SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has released the deer season harvest totals for 2024-25.

Hunters across the state harvested a preliminary total of 170,758 deer during the archery and firearm seasons, which ended Jan. 19. The preliminary total for 2024-25 is an increase of 10,445 compared to the harvest of 160,313 deer for all seasons in 2023-24.

During the most recent seasons, hunters took 46.27% females and 53.72% males. Final harvest totals by season and county can be found in the annual deer harvest report. The report will be published later this spring.

The deer season harvest totals were also broken down for each specific season:

• Archery deer hunters took a preliminary total of 73,598 deer during the season that started Oct. 1 and finished Jan. 19. The total archery harvest during the 2023-24 season was 71,226.
• Youth deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 4,057 deer during the three-day Illinois youth deer season from Oct. 12-14, compared to 4,576 in 2023.
• Firearm season hunters took a preliminary total of 82,496 deer during the firearm season from Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8. This compares to a harvest of 76,494 deer taken during the 2023 firearm season.
• Muzzleloader hunters harvested a preliminary total of 2,832 deer during the muzzleloader-only season from Dec. 13-15, compared to a harvest of 3,378 deer during the 2023 season.
• Late-winter seasons: The 2024-25 late-winter antlerless-only and special chronic wasting disease (CWD) deer seasons concluded Jan. 19 with a combined preliminary harvest total for both seasons of 7,775 deer. Season dates for the seven-day late-winter and CWD seasons were Dec. 26-29 and Jan. 17-19. During the same season in 2023-24, 4,639 deer were taken.

Additionally, 18 Northern Illinois counties were open to the special CWD season, which is used to help with slowing the spread of chronic wasting disease in the Illinois deer herd. Twenty-seven counties were also open for the late-winter antlerless season in 2024-25 compared to 23 counties in 2023-24.

Any counties that are at or below their individual deer population goal for two consecutive years may be removed from the late-winter season.