St. Clair County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
St. Clair County covers 674 square miles around Belleville. Hunters took 1,928 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 2,123 (2005). That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 4.2% of St. Clair County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (7,070 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 landSt. Clair CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 431,300 acres (674 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 1,928 (ten-year average 1,563) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 2,123 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 4.2% (17,936 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 5 (7,070 acres inside St. Clair County) |
| Towns in and near it | Belleville, O'Fallon, Cahokia Heights, Hecker, Venice and Trenton |
How many deer are harvested in St. Clair County?
Hunters took 1,928 deer in St. Clair County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 1,563. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 2,100 and its muzzleloader quota 450.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,928 | 1,563 | 2,100 / 2,100 | 438 / 450 | No |
| 2024-25 | 1,712 | 1,518 | 2,000 / 2,000 | 300 / 350 | No |
| 2023-24 | 1,696 | 1,468 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 275 / 275 | No |
| 2022-23 | 1,689 | 1,437 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 225 / 225 | No |
| 2021-22 | 1,547 | 1,439 | 1,800 / 1,800 | 205 / 205 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), St. Clair County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in St. Clair County?
17,936 of St. Clair County's 431,300 acres are public land open to the public (4.2%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 7,070 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of St. Clair County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 7,070 | 1.6% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 5,395 | 1.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 3,492 | 0.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,977 | 0.5% |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 17,936 | 4.2% |
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 St. Clair County
IDNR hunting sites in St. Clair County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Fort Kaskaskia OWR: 4,460 acres
- Peabody River King State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,607 acres
- Cahokia Mounds: 580 acres
- Frank Holten State Park: 265 acres
- Stemler Cave Woods State Natural Area: 158 acres
How do you get to St. Clair County?
Highways through it: US 50 (about 59 miles inside), I-64 (about 58 miles inside), IL 15 (about 49 miles inside), IL 13 (about 44 miles inside) and IL 4 (about 35 miles inside). Towns inside: Belleville, O'Fallon, Cahokia Heights, East St. Louis, Shiloh and Fairview Heights. Nearby: Hecker (on the line), Venice (on the line), Trenton (on the line) and Tilden (on the line).
Which counties border St. Clair County?
St. Clair County touches 5 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 1,995 | 2025 | 3.1% |
| Clinton County | 1,748 | 2025 | 1.1% |
| Madison County | 2,051 | 2025 | 2.8% |
| Randolph County | 4,148 | 2025 | 5.8% |
| Washington County | 2,439 | 2025 | 0.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in St. Clair County in 2025-26?
1,928, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 1,712. The county record is 2,123, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in St. Clair County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in St. Clair County?
17,936 acres, 4.2% 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 (7,070 acres). IDNR's records show 5 sites 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 Monroe County Clinton County Madison County Randolph County Washington County