First Weekend Deer Harvest Up From Last Year

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 52,354 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season November 18-20.

Hunters took 48,964 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2021.

Here are the totals for area counties:

Clay--889, up from 765 last year

Coles--487, up from 466

Cumberland--542, up from 531

Effingham--653, up from 637 in 2021

Fayette--1,184, up from 1,106 

Jasper--794, up from 715

Shelby--883, up from 864 in 2021

Illinois' seven-day firearm deer season will conclude December 1st through the 4th. Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:

--muzzleloader-only deer season December 9-11

--late-winter antlerless-only and Chronic Wasting Disease deer seasons (in select counties only) December 29-January 1 and January 13-15

--archery deer season continues through January 15, except during the second firearm season