SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has announced hunters took a preliminary total of 71,675 deer during the seven-day 2021 Illinois Firearm Deer Season that concluded Dec. 5.
Hunters harvested a final total of 77,160 deer during the firearm season in 2020. The preliminary harvest for the second segment of the 2021 firearm season Dec. 2-5 was 21,375, compared with 29,432 during the second season in 2020.
Randolph County hunters harvested 2,162 deer in 2021, 1503 in the first segment and 659 in the second. The Randolph County harvest was 2,249 in 2020 and 2,260 in 2019.
The preliminary harvest for the first segment of this year’s firearm season Nov. 19-21 was 50,300 deer.
Remaining 2021-22 deer season hunting opportunities in Illinois in include:
- Muzzleloader-only deer season Dec. 10-12
- Late-winter antlerless-only deer season and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) deer season, in designated counties only, Dec. 30-Jan. 2 and Jan. 14-16
- Archery deer season continues through Jan. 16, 2022.
Details on the late-winter season are available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/2021- 2022%20Late%20Winter%20Hunting%20Information_DJS.pdf
Details on the CWD season are available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/2021- 2022%20Special%20CWD%20Season%20Hunting%20Information_DJS.pdf
A map showing the counties open to the late-winter and CWD seasons can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/programs/CWD/Documents/Late_Winter_CWD_Map.pdf
For more deer hunting information, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx