Edwards County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Edwards County covers 223 square miles around Albion. Hunters took 854 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 914 (2005). That is about the same as 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 0.1% of Edwards County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (162 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 huntingForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landEdwards CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 142,538 acres (223 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 854 (ten-year average 743) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 914 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 0.1% (181 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | None mapped |
| Towns in and near it | Albion, West Salem, Bone Gap, Grayville, Parkersburg and Bellmont |
How many deer are harvested in Edwards County?
Hunters took 854 deer in Edwards County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 743. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 700 and its muzzleloader quota 100.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 854 | 743 | 700 / 700 | 100 / 100 | No |
| 2024-25 | 850 | 736 | 700 / 700 | 100 / 100 | No |
| 2023-24 | 779 | 727 | 700 / 700 | 100 / 100 | No |
| 2022-23 | 785 | 718 | 700 / 700 | 107 / 120 | No |
| 2021-22 | 696 | 713 | 800 / 800 | 120 / 120 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Edwards County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Edwards County?
181 of Edwards County's 142,538 acres are public land open to the public (0.1%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 162 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Edwards County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 162 | 0.1% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 181 | 0.1% |
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.
How do you get to Edwards County?
Highways through it: IL 130 (about 22 miles inside), IL 15 (about 10 miles inside) and IL 1 (about 4 miles inside). Towns inside: Albion, West Salem, Bone Gap and Browns. Nearby: Grayville (on the line), Parkersburg (on the line), Bellmont (3 miles) and Golden Gate (3 miles).
Which counties border Edwards County?
Edwards County touches 4 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 3,288 | 2025 | 0.5% |
| White County | 1,790 | 2025 | 0.4% |
| Wabash County | 624 | 2025 | 1.2% |
| Richland County | 1,415 | 2025 | 0.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Edwards County in 2025-26?
854, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 850. The county record is 914, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Edwards County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Edwards County?
181 acres, 0.1% 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 land trusts and other open land (162 acres).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
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.
Illinois hunting Wayne County White County Wabash County Richland County