Piatt County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Piatt County covers 440 square miles around Monticello. Hunters took 450 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 619 (2005). That is down 2% from 2024. 1.5% of Piatt County is public land open to the public, the largest share other IDNR and state land (2,802 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 landPiatt CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 281,290 acres (440 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 450 (ten-year average 372) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 619 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 1.5% (4,240 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 1 (774 acres inside Piatt County) |
| Towns in and near it | Monticello, Bement, Hammond, Ivesdale, Weldon and Farmer City |
How many deer are harvested in Piatt County?
Hunters took 450 deer in Piatt County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 372. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 300 and its muzzleloader quota 100.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 450 | 372 | 300 / 300 | 87 / 100 | No |
| 2024-25 | 460 | 352 | 300 / 300 | 100 / 100 | No |
| 2023-24 | 395 | 335 | 300 / 300 | 97 / 100 | No |
| 2022-23 | 394 | 328 | 300 / 300 | 88 / 100 | No |
| 2021-22 | 363 | 329 | 300 / 300 | 75 / 75 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Piatt County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Piatt County?
4,240 of Piatt County's 281,290 acres are public land open to the public (1.5%). The biggest share is other IDNR and state land: 2,802 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Piatt County |
|---|---|---|
| Other IDNR and state land | 2,802 | 1% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 774 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 426 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 238 | 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 4,240 | 1.5% |
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 Piatt County
IDNR hunting sites in Piatt County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
How do you get to Piatt County?
Highways through it: I-72 (about 35 miles inside), IL 105 (about 29 miles inside), IL 32 (about 17 miles inside), I-74 (about 16 miles inside) and IL 10 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: Monticello, Bement, Hammond, Cerro Gordo, Atwood and Mansfield. Nearby: Ivesdale (on the line), Weldon (2 miles), Farmer City (2 miles) and Garrett (2 miles).
Which counties border Piatt County?
Piatt County touches 6 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 699 | 2025 | 1.7% |
| McLean County | 1,396 | 2025 | 1.3% |
| De Witt County | 1,001 | 2025 | 3.2% |
| Douglas County | 467 | 2025 | 0.4% |
| Moultrie County | 900 | 2025 | 2.8% |
| Champaign County | 678 | 2025 | 0.7% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Piatt County in 2025-26?
450, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 460. The county record is 619, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Piatt County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Piatt County?
4,240 acres, 1.5% 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 other IDNR and state land (2,802 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 Macon County McLean County De Witt County Douglas County Moultrie County Champaign County