Deer harvest, overall up: Illinois hunting

Strong harvest during the regular firearm seasons lifted overall deer harvest by more than 9,000 for the 2015-16 seasons from the overall harvest in ’14-15 seasons.

Here is the breakdown by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:

Illinois Deer Hunters Harvest Preliminary Total of 155,131 Deer During 2015-2016 Seasons Deer Hunting Seasons Closed January 17 SPRINGFIELD, IL. Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 155,131 deer during all 2015-16 seasons, which concluded Jan. 17. The total preliminary deer harvest for all seasons of 155,131 compares with a total harvest for all seasons of 145,720 in 2014-15. During this year’s deer seasons, hunters took 46 percent does and 54 percent males. A breakdown of Illinois deer hunting seasons is as follows: Archery: Archery deer hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 56,732 deer during the archery season (Oct. 1, 2015-Jan. 17, 2016), compared with the archery deer harvest of 56,143 in the 2014-15 archery season. Youth: Young deer hunters harvested 2,841 deer during the 2015 Illinois Youth Deer Season (Oct. 10-12, 2015), compared with 2,770 deer in 2014. Traditional Firearm Season: Hunters took a preliminary total of 86,839 deer during the 2015 Illinois Firearm Deer Season (Nov. 20-22 and Dec. 3-6, 2015), compared with 76,575 taken during the 2014 season. Muzzleloader: Hunters using muzzleloading rifles harvested 2,375 deer during the 2015 Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season (Dec. 11-13, 2015), compared with 3,471 in 2014. Late-Winter Seasons: The 2015-16 Late-Winter Antlerless Only and Special CWD deer seasons concluded on Jan. 17, with a combined preliminary harvest total for both seasons of 6,344 deer, compared with a harvest of 6,761 deer taken during those seasons in 2014-15. Season dates for the Late-Winter and CWD seasons were Dec. 31, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016 and Jan. 15-17, 2016. With the addition of Kankakee and Kendall counties this year, 14 northern Illinois counties were open to the Special CWD Season, compared to 12 in 2014-15. The Special CWD season is used to assist in slowing the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd. Eight fewer counties were open for the Late-Winter Antlerless Season in 2015-16 because they had reached deer population goals. The number of open counties went from 35 in 2014-15 to 27 for 2015-16. Counties that are at or below their individual goal for two consecutive years may be removed from the late-winter season. The tables below provide a county-by-county summary of preliminary deer harvest results for 2015-16 and harvest results for 2014-15.

2015-16 All SeasonsCountyArcheryYouthFirearmMuzzleloaderLW/CWDTotalAdams120790238767CLOSED3751Alexander2241154512CLOSED792Bond3491467712CLOSED1052Boone1463129235315Brown756511088473172259Bureau62722112746CLOSED1822Calhoun7404395444CLOSED1781Carroll56218780311361527Cass6052375819CLOSED1405Champaign3061221711CLOSED546Christian4641961216CLOSED1111Clark704311070471742026Clay491401096261301783Clinton3392261510CLOSED986Coles5331556421CLOSED1133Cook131CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED131Crawford79634964221641980Cumberland3911772417CLOSED1149DeKalb1492127434316DeWitt4871738517CLOSED906Douglas15841513CLOSED316DuPage37CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED37Edgar4062363713751154Edwards234134611363784Effingham4112987215CLOSED1327Fayette64152165534CLOSED2382Ford4931364CLOSED192Franklin105058135135CLOSED2494Fulton1621702164614594375Gallatin3472951615CLOSED907Greene66132118426CLOSED1903Grundy3434357896808Hamilton591461179281862030Hancock69249181379CLOSED2633Hardin43826100033CLOSED1497Henderson2821056011115978Henry4641874818CLOSED1248Iroquois3821555723CLOSED977Jackson108276236748CLOSED3573Jasper4964394237CLOSED1518Jefferson126391211556CLOSED3525Jersey4872666313CLOSED1189Jo Daviess1082472214465193908Johnson66961173142CLOSED2503Kane323032024379Kankakee2745194962544Kendall194489431322Knox948341331301892532Lake461CLOSED4CLOSEDCLOSED465LaSalle72119863121861801Lawrence4861465516CLOSED1171Lee4471662117791180Livingston244134271254750Logan2722942715CLOSED743Macon4691426216CLOSED761Macoupin91655154144CLOSED2556Madison857347368821717Marion897701547321832729Marshall337196076641033Mason3441949112CLOSED866Massac3691467024CLOSED1077McDonough44824836281491485McHenry5992334111061052McLean4621760721621169Menard334739713CLOSED751Mercer51924900251371605Monroe3122295811701373Montgomery6025292220CLOSED1596Morgan5083479117CLOSED1350Moultrie312132188CLOSED551Ogle73928928192361950Peoria87427110030CLOSED2031Perry80247134650CLOSED2245Piatt1244984CLOSED230Pike21421302211974725052Pope82938162242CLOSED2531Pulaski2181653325CLOSED792Putnam2665399573748Randolph972106233753CLOSED3468Richland3842374913CLOSED1169Rock Island71519818231431718Saline52624948201821700Sangamon7262572033CLOSED1504Schuyler857491415483422711Scott211844711CLOSED677Shelby674341159261132006St. Clair6042975417CLOSED1404Stark11052268CLOSED349Stephenson4908835112171561Tazewell5601855311CLOSED1142Union79155195162CLOSED2859Vermilion82031648231201642Wabash211112507CLOSED479Warren278860118CLOSED905Washington47927100019CLOSED1525Wayne88862160646CLOSED2602White58827854292491747Whiteside4771372614CLOSED1230Will754933516811195Williamson109450195326CLOSED3123Winnebago4859368101351007Woodford4963369716CLOSED1242Total5673228418683923756344155131

2014-15 All SeasonsCountyArcheryYouthFirearmMuzzleloaderLW/CWDTotalAdams1215672114104CLOSED3500Alexander2001640132CLOSED649Bond3441757429CLOSED964Boone1522110330297Brown72745997662392074Bureau62226102961CLOSED1738Calhoun6513480350CLOSED1538Carroll56512742261291474Cass5342563124CLOSED1214Champaign2981222821CLOSED559Christian4632253418CLOSED1037Clark70836927441391854Clay53041974361171698Clinton3801558318CLOSED996Coles496164301936997Cook119CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED119Crawford73833906401311848Cumberland334360813CLOSED958DeKalb1621133745348DeWitt4611734023CLOSED841Douglas131415610CLOSED301DuPage36CLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSEDCLOSED36Edgar3953051833791055Edwards249173971377753Effingham3542567820511128Fayette63742144454CLOSED2177Ford5071077CLOSED171Franklin99852117334CLOSED2257Fulton15588019791054444166Gallatin3291247027CLOSED838Greene64141103655CLOSED1773Grundy3459331990784Hamilton646331070451711965Hancock69942172181CLOSED2543Hardin4292884550CLOSED1352Henderson264125312481912Henry4411564525CLOSED1126Iroquois3461757031CLOSED964Jackson108064211871CLOSED3333Jasper4623885231CLOSED1383Jefferson137569194899CLOSED3491Jersey4373064931CLOSED1147Jo Daviess1130491996785103763Johnson78448153959CLOSED2430Kane341143124410Kankakee308918612CLOSED515Kendall164284537292Knox973561171462162462Lake460CLOSED3CLOSEDCLOSED463LaSalle75324794361401747Lawrence4682255827CLOSED1075Lee4461754016981117Livingston2361144419CLOSED710Logan2552835024CLOSED657Macon4791924320CLOSED761Macoupin821601202541452282Madison85420594261081602Marion964601359651892637Marshall3272156115761000Mason3311541120CLOSED777Massac3951755729CLOSED998McDonough46120765351031384McHenry526830910107960McLean5042755028701179Menard3111233215CLOSED670Mercer41834739271401358Monroe3733073820591220Montgomery5662586321721547Morgan4693270225CLOSED1228Moultrie3161920613CLOSED554Ogle66822837262261779Peoria88826895451962050Perry79639115164CLOSED2050Piatt16281175CLOSED292Pike217815221631475285168Pope95935150152CLOSED2547Pulaski2722149842CLOSED833Putnam255103571651689Randolph99881195788CLOSED3124Richland3862366822CLOSED1099Rock Island69022729361361613Saline52434780371471522Sangamon7152760837CLOSED1387Schuyler811611317662682523Scott2171437924CLOSED634Shelby6262596035861732St. Clair5191663323CLOSED1191Stark1105220624365Stephenson4718777192191494Tazewell5212447719CLOSED1041Union90965162486CLOSED2684Vermilion78428561371081518Wabash240102369CLOSED495Warren27994903076884Washington4772089332CLOSED1422Wayne841411404582862630White64034777392761766Whiteside4731559617CLOSED1101Will7252027522511093Williamson110041162758CLOSED2826Winnebago425734010130912Woodford4503458729CLOSED1100Total5614327707657534716761145720

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