Schuyler County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Schuyler County covers 441 square miles around Rushville. Hunters took 2,784 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 3,243 (2007). That is down 2% from 2024. 0.7% of Schuyler County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (1,718 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 landSchuyler CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 282,377 acres (441 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 2,784 (ten-year average 2,629) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 3,243 in 2007 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 0.7% (1,879 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 3 (1,718 acres inside Schuyler County) |
| Towns in and near it | Rushville, Littleton, Camden, Ripley, Plymouth and Beardstown |
How many deer are harvested in Schuyler County?
Hunters took 2,784 deer in Schuyler County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 2,629. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 4,200 and its muzzleloader quota 600.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,784 | 2,629 | 3,858 / 4,200 | 514 / 600 | No |
| 2024-25 | 2,833 | 2,620 | 3,898 / 4,200 | 522 / 550 | No |
| 2023-24 | 2,609 | 2,584 | 3,750 / 3,750 | 489 / 550 | No |
| 2022-23 | 2,731 | 2,565 | 3,701 / 3,750 | 519 / 550 | No |
| 2021-22 | 2,701 | 2,610 | 3,667 / 3,875 | 476 / 550 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Schuyler County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Schuyler County?
1,879 of Schuyler County's 282,377 acres are public land open to the public (0.7%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 1,718 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Schuyler County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,718 | 0.6% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 95 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 55 | under 0.1% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 11 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,879 | 0.7% |
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 Schuyler County
IDNR hunting sites in Schuyler County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Weinberg-King State Park: 1,492 acres
- Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 131 acres
- Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area: 95 acres
How do you get to Schuyler County?
Highways through it: US 67 (about 22 miles inside), IL 100 (about 19 miles inside), US 24 (about 18 miles inside), IL 101 (about 17 miles inside) and IL 103 (about 9 miles inside). Towns inside: Rushville, Littleton, Camden and Browning. Nearby: Ripley (on the line), Plymouth (on the line), Beardstown (on the line) and Vermont (2 miles).
Which counties border Schuyler County?
Schuyler County touches 7 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 1,475 | 2025 | 10.8% |
| Adams County | 4,249 | 2025 | 3% |
| Brown County | 2,183 | 2025 | 2.5% |
| Mason County | 1,071 | 2025 | 6% |
| Fulton County | 4,267 | 2025 | 5.7% |
| Hancock County | 3,185 | 2025 | 0.5% |
| McDonough County | 1,607 | 2025 | 0.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Schuyler County in 2025-26?
2,784, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 2,833. The county record is 3,243, set in 2007.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Schuyler County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Schuyler County?
1,879 acres, 0.7% 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 (1,718 acres). IDNR's records show 3 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 Cass County Adams County Brown County Mason County Fulton County Hancock County McDonough County