LaSalle County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
LaSalle County covers 1,148 square miles around Ottawa. Hunters took 1,561 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 3,170 (2007). That is up 4% from 2024. 1.7% of LaSalle County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (7,378 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 landLaSalle CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 734,832 acres (1,148 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,561 (ten-year average 1,611) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 3,170 in 2007 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | Yes |
| Public land | 1.7% (12,469 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 8 (7,379 acres inside LaSalle County) |
| Towns in and near it | Ottawa, LaSalle, Peru, Wenona, Somonauk and Dalzell |
How many deer are harvested in LaSalle County?
Hunters took 1,561 deer in LaSalle County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,611. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 4,025 and its muzzleloader quota 825. Chronic wasting disease has been detected in the county.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,561 | 1,611 | 2,442 / 4,025 | 236 / 825 | Yes |
| 2024-25 | 1,504 | 1,631 | 2,403 / 4,025 | 251 / 825 | Yes |
| 2023-24 | 1,713 | 1,655 | 2,538 / 4,025 | 261 / 825 | Yes |
| 2022-23 | 1,637 | 1,673 | 2,437 / 4,025 | 297 / 825 | Yes |
| 2021-22 | 1,469 | 1,755 | 2,401 / 4,025 | 293 / 825 | Yes |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), LaSalle County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in LaSalle County?
12,469 of LaSalle County's 734,832 acres are public land open to the public (1.7%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 7,378 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of LaSalle County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 7,378 | 1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,385 | 0.3% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 2,070 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 626 | 0.1% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 10 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 12,469 | 1.7% |
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 LaSalle County
IDNR hunting sites in LaSalle County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Starved Rock State Park: 2,719 acres
- Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,199 acres
- Matthiessen State Park: 1,596 acres
- Pecumsaugan Creek/Blackball Mines State Natural Area: 199 acres
- Sandy Ford State Natural Area: 195 acres
- Buffalo Rock State Park: 194 acres
- Mitchell's Grove State Natural Area: 173 acres
- Illinois and Michigan Canal: 104 acres
How do you get to LaSalle County?
Highways through it: US 51 (about 86 miles inside), I-39 (about 74 miles inside), I-80 (about 60 miles inside), IL 23 (about 50 miles inside) and IL 71 (about 45 miles inside). Towns inside: Ottawa, LaSalle, Peru, Marseilles, Streator and Seneca. Nearby: Wenona (on the line), Somonauk (on the line), Dalzell (on the line) and Kinsman (on the line).
Which counties border LaSalle County?
LaSalle County touches 9 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 1,404 | 2025 | 1.3% |
| Bureau County | 1,848 | 2025 | 1.6% |
| DeKalb County | 413 | 2025 | 1.2% |
| Grundy County | 796 | 2025 | 3.1% |
| Putnam County | 763 | 2025 | 7.5% |
| Kendall County | 269 | 2025 | 2.7% |
| Marshall County | 1,167 | 2025 | 3.6% |
| Woodford County | 1,722 | 2025 | 1.6% |
| Livingston County | 775 | 2025 | 0.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in LaSalle County in 2025-26?
1,561, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,504. The county record is 3,170, set in 2007.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in LaSalle County?
Yes, by IDNR's 2025-26 county summary. Counties where CWD is found are usually open to IDNR's CWD deer season; IDNR's deer pages list the counties each year.
Is there public hunting land in LaSalle County?
12,469 acres, 1.7% 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 IDNR sites open to hunting (7,378 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 Lee County Bureau County DeKalb County Grundy County Putnam County Kendall County Marshall County Woodford County Livingston County