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Illinois firearm deer season harvest reported at 99,324

Archery season continues; muzzleloader, late-winter/CWD seasons ahead

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[December 08, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- Firearm deer hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 99,324 deer during the seven-day firearm deer season, Nov. 16-18 and Nov. 29-Dec. 2, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday. This year's preliminary firearm season harvest total compares with the 97,820 deer taken during the 2011 firearm season.

The preliminary harvest total for the second season, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, was 27,213, compared with the 31,259 deer taken by hunters during the second segment of the 2011 season. This year's preliminary deer harvest figure for the first season, Nov. 18-20, was 72,111, compared with a first-season harvest of 66,501 in 2011. The preliminary harvest totals include deer taken in all counties in which firearm deer hunting is permitted, as well as at Chain O'Lakes State Park in Lake County.

"If you enjoy deer hunting in warm, springlike weather, this was the season for you," said Paul Shelton, forest wildlife program manager for IDNR. "One of the benefits of having a split firearm deer season is that we typically avoid getting caught in a single weather pattern that might negatively impact the overall harvest. This year, conditions were much more favorable during the first season and less so during the second, but I think we're right on track with our harvest in most areas."

Preliminary harvest reports show the top five county totals for deer taken during the seven-day firearm season were Pike, 3,068; Fulton, 2,815; Adams, 2,534; Jo Daviess, 2,534; and Randolph 2,221.

Continuing and upcoming deer hunting opportunities in Illinois are:

  • The archery deer season, continuing through Jan. 20.

  • The three-day Illinois muzzleloader-only deer season this weekend, Dec. 7-9.

  • The seven-day split late-winter firearm antlerless-only and special CWD deer seasons, Dec. 27-30 and Jan. 18-20.

Permits for both the late-winter and special CWD seasons will be available over the counter through DNR Direct license and permit vendors beginning Tuesday. Archery and remaining muzzleloader-only permits are also available over the counter from DNR Direct vendors. Vendor locations by county are available on the IDNR website at this link: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/
LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx
.

For detailed information on the late-winter and CWD deer seasons, including information sheets listing open counties and permit limits, check the IDNR website at this link: www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer.

The table below includes preliminary county harvest totals for the first and second portions of the 2012 firearm deer season, the preliminary total firearm harvest for 2012, and the comparable county harvest totals for 2011.



County

1st season 2012

2nd season 2012


Total 2012


Total 2011

Adams

1,938

596

2,534

2,394

Alexander

304

144

448

536

Bond

545

209

754

786

Boone

96

46

142

129

Brown

992

417

1,409

1,224

Bureau

1,014

385

1,399

1,280

Calhoun

668

321

989

1,126

Carroll

835

316

1,151

955

Cass

580

233

813

674

Champaign

239

102

341

338

Christian

472

191

663

687

Clark

951

370

1,321

1,330

Clay

909

308

1,217

1,351

Clinton

580

176

756

845

Coles

502

167

669

788

Crawford

831

334

1,165

1,136

Cumberland

701

233

934

956

DeKalb

143

51

194

182

DeWitt

299

149

448

454

Douglas

145

48

193

242

Edgar

605

238

843

785

Edwards

314

116

430

411

Effingham

728

206

934

1,050

Fayette

1,284

438

1,722

1,952

Ford

96

40

136

139

Franklin

907

402

1,309

1,314

Fulton

2,048

767

2,815

2,581

Gallatin

331

181

512

582

Greene

991

359

1,350

1,386

Grundy

322

148

470

435

[to top of second column]

 



County

1st season 2012

2nd season 2012


Total 2012


Total 2011

Hamilton

841

348

1,189

1,173

Hancock

1,515

559

2,074

1,992

Hardin

790

234

1,024

1,093

Henderson

485

148

633

619

Henry

592

253

845

762

Iroquois

549

278

827

796

Jackson

1,621

594

2,215

2,229

Jasper

852

308

1,160

1,259

Jefferson

1,540

638

2,178

2,315

Jersey

677

254

931

882

Jo Daviess

1,877

657

2,534

2,229

Johnson

1,309

406

1,715

1,709

Kane

36

17

53

44

Kankakee

170

77

247

219

Kendall

56

57

113

102

Knox

1,146

456

1,602

1,479

Lake

9

0

9

5

LaSalle

887

318

1,205

1,147

Lawrence

432

160

592

560

Lee

565

218

783

703

Livingston

468

145

613

568

Logan

358

133

491

424

Macon

229

98

327

366

Macoupin

1,366

449

1,815

1,736

Madison

686

238

924

904

Marion

1,319

453

1,772

1,856

Marshall

597

180

777

767

Mason

438

177

615

595

Massac

463

238

701

642

McDonough

736

337

1,073

1,067

McHenry

287

128

415

337

McLean

602

183

785

724

Menard

345

122

467

423

Mercer

755

261

1,016

963

Monroe

794

217

1,011

950

Montgomery

773

274

1,047

1,177

Morgan

658

316

974

926

Moultrie

226

75

301

358

Ogle

796

301

1,097

1,034

Peoria

1,093

395

1,488

1,482

Perry

956

338

1,294

1,244

Piatt

135

59

194

185

Pike

2,108

960

3,068

2,958

Pope

1,212

367

1,579

1,741

Pulaski

439

218

657

709

Putnam

389

131

520

470

Randolph

1,665

556

2,221

2,185

Richland

532

219

751

817

Rock Island

690

278

968

912

Saline

690

327

1,017

996

Sangamon

644

230

874

794

Schuyler

1,225

479

1,704

1,628

Scott

352

138

490

519

Shelby

940

333

1,273

1,430

St. Clair

691

199

890

980

Stark

247

94

341

297

Stephenson

797

251

1,048

975

Tazewell

619

214

833

684

Union

1,319

479

1,798

1,704

Vermilion

627

320

947

960

Wabash

216

95

311

278

Warren

559

197

756

616

Washington

803

296

1,099

1,108

Wayne

1,188

528

1,716

1,871

White

602

270

872

992

Whiteside

648

220

868

744

Will

260

126

386

370

Williamson

1,145

527

1,672

1,741

Winnebago

379

124

503

437

Woodford

726

249

975

811

Total

72,111

27,213

99,324

97,820

[Text from Illinois Department of Natural Resources file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]

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