The total preliminary deer harvest of 180,669 compares with a total
harvest of 181,451 in 2011-12. During this year's deer seasons,
hunters took 49 percent does and 51 percent males. Illinois' record
deer harvest occurred in the 2005-06 season, when 201,209 deer were
taken.
"We hope Illinois deer hunters had an enjoyable time afield this
year and took advantage of the many hunting opportunities afforded
them," said Paul Shelton, manager of IDNR's Forest Wildlife Program.
"In the coming months, deer biologists will be reviewing all
available data and making any needed program changes in order to
ensure the continued well-being of Illinois' deer herd for this and
future generations."
The archery deer season concluded on Jan. 20, and hunters in
Illinois took a preliminary total of 59,728 deer (Oct. 1, 2012-Jan.
20, 2013), compared with the archery deer harvest of 61,974 in the
2011-12 season.
The 2012-13 late-winter antlerless only and special CWD deer
seasons also concluded on Jan. 20, with a combined preliminary
harvest total for both seasons of 14,726 deer, compared with a
harvest of 14,906 deer taken during those seasons last year. The
seven-day split seasons for the late-winter and CWD hunts were Dec.
27-30 and Jan. 18-20. Hunters in Boone, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess,
Kendall, LaSalle, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties
and Kane County west of Ill. Rt. 47 participated in the CWD season,
while another 56 counties were open for the late-winter season. The
special CWD season is used to assist in controlling the spread of
chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd, while the
late-winter season provides additional harvest opportunities as a
deer population management tool.
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In 2012, hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 99,461
deer during the firearm deer season (Nov. 16-18 and Nov. 29-Dec. 2),
3,630 deer during the muzzleloader-only deer season (Dec. 7-9), and
3,124 deer during the youth deer season (Oct. 6-7).
Click here for preliminary county harvest totals for all the
2012-13 Illinois deer seasons and a table of comparable figures for
the 2011-12 seasons.
Click here for preliminary county harvest totals for all the
2012-13 Illinois deer seasons and a table of comparable figures for
the 2011-12 seasons.
[Text from
Illinois Department of
Natural Resources
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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