Lawrence County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Lawrence County covers 374 square miles around Lawrenceville. Hunters took 1,404 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 1,433 (2005). That is down 1% from 2024. 2% of Lawrence County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (3,163 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 landLawrence CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 239,496 acres (374 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,404 (ten-year average 1,219) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 1,433 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 2% (4,721 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 3 (3,163 acres inside Lawrence County) |
| Towns in and near it | Lawrenceville, Sumner, Bridgeport, Allendale, Claremont and Flat Rock |
How many deer are harvested in Lawrence County?
Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lawrence County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,219. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 1,650 and its muzzleloader quota 260.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,404 | 1,219 | 1,498 / 1,650 | 161 / 260 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,424 | 1,199 | 1,494 / 1,650 | 159 / 260 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,327 | 1,164 | 1,395 / 1,650 | 152 / 260 | No |
| 2022-23 | 1,222 | 1,127 | 1,329 / 1,650 | 162 / 260 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,062 | 1,109 | 1,386 / 1,650 | 165 / 260 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Lawrence County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Lawrence County?
4,721 of Lawrence County's 239,496 acres are public land open to the public (2%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 3,163 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lawrence County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,163 | 1.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 844 | 0.4% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 665 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 49 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,721 | 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 Lawrence County
IDNR hunting sites in Lawrence County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area: 1,871 acres
- Red Hills State Park: 798 acres
- Chauncey Marsh State Natural Area: 494 acres
How do you get to Lawrence County?
Highways through it: US 50 (about 29 miles inside), IL 1 (about 21 miles inside), IL 33 (about 13 miles inside) and IL 250 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Lawrenceville, Sumner, Bridgeport, St. Francisville and Russellville. Nearby: Allendale (3 miles), Claremont (3 miles), Flat Rock (4 miles) and West Salem (6 miles).
Which counties border Lawrence County?
Lawrence County touches 3 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wabash County | 624 | 2025 | 1.2% |
| Crawford County | 2,426 | 2025 | 1% |
| Richland County | 1,415 | 2025 | 0.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Lawrence County in 2025-26?
1,404, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,424. The county record is 1,433, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Lawrence County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Lawrence County?
4,721 acres, 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 IDNR sites open to hunting (3,163 acres). IDNR's records show 3 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 Wabash County Crawford County Richland County