As many of us anticipated for many reasons, harvest during Illinois’ first firearm season, Friday through Sunday, dropped. The drop was by more than 3,000 deer from first season in 2016.
Weather was certainly a factor with wind mattering nearly all three days statewide; and rain (and snow in some places) on Friday and Saturday impacted some portions of the state.
A small spike in archery harvest may have mattered, too.
Here is the official word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:
First Weekend of Firearm Season in Illinois Sees Harvest of 51,365 Deer
SPRINGFIELD, IL — Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,365 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season on Nov. 17-19. Hunters took 54,452 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2016. Illinois’ seven-day Firearm Deer Season will conclude Nov. 30 through Dec. 3. Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include: • Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season on Dec. 8-10; • Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (first segment) in select counties only on Dec. 28-31, 2017; • Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (second segment) in select counties only on Jan. 12-14, 2018; • Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 14, 2018 (archery is closed Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in counties open for Firearm Deer Season) For details on deer hunting, open counties, and other information, check the IDNR website at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx A table of preliminary Illinois firearm deer harvest totals by county for the first weekend of the 2017 season, and comparable totals for 2016, is below.
County | 2016 | 2017 |
ADAMS | 1642 | 1408 |
ALEXANDER | 283 | 291 |
BOND | 390 | 441 |
BOONE | 87 | 82 |
BROWN | 645 | 663 |
BUREAU | 704 | 632 |
CALHOUN | 482 | 505 |
CARROLL | 529 | 425 |
CASS | 475 | 429 |
CHAMPAIGN | 165 | 133 |
CHRISTIAN | 420 | 360 |
CLARK | 715 | 775 |
CLAY | 784 | 760 |
CLINTON | 457 | 495 |
COLES | 388 | 382 |
CRAWFORD | 656 | 673 |
CUMBERLAND | 494 | 478 |
DEKALB | 79 | 67 |
DEWITT | 192 | 180 |
DOUGLAS | 105 | 96 |
EDGAR | 387 | 365 |
EDWARDS | 282 | 273 |
EFFINGHAM | 589 | 580 |
FAYETTE | 1050 | 1008 |
FORD | 72 | 64 |
FRANKLIN | 807 | 854 |
FULTON | 1344 | 1270 |
GALLATIN | 296 | 282 |
GREENE | 660 | 641 |
GRUNDY | 214 | 157 |
HAMILTON | 786 | 779 |
HANCOCK | 1079 | 1082 |
HARDIN | 605 | 646 |
HENDERSON | 372 | 319 |
HENRY | 404 | 356 |
IROQUOIS | 326 | 297 |
JACKSON | 1562 | 1487 |
JASPER | 675 | 663 |
JEFFERSON | 1276 | 1328 |
JERSEY | 444 | 410 |
JODAVIESS | 1306 | 1155 |
JOHNSON | 1166 | 1091 |
KANE | 18 | 19 |
KANKAKEE | 125 | 118 |
KENDALL | 67 | 52 |
KNOX | 820 | 697 |
LAKE | 5 | 3 |
LASALLE | 537 | 431 |
LAWRENCE | 375 | 394 |
LEE | 359 | 328 |
LIVINGSTON | 293 | 246 |
LOGAN | 256 | 206 |
MACON | 170 | 150 |
MACOUPIN | 967 | 945 |
MADISON | 444 | 493 |
MARION | 1051 | 1081 |
MARSHALL | 382 | 424 |
MASON | 305 | 231 |
MASSAC | 367 | 282 |
MCDONOUGH | 597 | 525 |
MCHENRY | 168 | 151 |
MCLEAN | 363 | 324 |
MENARD | 238 | 226 |
MERCER | 605 | 518 |
MONROE | 704 | 661 |
MONTGOMERY | 551 | 509 |
MORGAN | 508 | 452 |
MOULTRIE | 134 | 138 |
OGLE | 538 | 443 |
PEORIA | 639 | 524 |
PERRY | 814 | 815 |
PIATT | 75 | 69 |
PIKE | 1346 | 1187 |
POPE | 1096 | 1092 |
PULASKI | 281 | 221 |
PUTNAM | 213 | 232 |
RANDOLPH | 1582 | 1603 |
RICHLAND | 528 | 481 |
ROCKISLAND | 552 | 455 |
SALINE | 618 | 618 |
SANGAMON | 385 | 391 |
SCHUYLER | 901 | 871 |
SCOTT | 264 | 196 |
SHELBY | 782 | 733 |
STARK | 136 | 135 |
STCLAIR | 480 | 477 |
STEPHENSON | 597 | 417 |
TAZEWELL | 351 | 333 |
UNION | 1060 | 977 |
VERMILION | 392 | 330 |
WABASH | 131 | 123 |
WARREN | 382 | 328 |
WASHINGTON | 672 | 695 |
WAYNE | 1035 | 977 |
WHITE | 547 | 497 |
WHITESIDE | 390 | 393 |
WILL | 168 | 153 |
WILLIAMSON | 1060 | 1048 |
WINNEBAGO | 217 | 161 |
WOODFORD | 417 | 404 |
TOTAL | 54452 | 51365 |