Johnson County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Johnson County covers 349 square miles around Vienna. Hunters took 1,993 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 2,997 (1995). That is down 1% from 2024, and the fewest in the 5 years shown. 44.7% of Johnson County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (60,915 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 landLand trusts and other open landJohnson CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 223,158 acres (349 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,993 (ten-year average 2,179) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 2,997 in 1995 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 44.7% (99,681 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 6 (15,724 acres inside Johnson County) |
| Towns in and near it | Vienna, Goreville, Buncombe, Karnak, Creal Springs and Stonefort |
How many deer are harvested in Johnson County?
Hunters took 1,993 deer in Johnson County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 2,179. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 3,000 and its muzzleloader quota 450.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,993 | 2,179 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 420 / 450 | No |
| 2024-25 | 2,015 | 2,225 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 417 / 450 | No |
| 2023-24 | 2,017 | 2,266 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 449 / 450 | No |
| 2022-23 | 2,146 | 2,290 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 440 / 450 | No |
| 2021-22 | 2,018 | 2,320 | 3,600 / 3,600 | 424 / 450 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Johnson County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Johnson County?
99,681 of Johnson County's 223,158 acres are public land open to the public (44.7%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 60,915 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Johnson County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 60,915 | 27.3% |
| National forest | 18,500 | 8.3% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 15,725 | 7% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 3,855 | 1.7% |
| National wildlife refuges | 686 | 0.3% |
| All public land open to the public | 99,681 | 44.7% |
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 Johnson County
IDNR hunting sites in Johnson County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Cache River State Natural Area: 12,803 acres
- Ferne Clyffe State Park: 1,436 acres
- Cypress Pond State Natural Area: 629 acres
- Wise Ridge Bedrock Trail: 559 acres
- Deer Pond State Natural Area: 197 acres
- Skinner Farm State Habitat Area: 100 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Shawnee National Forest (11,636 acres), Shawnee Purchase Unit (6,863 acres) and Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge (626 acres).
How do you get to Johnson County?
Highways through it: I-24 (about 44 miles inside), US 45 (about 23 miles inside), IL 37 (about 22 miles inside), IL 146 (about 20 miles inside) and IL 147 (about 10 miles inside). Towns inside: Vienna, Goreville, Buncombe, Belknap, New Burnside and Cypress. Nearby: Karnak (on the line), Creal Springs (2 miles), Stonefort (2 miles) and New Grand Chain (3 miles).
Which counties border Johnson County?
Johnson County touches 6 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County | 2,070 | 2025 | 39.8% |
| Union County | 2,109 | 2025 | 21.3% |
| Massac County | 734 | 2025 | 6.1% |
| Saline County | 1,814 | 2025 | 12.3% |
| Pulaski County | 588 | 2025 | 10.4% |
| Williamson County | 3,400 | 2025 | 32.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Johnson County in 2025-26?
1,993, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 2,015. The county record is 2,997, set in 1995.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Johnson County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Johnson County?
99,681 acres, 44.7% 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 (60,915 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 Pope County Union County Massac County Saline County Pulaski County Williamson County