Fulton County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Fulton County covers 883 square miles around Canton. Hunters took 4,267 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 5,717 (2012). That is about the same as 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 5.7% of Fulton County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (13,407 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 landFulton CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 564,864 acres (883 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 4,267 (ten-year average 4,027) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 5,717 in 2012 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 5.7% (32,227 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 4 (9,843 acres inside Fulton County) |
| Towns in and near it | Canton, Fairview, Lewistown, St. Augustine, Havana and Prairie City |
How many deer are harvested in Fulton County?
Hunters took 4,267 deer in Fulton County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 4,027. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 6,200 and its muzzleloader quota 965.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 4,267 | 4,027 | 5,633 / 6,200 | 765 / 965 | No |
| 2024-25 | 4,255 | 4,036 | 5,706 / 6,200 | 782 / 965 | No |
| 2023-24 | 3,924 | 4,027 | 5,690 / 6,200 | 772 / 965 | No |
| 2022-23 | 3,893 | 4,043 | 5,448 / 6,200 | 776 / 965 | No |
| 2021-22 | 3,723 | 4,225 | 5,561 / 6,200 | 813 / 965 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Fulton County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Fulton County?
32,227 of Fulton County's 564,864 acres are public land open to the public (5.7%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 13,407 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Fulton County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 13,407 | 2.4% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 9,842 | 1.7% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 3,210 | 0.6% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 3,133 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuges | 2,635 | 0.5% |
| All public land open to the public | 32,227 | 5.7% |
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 Fulton County
IDNR hunting sites in Fulton County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,104 acres
- Double T State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,891 acres
- Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,778 acres
- Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,070 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge (2,635 acres).
How do you get to Fulton County?
Highways through it: IL 97 (about 37 miles inside), IL 78 (about 33 miles inside), IL 9 (about 33 miles inside), IL 100 (about 30 miles inside) and US 136 (about 17 miles inside). Towns inside: Canton, Fairview, Lewistown, Farmington, Banner and Vermont. Nearby: St. Augustine (on the line), Havana (on the line), Prairie City (on the line) and Bath (2 miles).
Which counties border Fulton County?
Fulton County touches 7 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 2,339 | 2025 | 1.3% |
| Mason County | 1,071 | 2025 | 6% |
| Peoria County | 2,141 | 2025 | 4.8% |
| Warren County | 954 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Schuyler County | 2,784 | 2025 | 0.7% |
| Tazewell County | 1,548 | 2025 | 3.1% |
| McDonough County | 1,607 | 2025 | 0.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Fulton County in 2025-26?
4,267, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 4,255. The county record is 5,717, set in 2012.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Fulton County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Fulton County?
32,227 acres, 5.7% 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 (13,407 acres). IDNR's records show 4 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.
Illinois hunting Knox County Mason County Peoria County Warren County Schuyler County Tazewell County McDonough County