Harvest down for the youth firearm deer hunt: Illinois deer hunting

By Dale Bowman

A mounted buck against the sky of southern Cook County.
Credit; Dale Bowman

Not sure how much to read into the harvest downturn in the youth firearm deer hunt, held Saturday through Monday.

I think weather, especially on Saturday, probably contributed. Or maybe it was just a statistical anomaly.

I say that in part because the archery deer harvest through Monday is about what it was last year at the same point.

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

ARCHERY DEER SEASON Through Monday, October 9, 2017, Illinois archery deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 5,281 deer, compared to 5,413 for the same period in 2016. Harvest to date has consisted of 70% does and 30% males (3678:1603). Top five counties were Jefferson (150), Pike (127), Franklin (122), Fulton (118), and Jackson (104). YOUTH DEER SEASON Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 2,372 deer during the 3-day Youth Deer Season (October 7-9, 2017), compared to 3,259 in 016. Harvest sex ratios were 48.5% female to 51.5% male (1151:1221). Top five harvest counties were Pike (115), Adams (90), Randolph (88), Jefferson (76), and Jackson (67). County results for each season are included in the attached table.


County	2016	2017
Adams	143	83
Alexander	11	11
Bond	25	32
Boone	12	9
Brown	62	48
Bureau	61	68
Calhoun	66	34
Carroll	81	75
Cass	55	53
Champaign	47	40
Christian	51	51
Clark	69	68
Clay	52	35
Clinton	20	39
Coles	54	69
Cook	10	10
Crawford	76	93
Cumberland	24	44
DeKalb	18	28
DeWitt	67	69
Douglas	17	25
Dupage	0	2
Edgar	27	32
Edwards	12	25
Effingham	43	44
Fayette	66	71
Ford	10	5
Franklin	105	122
Fulton	147	118
Gallatin	13	20
Greene	63	64
Grundy	32	26
Hamilton	49	56
Hancock	67	55
Hardin	21	25
Henderson	13	15
Henry	55	59
Iroquois	31	39
Jackson	95	104
Jasper	44	54
Jefferson	133	150
Jersey	43	35
JoDaviess	121	65
Johnson	72	64
Kane	25	33
Kankakee	31	32
Kendall	20	16
Knox	92	97
Lake	21	30
LaSalle	81	64
Lawrence	28	43
Lee	43	46
Livingston	19	28
Logan	27	27
Macon	45	52
Macoupin	76	81
Madison	86	74
Marion	74	99
Marshall	41	36
Mason	23	32
Massac	20	22
McDonough	52	34
McHenry	70	35
McLean	46	82
Menard	27	36
Mercer	45	52
Monroe	30	38
Montgomery	75	61
Morgan	55	51
Moultrie	38	32
Ogle	90	68
Peoria	109	77
Perry	72	65
Piatt	15	25
Pike	206	127
Pope	29	59
Pulaski	18	17
Putnam	31	19
Randolph	110	96
Richland	29	34
Rock Island	85	68
Saline	40	46
Sangamon	67	77
Schuyler	64	59
Scott	12	10
Shelby	85	81
St. Clair	56	59
Stark	12	9
Stephenson	46	47
Tazewell	58	62
Union	72	71
Vermilion	102	98
Wabash	11	21
Warren	30	20
Washington	34	47
Wayne	62	86
White	28	28
Whiteside	62	56
Will	91	85
Williamson	109	98
Winnebago	50	44
Woodford	55	55
Total	5413	5281

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