SPRINGFIELD, IL – A preliminary total of 80,896 deer were taken by hunters during the seven-day Illinois Firearm Deer Season that concluded on Sunday, Dec. 2. The 2018 preliminary harvest total compares to the final total of 80,117 deer harvested during the firearm season in 2017.
The preliminary harvest for the second segment of the firearm season on Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 was 22,060, compared with 28,656 during the second season in 2017. The preliminary harvest for the first segment of firearm season on Nov. 16-18 was 58,836 deer.
Remaining 2018-19 deer season hunting opportunities in Illinois in the weeks ahead include:
• The Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season this weekend (Dec. 7-9);
• The Late-Winter Antlerless-Only Deer Season and CWD Deer Season (in designated counties only) will be on two upcoming weekends – Dec. 27-30, 2018 and Jan. 18-20, 2019;
• The Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 20, 2019.
Details on the Late-Winter and CWD seasons are available on the IDNR website at: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Documents/2018-2019%20Late-WinterSHAHuntingPermitInformation.pdf.
A map showing the counties open to the Late-Winter and CWD seasons can be found at: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/2018-2019%20Illinois%20Late%20Winter%20Counties%20map.pdf.
