Iroquois County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Iroquois County covers 1,119 square miles around Watseka. Hunters took 1,323 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 1,368 (2012). That is up 8% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 0.5% of Iroquois County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (3,134 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 landIroquois CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 716,095 acres (1,119 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,323 (ten-year average 1,022) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 1,368 in 2012 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 0.5% (3,931 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 5 (3,134 acres inside Iroquois County) |
| Towns in and near it | Watseka, Gilman, Onarga, St. Anne, Rankin and Hoopeston |
How many deer are harvested in Iroquois County?
Hunters took 1,323 deer in Iroquois County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,022. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 1,700 and its muzzleloader quota 400.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,323 | 1,022 | 1,700 / 1,700 | 396 / 400 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,226 | 991 | 1,300 / 1,300 | 400 / 400 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,042 | 965 | 1,100 / 1,100 | 400 / 400 | No |
| 2022-23 | 993 | 974 | 1,100 / 1,100 | 415 / 415 | No |
| 2021-22 | 892 | 1,011 | 1,100 / 1,100 | 379 / 385 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Iroquois County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Iroquois County?
3,931 of Iroquois County's 716,095 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 3,134 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Iroquois County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,134 | 0.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 387 | 0.1% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 175 | under 0.1% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 172 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges | 63 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,931 | 0.5% |
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 Iroquois County
IDNR hunting sites in Iroquois County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Iroquois County State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,678 acres
- Loda State Habitat Area: 160 acres
- Butterfield Trail State Recreation Area: 135 acres
- Clifton State Habitat Area: 82 acres
- Milk's Grove State Habitat Area: 79 acres
How do you get to Iroquois County?
Highways through it: I-57 (about 77 miles inside), US 45 (about 42 miles inside), IL 1 (about 39 miles inside), US 24 (about 34 miles inside) and US 52 (about 33 miles inside). Towns inside: Watseka, Gilman, Onarga, Loda, Clifton and Ashkum. Nearby: St. Anne (on the line), Rankin (2 miles), Hoopeston (2 miles) and Sammons Point (2 miles).
Which counties border Iroquois County?
Iroquois County touches 3 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County | 227 | 2025 | 0.3% |
| Kankakee County | 749 | 2025 | 1.5% |
| Vermilion County | 1,938 | 2025 | 2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Iroquois County in 2025-26?
1,323, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,226. The county record is 1,368, set in 2012.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Iroquois County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Iroquois County?
3,931 acres, 0.5% 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 (3,134 acres). IDNR's records show 5 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 Ford County Kankakee County Vermilion County