SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has announced hunters took a preliminary total of 71,675 deer during the seven-day 2021 Illinois Firearm Deer Season that concluded Dec. 5. Hunters harvested a final total of 77,160 deer during the firearm season in 2020.

The preliminary harvest for the second segment of the 2021 firearm season Dec. 2-5 was 21,375, compared with 29,432 during the second season in 2020. The preliminary harvest for the first segment of this year’s firearm season Nov. 19-21 was 50,300 deer.

Preliminary deer harvest totals for area counties for the first and second firearm season are as follows:

Bureau – 1st season: 619; 2nd season: 290; DeKalb – 1st season: 86; 2nd season: 29; LaSalle – 1st season: 409; 2nd season: 174; Lee – 1st season: 323; 2nd season: 132; Ogle – 1st season: 391; 2nd season: 166; Putnam – 1st season: 243; 2nd season: 78; Whiteside – 1st season: 353; 2nd season: 160.

Remaining 2021-22 deer season hunting opportunities in Illinois include:

• Late-winter antlerless-only deer season and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) deer season, in designated counties only, Dec. 30, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022 and Jan. 14-16, 2022;
• Archery deer season continues through Jan. 16, 2022.

Details on the late-winter season are available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/2021-2022%20Late%20Winter%20Hunting%20Information_DJS.pdf

Details on the CWD season are available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/2021-2022%20Special%20CWD%20Season%20Hunting%20Information_DJS.pdf

A map showing the counties open to the late-winter and CWD seasons can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/programs/CWD/Documents/Late_Winter_CWD_Map.pdf

For more deer hunting information, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx