Wabash County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Wabash County covers 228 square miles around Mount Carmel. Hunters took 624 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 737 (2005). That is up 13% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 1.2% of Wabash County is public land open to the public, the largest share land trusts and other open land (1,196 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 huntingForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landWabash CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 145,633 acres (228 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 624 (ten-year average 465) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 737 in 2005 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 1.2% (1,677 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 1 (414 acres inside Wabash County) |
| Towns in and near it | Mount Carmel, Bellmont, Allendale, Browns, Grayville and St. Francisville |
How many deer are harvested in Wabash County?
Hunters took 624 deer in Wabash County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 465. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 400 and its muzzleloader quota 75.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 624 | 465 | 400 / 400 | 75 / 75 | No |
| 2024-25 | 552 | 452 | 350 / 350 | 65 / 65 | No |
| 2023-24 | 521 | 446 | 300 / 300 | 65 / 65 | No |
| 2022-23 | 447 | 441 | 300 / 300 | 65 / 65 | No |
| 2021-22 | 399 | 448 | 350 / 350 | 65 / 65 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Wabash County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Wabash County?
1,677 of Wabash County's 145,633 acres are public land open to the public (1.2%). The biggest share is land trusts and other open land: 1,196 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wabash County |
|---|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,196 | 0.8% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 414 | 0.3% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 67 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 1,677 | 1.2% |
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 Wabash County
IDNR hunting sites in Wabash County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Beall Woods State Park: 414 acres
How do you get to Wabash County?
Highways through it: IL 1 (about 26 miles inside) and IL 15 (about 14 miles inside). Towns inside: Mount Carmel, Bellmont, Allendale and Keensburg. Nearby: Browns (on the line), Grayville (on the line), St. Francisville (2 miles) and Bone Gap (3 miles).
Which counties border Wabash County?
Wabash County touches 4 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| White County | 1,790 | 2025 | 0.4% |
| Edwards County | 854 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Lawrence County | 1,404 | 2025 | 2% |
| Richland County | 1,415 | 2025 | 0.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Wabash County in 2025-26?
624, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 552. The county record is 737, set in 2005.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Wabash County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Wabash County?
1,677 acres, 1.2% 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 land trusts and other open land (1,196 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 White County Edwards County Lawrence County Richland County