Jersey County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Jersey County covers 377 square miles around Jerseyville. Hunters took 1,498 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 2,150 (2006). That is up 4% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 6.1% of Jersey County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (11,304 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 landJersey CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 241,519 acres (377 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,498 (ten-year average 1,312) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 2,150 in 2006 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 6.1% (14,754 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 8 (11,309 acres inside Jersey County) |
| Towns in and near it | Jerseyville, Grafton, Elsah, Medora, Brighton and Rockbridge |
How many deer are harvested in Jersey County?
Hunters took 1,498 deer in Jersey County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,312. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 2,100 and its muzzleloader quota 375.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,498 | 1,312 | 2,100 / 2,100 | 346 / 375 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,443 | 1,285 | 1,950 / 1,950 | 300 / 300 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,375 | 1,256 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 200 / 200 | No |
| 2022-23 | 1,328 | 1,252 | 1,796 / 1,800 | 170 / 170 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,225 | 1,291 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 155 / 155 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Jersey County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Jersey County?
14,754 of Jersey County's 241,519 acres are public land open to the public (6.1%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 11,304 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Jersey County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 11,304 | 4.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,364 | 1% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,050 | 0.4% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 36 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 14,754 | 6.1% |
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.
IDNR hunting sites in Jersey County
IDNR hunting sites in Jersey County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pere Marquette State Park: 5,360 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake: 2,811 acres
- Copperhead Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,443 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Glades: 1,177 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Twelve Mile Island: 240 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Piasa Island: 197 acres
- Mississippi River Area - Eagles Nest Island: 75 acres
- Mississippi River Area: 6 acres
How do you get to Jersey County?
Highways through it: IL 100 (about 56 miles inside), IL 16 (about 54 miles inside), IL 3 (about 22 miles inside), IL 109 (about 17 miles inside) and US 67 (about 16 miles inside). Towns inside: Jerseyville, Grafton, Elsah, Otterville, Fieldon and Fidelity. Nearby: Medora (on the line), Brighton (on the line), Rockbridge (on the line) and Kane (on the line).
Which counties border Jersey County?
Jersey County touches 4 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County | 2,177 | 2025 | 0.5% |
| Calhoun County | 1,696 | 2025 | 10.4% |
| Madison County | 2,051 | 2025 | 2.8% |
| Macoupin County | 3,533 | 2025 | 0.3% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Jersey County in 2025-26?
1,498, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,443. The county record is 2,150, set in 2006.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Jersey County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Jersey County?
14,754 acres, 6.1% 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 IDNR sites open to hunting (11,304 acres). IDNR's records show 8 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 Greene County Calhoun County Madison County Macoupin County