SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 76,232 deer during the seven-day 2023 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 3. Comparatively, hunters harvested 76,854 deer during the 2022 firearm season.

The preliminary harvest for the second segment of the 2023 firearm season Nov. 30-Dec. 3 was 22,884, compared with 24,500 deer harvested during the second part of the 2022 season.

The preliminary harvest for the first segment of this year’s firearm season Nov. 17-19 was 53,348 deer.

Deer harvest totals for the second season in area counties are as follows, with the firearm total for both seasons in parentheses:

Bureau – 288 (983); DeKalb – 43 (126); LaSalle – 222 (721); Lee – 156 (541); Ogle – 164 (667); Putnam – 90 (334); Whiteside – 189 (591).

Remaining 2023-2024 deer hunting opportunities in Illinois include:

• Late-winter antlerless-only and chronic wasting disease (CWD) season, in designated counties only, Dec. 28-31 and Jan. 12-14. A map showing the counties open to late-winter and CWD seasons can be found at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.
• Archery deer season continues through Jan. 14.

More deer hunting information is available the IDNR website.