Wayne County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Wayne County covers 715 square miles around Fairfield. Hunters took 3,288 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary; the county record is 3,540 (2007). That is up 1% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 0.5% of Wayne County is public land open to the public, the largest share IDNR sites open to hunting (1,272 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 landWayne CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 457,907 acres (715 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 3,288 (ten-year average 2,763) |
| Record harvest (IDNR) | 3,540 in 2007 |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | No |
| Public land | 0.5% (2,224 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 2 (1,272 acres inside Wayne County) |
| Towns in and near it | Fairfield, Wayne City, Sims, Mill Shoals, Burnt Prairie and Bluford |
How many deer are harvested in Wayne County?
Hunters took 3,288 deer in Wayne County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 2,763. IDNR's firearm permit quota was 3,000 and its muzzleloader quota 400.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3,288 | 2,763 | 3,000 / 3,000 | 400 / 400 | No |
| 2024-25 | 3,266 | 2,701 | 2,797 / 2,800 | 350 / 350 | No |
| 2023-24 | 2,859 | 2,638 | 2,550 / 2,550 | 348 / 350 | No |
| 2022-23 | 2,792 | 2,605 | 2,697 / 2,700 | 323 / 325 | No |
| 2021-22 | 2,555 | 2,640 | 2,700 / 2,700 | 325 / 325 | No |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Wayne County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Wayne County?
2,224 of Wayne County's 457,907 acres are public land open to the public (0.5%). The biggest share is IDNR sites open to hunting: 1,272 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wayne County |
|---|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,272 | 0.3% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 464 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 411 | 0.1% |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 77 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,224 | 0.5% |
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 Wayne County
IDNR hunting sites in Wayne County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,184 acres
- Alvah Borah State Habitat Area: 88 acres
How do you get to Wayne County?
Highways through it: I-64 (about 50 miles inside), IL 15 (about 35 miles inside), US 45 (about 32 miles inside) and IL 242 (about 8 miles inside). Towns inside: Fairfield, Wayne City, Sims, Jeffersonville, Cisne and Mount Erie. Nearby: Mill Shoals (on the line), Burnt Prairie (on the line), Bluford (2 miles) and Xenia (2 miles).
Which counties border Wayne County?
Wayne County touches 7 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 2,752 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| White County | 1,790 | 2025 | 0.4% |
| Marion County | 3,885 | 2025 | 1.1% |
| Edwards County | 854 | 2025 | 0.1% |
| Hamilton County | 2,671 | 2025 | 1.8% |
| Richland County | 1,415 | 2025 | 0.8% |
| Jefferson County | 5,124 | 2025 | 4.8% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Wayne County in 2025-26?
3,288, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 3,266. The county record is 3,540, set in 2007.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Wayne County?
Not as of IDNR's 2025-26 county summary.
Is there public hunting land in Wayne County?
2,224 acres, 0.5% 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 IDNR sites open to hunting (1,272 acres). IDNR's records show 2 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 Clay County White County Marion County Edwards County Hamilton County Richland County Jefferson County