Calhoun County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Calhoun County covers 284 square miles around Hardin. Hunters took 1,696 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 3,255 (2006). That is about the same as 2024. 10.4% of Calhoun County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (12,266 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: IDNR's county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's land records.
IDNR sites open to huntingNational wildlife refugesOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landCalhoun CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 181,472 acres (284 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,696 (ten-year average 1,666) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 3,255 in 2006 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 10.4% (18,903 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 12 (12,265 acres inside Calhoun County) |
| Towns in and near it | Hardin, Batchtown, Kampsville, Grafton, Eldred and Nebo |
How many deer are harvested in Calhoun County?
Hunters took 1,696 deer in Calhoun County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,666. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 1,950 and its muzzleloader quota 350.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,696 | 1,666 | 1,950 / 1,950 | 342 / 350 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,698 | 1,675 | 1,850 / 1,850 | 268 / 270 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,670 | 1,659 | 1,700 / 1,700 | 270 / 270 | No |
| 2022-23 | 1,574 | 1,673 | 1,700 / 1,700 | 270 / 270 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,514 | 1,734 | 1,950 / 1,950 | 230 / 230 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Calhoun County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Calhoun County?
18,903 of Calhoun County's 181,472 acres are public land open to the public (10.4%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 12,266 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Calhoun County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 12,266 | 6.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,654 | 2% |
| National wildlife refuges | 1,826 | 1% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,107 | 0.6% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 50 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 18,903 | 10.4% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records. Hunting rules differ by manager: IDNR sites allow the seasons IDNR lists for each, some by permit or lottery only; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers land is open in many places under each project's own rules; forest preserves and city land are closed to most hunting.
IDNR hunting sites in Calhoun County
IDNR hunting sites in Calhoun County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mississippi River Area - Dog Island: 2,907 acres
- Mississippi River Area: 2,483 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Calhoun: 2,105 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Red's Landing: 1,380 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Fuller Lake: 1,015 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Diamond Island: 664 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Helmbold Slough: 639 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Hurricane Island: 404 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Iowa Island: 237 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Mortland Island: 225 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Turner Island: 137 acres
- Mississippi River Pool #24: 69 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (886 acres), Great River National Wildlife Refuge (782 acres) and Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge (189 acres).
How do you get to Calhoun County?
Highways through it: IL 100 (about 17 miles inside) and IL 96 (about 17 miles inside). Towns inside: Hardin, Batchtown, Kampsville, Brussels and Hamburg. Nearby: Grafton (on the line), Eldred (3 miles), Nebo (3 miles) and Pleasant Hill (3 miles).
Which counties border Calhoun County?
Calhoun County touches 3 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 4,724 | 2025 | 1.6% |
| Greene County | 2,177 | 2025 | 0.5% |
| Jersey County | 1,498 | 2025 | 6.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Calhoun County in 2025-26?
1,696, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,698. The county record is 3,255, set in 2006.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Calhoun County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Calhoun County?
18,903 acres, 10.4% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (12,266 acres). IDNR's records show 12 sites open to hunting here.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records. IDNR hunting sites: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from IDNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.