Jasper County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jasper County covers 498 square miles around Newton. Hunters took 2,531 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 2,531 (2025). That is up 12% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 2.9% of Jasper County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (8,922 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 huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landJasper CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 318,830 acres (498 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 2,531 (ten-year average 1,963) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 2,531 in 2025 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 2.9% (9,310 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 4 (8,922 acres inside Jasper County) |
| Towns in and near it | Newton, Ste. Marie, Willow Hill, Montrose, Dieterich and Oblong |
How many deer are harvested in Jasper County?
Hunters took 2,531 deer in Jasper County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,963. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 2,250 and its muzzleloader quota 350.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,531 | 1,963 | 2,250 / 2,250 | 350 / 350 | No |
| 2024-25 | 2,253 | 1,875 | 1,998 / 2,000 | 275 / 275 | No |
| 2023-24 | 2,125 | 1,788 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 275 / 275 | No |
| 2022-23 | 2,073 | 1,710 | 2,000 / 2,000 | 225 / 225 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,966 | 1,682 | 2,000 / 2,000 | 225 / 225 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Jasper County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Jasper County?
9,310 of Jasper County's 318,830 acres are public land open to the public (2.9%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 8,922 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jasper County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 8,922 | 2.8% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 280 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 65 | under 0.1% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 43 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,310 | 2.9% |
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 Jasper County
IDNR hunting sites in Jasper County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,197 acres
- Prairie Ridge-Jasper State Natural Area: 2,696 acres
- Sam Parr State Park: 962 acres
- Cecil E. Meeker State Habitat Area: 67 acres
How do you get to Jasper County?
Highways through it: IL 130 (about 25 miles inside), IL 33 (about 24 miles inside) and IL 49 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Newton, Ste. Marie, Willow Hill, Rose Hill, Wheeler and Yale. Nearby: Montrose (on the line), Dieterich (on the line), Oblong (2 miles) and Jewett (3 miles).
Which counties border Jasper County?
Jasper County touches 6 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 2,752 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Clark County | 2,186 | 2025 | 1.3% |
| Crawford County | 2,426 | 2025 | 1% |
| Richland County | 1,415 | 2025 | 0.8% |
| Effingham County | 2,180 | 2025 | 0.4% |
| Cumberland County | 1,543 | 2025 | 0% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jasper County in 2025-26?
2,531, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 2,253. The county record is 2,531, set in 2025.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Jasper County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Jasper County?
9,310 acres, 2.9% 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 (8,922 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 Clay County Clark County Crawford County Richland County Effingham County Cumberland County