First Weekend of Firearm Season in Illinois Sees Harvest of 51,365 Deer

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,365 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season on Nov. 17-19. Hunters took 54,452 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2016.

Illinois’ seven-day Firearm Deer Season will conclude Nov. 30 through Dec. 3.

Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:

• Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season on Dec. 8-10;
• Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (first segment) in select counties only on Dec. 28-31, 2017;
• Late-Winter Antlerless-Only and CWD Deer Seasons (second segment) in select counties only on Jan. 12-14, 2018;
• Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 14, 2018 (archery is closed Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in counties open for Firearm Deer Season)

For details on deer hunting, open counties, and other information, check the IDNR website at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/DeerHunting.aspx