Illinois archery deer harvest stays up: Pattern remains the same

By Dale Bowman

Deer stand n central Illinois last fall during the rut.
Dale Bowman/Sun-Times

Illinois bowhunters continue a harvest pace well ahead of last season.

Here is the latest from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (an editorial note, as always, the link below for current harvest is only for this season,).

ARCHERY DEER SEASON Through Sunday, December 17, Illinois archery deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 53,731 deer, compared to 48,924 for the same period in 2016. Total harvest to date has consisted of 45% does and 55% males (23942:29789). During the past week, does made up 57% of the harvest. Top five counties for the 2017-18 season through Dec. 17: Pike (1880), Fulton (1493), Jefferson (1257),Adams (1171), and Williamson (1063). County results are included in the attached table. Up-to-date archery harvest figures (for either deer or turkey) by county/state sites can be tracked on the web at http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/IDNRHarvestQuery.aspx

Here is the county-by-county comparison to last year:


County	2016	2017
Adams	1115	1171
Alexander	141	156
Bond	318	327
Boone	110	119
Brown	771	797
Bureau	583	621
Calhoun	552	610
Carroll	502	529
Cass	486	544
Champaign	270	330
Christian	391	446
Clark	707	763
Clay	486	486
Clinton	305	377
Coles	477	603
Cook	86	105
Crawford	739	845
Cumberland	341	428
DeKalb	158	142
DeWitt	383	441
Douglas	128	174
Dupage	22	34
Edgar	345	386
Edwards	188	207
Effingham	395	398
Fayette	621	707
Ford	41	47
Franklin	846	898
Fulton	1346	1493
Gallatin	225	245
Greene	581	735
Grundy	260	289
Hamilton	598	611
Hancock	670	740
Hardin	359	400
Henderson	234	234
Henry	392	437
Iroquois	312	314
Jackson	897	1036
Jasper	461	527
Jefferson	1137	1257
Jersey	432	450
JoDaviess	919	979
Johnson	578	633
Kane	206	264
Kankakee	251	240
Kendall	148	158
Knox	788	850
Lake	210	297
LaSalle	645	617
Lawrence	427	459
Lee	375	365
Livingston	179	203
Logan	231	267
Macon	373	428
Macoupin	798	983
Madison	677	751
Marion	818	928
Marshall	317	291
Mason	281	344
Massac	299	300
McDonough	472	504
McHenry	446	466
McLean	418	468
Menard	300	357
Mercer	397	481
Monroe	323	378
Montgomery	548	603
Morgan	473	540
Moultrie	230	329
Ogle	647	555
Peoria	738	818
Perry	729	744
Piatt	118	158
Pike	1854	1880
Pope	763	779
Pulaski	202	206
Putnam	218	195
Randolph	918	991
Richland	355	399
Rock Island	594	664
Saline	405	491
Sangamon	601	699
Schuyler	801	954
Scott	184	223
Shelby	604	691
St. Clair	483	571
Stark	103	108
Stephenson	439	456
Tazewell	431	491
Union	675	700
Vermilion	690	734
Wabash	179	191
Warren	236	249
Washington	431	483
Wayne	752	855
White	453	470
Whiteside	439	437
Will	600	624
Williamson	886	1063
Winnebago	422	424
Woodford	436	486
Total	48924	53731

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