931CLOSED830Greene69633110345CLOSED1877Grundy3451434017105821Hamilton59137975492021854Hancock725431584592572668Hardin4223293652CLOSED1442Henderson242105171783869Henry4432164532CLOSED1141Iroquois4332462848CLOSED1133Jackson105857193288CLOSED3135Jasper4255383733CLOSED1348Jefferson1427791689804583733Jersey50837651201231339JoDaviess10604718871004623556Johnson76143138467CLOSED2255Kane302234521364Kankakee350820126CLOSED585Kendall2229821542370Knox898451019672192248Lake423CLOSED3CLOSEDCLOSED426LaSalle84438794511641891Lawrence4392246728CLOSED956Lee4812355427971182Livingston2711341526CLOSED725Logan256213341138660Macon5012024421CLOSED786Macoupin870501222391872368Madison8962565515921683Marion1000711332602452708Marshall3132557123871019Mason3342042813CLOSED795Massac3982555138CLOSED1012McDonough47135787261441463McHenry54152631177897McLean5313256722691221Menard28193221837667Mercer40428750581311371Monroe3212581022991277Montgomery6012983122791562Morgan4672977035CLOSED1301Moultrie293919110CLOSED503Ogle71324868462211872Peoria91157916412152140Perry701361032523702191Piatt185811912CLOSED324Pike250816722701895135647Pope92323137069CLOSED2385Pulaski2411956146CLOSED867Putnam25873611870714Randolph943881787724223312Richland37717579201171110Rock Island67127722401441604Saline50045710352001490Sangamon69819541171051380Schuyler786461296642592451Scott188114041349665Shelby6643691927921738St. Clair58225648171011373Stark12852051124373Stephenson40816737361941391Tazewell6032647816CLOSED1123Union92156166295CLOSED2734Vermilion92237573271011660Wabash200925011CLOSED470Warren25365022478863Washington4553188941CLOSED1416Wayne806571269463602538White59844691553221710Whiteside4882464025881265Will9211531733CLOSED1286Williamson105040149052CLOSED2632Winnebago391832022119860Woodford5362857221881245Total57364301674318353610380148614

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