Monroe County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Monroe County covers 398 square miles around Columbia. Hunters took 1,995 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 1,995 (2025). That is up 5% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 3.1% of Monroe County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (3,440 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 landMonroe CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 254,833 acres (398 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,995 (ten-year average 1,663) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 1,995 in 2025 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 3.1% (7,948 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 4 (2,627 acres inside Monroe County) |
| Towns in and near it | Columbia, Waterloo, Valmeyer, Red Bud, Dupo and East Carondelet |
How many deer are harvested in Monroe County?
Hunters took 1,995 deer in Monroe County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,663. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 3,500 and its muzzleloader quota 450.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,995 | 1,663 | 3,278 / 3,500 | 403 / 450 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,908 | 1,609 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 335 / 345 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,797 | 1,540 | 2,700 / 2,700 | 337 / 345 | No |
| 2022-23 | 1,796 | 1,488 | 2,691 / 2,700 | 332 / 345 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,578 | 1,457 | 2,700 / 2,700 | 341 / 345 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Monroe County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Monroe County?
7,948 of Monroe County's 254,833 acres are public land open to the public (3.1%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 3,440 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Monroe County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,440 | 1.3% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,627 | 1% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,202 | 0.5% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 620 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuges | 59 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,948 | 3.1% |
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 Monroe County
IDNR hunting sites in Monroe County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Fort Kaskaskia OWR: 1,813 acres
- Kidd Lake Marsh State Natural Area: 536 acres
- Annbriar Karst State Natural Area: 160 acres
- Illinois Caverns State Natural Area: 118 acres
How do you get to Monroe County?
Highways through it: IL 3 (about 34 miles inside), IL 156 (about 23 miles inside), US 50 (about 7 miles inside), I-255 (about 7 miles inside) and IL 159 (about 6 miles inside). Towns inside: Columbia, Waterloo, Valmeyer, Maeystown, Hecker and Fults. Nearby: Red Bud (on the line), Dupo (2 miles), East Carondelet (2 miles) and Ruma (2 miles).
Which counties border Monroe County?
Monroe County touches 2 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 4,148 | 2025 | 5.8% |
| St. Clair County | 1,928 | 2025 | 4.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Monroe County in 2025-26?
1,995, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,908. The county record is 1,995, set in 2025.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Monroe County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Monroe County?
7,948 acres, 3.1% 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 land trusts and other open land (3,440 acres). IDNR's records show 4 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.