Lee County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Lee County covers 729 square miles around Dixon. Hunters took 1,404 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 1,542 (2005). That is down 6% from 2024. 1.3% of Lee County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (4,071 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 landLee CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 466,281 acres (729 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,404 (ten-year average 1,146) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 1,542 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | Yes |
| Public land | 1.3% (5,832 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 6 (4,071 acres inside Lee County) |
| Towns in and near it | Dixon, Amboy, Ashton, Walnut, Rochelle and Ohio |
How many deer are harvested in Lee County?
Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lee County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,146. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 2,400 and its muzzleloader quota 435. 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 | 1,404 | 1,146 | 2,046 / 2,400 | 207 / 435 | Yes |
| 2024-25 | 1,493 | 1,126 | 2,141 / 2,400 | 243 / 435 | Yes |
| 2023-24 | 1,213 | 1,088 | 1,889 / 2,400 | 237 / 435 | Yes |
| 2022-23 | 1,128 | 1,085 | 1,764 / 2,400 | 229 / 435 | Yes |
| 2021-22 | 1,060 | 1,107 | 1,774 / 2,400 | 230 / 435 | Yes |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Lee County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Lee County?
5,832 of Lee County's 466,281 acres are public land open to the public (1.3%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 4,071 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lee County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,071 | 0.9% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 880 | 0.2% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 600 | 0.1% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 281 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 5,832 | 1.3% |
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 Lee County
IDNR hunting sites in Lee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,532 acres
- Franklin Creek State Natural Area: 783 acres
- Sand Prairie State Habitat Area: 298 acres
- Sinnissippi Lake: 221 acres
- Maytown State Habitat Area: 158 acres
- Steward State Habitat Area: 79 acres
How do you get to Lee County?
Highways through it: I-88 (about 60 miles inside), I-39 (about 39 miles inside), US 51 (about 39 miles inside), US 30 (about 35 miles inside) and US 52 (about 31 miles inside). Towns inside: Dixon, Amboy, Ashton, Paw Paw, Franklin Grove and Sublette. Nearby: Walnut (2 miles), Rochelle (2 miles), Ohio (2 miles) and Deer Grove (3 miles).
Which counties border Lee County?
Lee County touches 5 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogle County | 1,620 | 2025 | 1.4% |
| Bureau County | 1,848 | 2025 | 1.6% |
| DeKalb County | 413 | 2025 | 1.2% |
| LaSalle County | 1,561 | 2025 | 1.7% |
| Whiteside County | 1,496 | 2025 | 2.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Lee County in 2025-26?
1,404, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,493. The county record is 1,542, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Lee 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 Lee County?
5,832 acres, 1.3% 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 (4,071 acres). IDNR's records show 6 sites open to hunting here.
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
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 Ogle County Bureau County DeKalb County LaSalle County Whiteside County