Jackson County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jackson County covers 602 square miles around Carbondale. Hunters took 3,340 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 3,710 (2018). That is down 2% from 2024. 17.2% of Jackson County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (50,822 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 forestNational wildlife refugesOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landJackson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 385,462 acres (602 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 3,340 (ten-year average 3,434) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 3,710 in 2018 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 17.2% (66,229 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 6 (10,881 acres inside Jackson County) |
| Towns in and near it | Carbondale, Makanda, Murphysboro, Hurst, Bush and Rockwood |
How many deer are harvested in Jackson County?
Hunters took 3,340 deer in Jackson County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 3,434. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 5,400 and its muzzleloader quota 590.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3,340 | 3,434 | 5,400 / 5,400 | 520 / 590 | No |
| 2024-25 | 3,403 | 3,456 | 5,400 / 5,400 | 486 / 590 | No |
| 2023-24 | 3,220 | 3,449 | 5,400 / 5,400 | 476 / 590 | No |
| 2022-23 | 3,464 | 3,441 | 5,396 / 5,800 | 485 / 590 | No |
| 2021-22 | 3,054 | 3,413 | 5,430 / 5,800 | 493 / 590 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Jackson County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Jackson County?
66,229 of Jackson County's 385,462 acres are public land open to the public (17.2%). The biggest share is national forest: 50,822 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jackson County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 50,822 | 13.2% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 10,880 | 2.8% |
| National wildlife refuges | 2,585 | 0.7% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,132 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 563 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 247 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 66,229 | 17.2% |
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 Jackson County
IDNR hunting sites in Jackson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Burning Star No. 5: 4,413 acres
- Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,752 acres
- Giant City State Park: 1,264 acres
- Lake Murphysboro State Park: 937 acres
- Campbell Pond State Habitat Area: 453 acres
- Trail of Tears State Forest: 62 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Shawnee National Forest (48,445 acres), Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge (1,927 acres), Kinkaid Lake Purchase Unit (1,243 acres), Middle Mississippi Purchase Unit (1,008 acres), Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (665 acres) and Shawnee Purchase Unit (152 acres).
How do you get to Jackson County?
Highways through it: IL 13 (about 38 miles inside), US 51 (about 29 miles inside), IL 127 (about 29 miles inside), IL 3 (about 26 miles inside) and IL 149 (about 21 miles inside). Towns inside: Carbondale, Makanda, Murphysboro, Grand Tower, Gorham and Ava. Nearby: Hurst (on the line), Bush (on the line), Rockwood (on the line) and Cambria (2 miles).
Which counties border Jackson County?
Jackson County touches 5 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 2,993 | 2025 | 6.7% |
| Union County | 2,109 | 2025 | 21.3% |
| Franklin County | 2,638 | 2025 | 1.1% |
| Randolph County | 4,148 | 2025 | 5.8% |
| Williamson County | 3,400 | 2025 | 32.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jackson County in 2025-26?
3,340, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 3,403. The county record is 3,710, set in 2018.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Jackson County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Jackson County?
66,229 acres, 17.2% 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 national forest (50,822 acres). IDNR's records show 6 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 Perry County Union County Franklin County Randolph County Williamson County