Perry County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Perry County covers 447 square miles around Du Quoin. Hunters took 2,993 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 2,993 (2025). That is up 4% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 6.7% of Perry County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (17,986 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 landPerry CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 286,077 acres (447 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 2,993 (ten-year average 2,663) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 2,993 in 2025 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 6.7% (19,052 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 1 (17,982 acres inside Perry County) |
| Towns in and near it | Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Tamaroa, Du Bois, Coulterville and Dowell |
How many deer are harvested in Perry County?
Hunters took 2,993 deer in Perry County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 2,663. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 3,200 and its muzzleloader quota 500.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,993 | 2,663 | 3,200 / 3,200 | 470 / 500 | No |
| 2024-25 | 2,890 | 2,600 | 3,200 / 3,200 | 449 / 500 | No |
| 2023-24 | 2,674 | 2,516 | 3,200 / 3,200 | 449 / 500 | No |
| 2022-23 | 2,746 | 2,468 | 3,183 / 3,200 | 458 / 500 | No |
| 2021-22 | 2,355 | 2,431 | 3,100 / 3,100 | 478 / 500 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Perry County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Perry County?
19,052 of Perry County's 286,077 acres are public land open to the public (6.7%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 17,986 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Perry County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 17,986 | 6.3% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 968 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 98 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 19,052 | 6.7% |
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 Perry County
IDNR hunting sites in Perry County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pyramid State Park: 17,982 acres
How do you get to Perry County?
Highways through it: IL 154 (about 26 miles inside), IL 13 (about 24 miles inside), IL 127 (about 20 miles inside), US 51 (about 19 miles inside) and IL 152 (about 7 miles inside). Towns inside: Du Quoin, Pinckneyville, Tamaroa, St. Johns, Cutler and Willisville. Nearby: Du Bois (on the line), Coulterville (on the line), Dowell (on the line) and Percy (on the line).
Which counties border Perry County?
Perry County touches 5 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 3,340 | 2025 | 17.2% |
| Franklin County | 2,638 | 2025 | 1.1% |
| Randolph County | 4,148 | 2025 | 5.8% |
| Jefferson County | 5,124 | 2025 | 4.8% |
| Washington County | 2,439 | 2025 | 0.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Perry County in 2025-26?
2,993, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 2,890. The county record is 2,993, set in 2025.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Perry County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Perry County?
19,052 acres, 6.7% 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 (17,986 acres). IDNR's records show 1 site 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 Jackson County Franklin County Randolph County Jefferson County Washington County