SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,409 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season between Nov. 21-23. Comparatively, hunters took 54,661 and 53,348 deer during the first firearm weekends in 2024 and 2023.
Randolph County hunters harvested 1,363 deer, down from 1,565 last year and 1,506 in 2023.
Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude December 4-7. Youth hunters with an unfilled, valid youth deer permit may hunt with the permit during the upcoming firearm deer season, December 4-7. This is the first year that unfilled youth permits are valid for both segments of firearm season.
Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:
- Muzzleloader-only deer season Dec. 12-14.
- Late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease deer seasons in select counties only, Jan. 1-4 and Jan. 16-18.
- Archery deer season continues through Jan. 18. Please note that archery deer hunting is closed Dec. 4-7 in counties open for firearm deer season.
Visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at https://dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deerhunting.html
for more details about deer hunting.