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Illinois

Hunting

Hunting

Deer Hunting Regulations

Deer Hunting Credentials (does not include vendor or transaction fees)
PriceHow to apply for or purchase
License/Permit/StampResidentNon-ResidentLotteryOnlineVendorsPaper AppSpecifications
Hunting LicenseVariableVariablexxSee Statewide Regulations section for license types
State Habitat Stamp$5.00$5.00xxPurchasers of a lifetime hunting license prior to Jan 1, 1993 and legally disabled veterans and former prisoners of war are exempt from this stamp.
Super Senior Habitat StampFreen/axxMust be 75 or older and pay vendor fees.
Deer Firearm Permits
Either-Sex (ES) Permit$25.00$300.00xxxx
Antlerless-Only (AO) Permit$17.50$25.00 or
$100.00
xxxxNon-resident applicants must possess an ES permit to be eligible for a discounted ($25) AO permit. The nonresident $100 permit is only available at license vendors.
Deer Muzzleloader Permits
Either-Sex Permit$25.00$300.00xxxx
Antlerless-Only Permit$17.50$25.00 or
$100.00
xxxxNon-resident applicants must possess an ES permit to be eligible for a discounted ($25) AO permit. The nonresident $100 permit is only available at license vendors.
Deer Archery Permits
Combination Archery Permit (1 either-sex & 1 antlerless permit)$25.00$410.00xxNon-residents may obtain permits online from 6/1 until 6/30, after which permits are only available over-the-counter at vendors. Non-resident youth (<18 yrs.) may purchase a resident Combination Archery Permit for $25.
Single Either-Sex Permit$15.00n/ax
Single Antlerless-Only Permit$17.50$25.00 or
$100.00
xNon-resident applicants must possess an archery ES permit to be eligible for a discounted ($25) single AO permit.
Deer Landowner Permits
Combination Firearm Permit (1 either-sex & 1 antlerless permit)Free$175.00xLandowners and resident tenants (of commercial agricultural leases) must have at least 39.5 acres of land to qualify
for landowner permits. Permits are only valid on the owned/leased land. See 17 IL Adm. Rule 0528 at dnr.illinois.gov/ adrules.html.
Combination Archery Permit (1 either-sex & 1 antlerless permit)Free$210.00x
Deer Youth Firearm Permits
Either-Sex Permit$10.00$10.00x
Deer Late Winter Firearm Permits
County-specific
Antlerless-only
$17.50n/axOpen counties to be publicly announced; see our website at dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deerhunting.html
Special Hunt Area Antlerless-only$17.50n/ax
Special Chronic Wasting Disease Season Deer Permits
County-specific
Antlerless-only
$5.00$5.00xSee SPECIAL CWD DEER HUNTING
section for open counties.
Special Hunt Area Antlerless-only$17.50n/ax

Season Specific Regulations

  • Be sure to check regulations for the IDNR site(s) you intend to hunt, as some sites have more restrictive regulations on equipment, harvest reporting, etc. You can find site-specific regulations using the Directory or Hunt Planner
  • Full details on deer hunting can be found in the Statewide Hunting Regulations

Archery Season

  • Can use:
    • Vertical compound bow, traditional bow (recurve or longbow)
      • Minimum pull of 30 pounds at some point within a 28-inch draw
      • Arrows must be at least 20 inches long (not including point)
    • Crossbows
      • Minimum peak draw weight of 125 pounds
      • Minimum length (from butt of stock to front of limbs) of 24 inches
      • Has a working safety
      • Fletched bolts or arrows must be at least 14 inches long (not including point)
    • Points (all bows)
      • Broadheads must have fixed or expandable cutting surfaces and a minimum ⅞ inch in diameter when fully opened
      • Broadheads with fixed cutting surfaces must be metal or flint-, chert- or obsidian-knapped; broadheads with expandable cutting surfaces must be metal
  • Clothing requirements: None. But hunters using archery during other seasons should be mindful of blaze clothing requirements
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. Deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in.
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters must report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them.
  • Download Archery Deer Harvest Reporting and Hunting Regulations Information Sheet

Firearm Season

  • Can use:
    • Shotgun
      • Must use shotgun, loaded with slugs only, of not larger than 10 gauge or smaller than 20 gauge.
      • Barrel length shall not be less than 18 inches, and the overall length shall not be less than 26 inches.
      • Must not be capable of holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined. Any shotgun having a capacity of more than 3 shells must be fitted with a one-piece plug that is irremovable without dismantling the shotgun or otherwise altered to render it incapable of holding more than 3 shells in the magazine and chamber combined.
      • Minimum size of the projectile of .44 caliber.
    • Muzzleloader
      • Single- or double-barreled muzzleloading rifles of at least .45 caliber shooting a single projectile through a barrel of at least 16 inches in length. Scope is allowed.
      • Definition of what qualifies as a muzzleloader can be found in the Equipment section here.
    • Handgun
      • Centerfire revolvers or centerfire single-shot handguns of .30 caliber or larger with a minimum barrel length of 4 inches.
      • Must use a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case length not exceeding 1.4 inches, or a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger, both of which must be available as a factory load with at least 500 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. There is no case length limit for straight-walled cartridges.
    • Centerfire Rifle
      • a bottleneck centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger with a case length not exceeding one and two-fifths inches OR a straight-walled centerfire cartridge of .30 caliber or larger, available as a factory load with the published ballistic tables of the manufacturer showing a capability of at least 500-foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. No full-metal jacket bullets allowed.
      • Must not be capable of holding more than 1 round in the magazine and chamber combined.
      • Definition of what qualifies as a centerfire rifle can be found in the Equipment section here.
    • Archery
      • Vertical, traditional and crossbows can only be used on private propertyduring this season. See equipment specifications in the archery season section above.
  • Clothing requirements: A solid blaze orange or blaze pink cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material must be worn
Blaze Clothing Graphic
Blaze Clothing Graphic
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. Deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters in counties without CWD surveillancemust report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them
  • Successful hunters tagging a deer with their muzzleloader deer permit during the second weekend of the firearm season may, at their option, report their harvest either electronically or at a designated firearm deer check station by 8 pm on the day the deer was killed
  • Mandatory check stations: Deer harvested during firearm season in counties with CWD surveillance (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will, and Winnebago) need to be physically registered at a designated check station on the same day it was killed between 8 am and 8 pm. Check station locations are listed on the map below and can be downloaded in the Firearm Deer Hunting Information for CWD Counties information sheet
  • Firearm Deer Check Stations Map

Muzzleloader Season

  • Can use:
    • Single or double barreled muzzleloading rifle of at least .45 caliber shooting a single projectile through a barrel of at least 16 inches in length. A wad or sleeve is not considered a projectile or a part of the projectile. Scope is allowed
    • Definition of what qualifies as a muzzleloader can be found in the Equipment section here
    • Legal archery equipment can be used during this season, but archery permits must be used and blaze orange/pink rules apply
  • Clothing requirements: A solid blaze orange or blaze pink cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material must be worn
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. The deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in.
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters must report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them. Telephone check-in: 1-866-452-4325 (1-866-IL-CHECK)
  • Online check-in
  • Download a PDF of the Firearm/Muzzleloader Deer Harvest Reporting & Hunting Regulations Information Sheet

Special CWD Season

  • Can use:
    • Any legal firearms, muzzleloader or handgun as specified in the Firearm Season section above
    • Legal archery equipment can be used during this season, but archery permits must be used and blaze orange/pink rules apply
  • Counties Open: see map here: Late Winter and CWD map
  • Clothing requirements: A solid blaze orange or blaze pink cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material must be worn
  • Note: two antlered deer limit does not apply to this season
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. Deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters must report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them.
  • Download a PDF of the Firearm Deer Hunting Information for CWD Counties

Late Winter Antlerless-only Season

  • Can use:
    • Any legal firearms, muzzleloader or handgun as specified in the Firearm Season section above
    • Youth hunters can only use a shotgun or muzzleloader
    • Legal archery equipment can be used during this season, but archery permits must be used and blaze orange/pink rules apply
  • Clothing requirements: A solid blaze orange or blaze pink cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material must be worn
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. Deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in.
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters must report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them.
  • Download Late-Winter Deer Hunting Permit Information

Youth Firearm Season

  • Eligibility:
    • Youth must be less than 18 years of age on first day of hunt
    • Permit available to resident and nonresident youth, limit of 1 either-sex deer permit
    • Permit is valid on private land statewide, with landowner permission, or on public sites open to this season. See PDF list of open public sites here
  • Can use:
    • Shotgun, centerfire rifle or muzzleloader following specifications in the Firearm Season section above
  • Supervision: each youth hunter must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult that is in immediate control of the youth hunter at all times during the hunt. The adultmust have a current Illinois hunting license if a non-resident or if the youth is using an Apprentice or Youth hunting license
  • Clothing requirements: A solid blaze orange or blaze pink cap/hat and an upper outer garment displaying at least 400 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material must be worn by the youth hunter and the supervisor
  • Tagging: Immediately upon kill and before the deer is moved, transported or field dressed, the hunter must detach the appropriate leg tag from the permit to invalidate it and attach the tag to the leg using his/her own fastener through the holes provided. A head tag is also provided to hunters which must be used if the head or antlers is delivered to a taxidermist. The deer must remain whole (or field dressed) until it has been checked in
  • Harvest Reporting: Successful deer hunters must report their harvest by 10 pm on the same calendar day the deer was taken using the toll-free telephone check-in system or accessing the online check-in system as below. Before reporting your harvested deer, please look over the questions listed on the back of your permit and be prepared to answer them. Telephone check-in: 1-866-452-4325 (1-866-IL-CHECK)
  • Online check-in
  • Download a PDF of the Youth Deer Hunting Information Sheet

Management & Ecology

The IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources is tasked with restoring, managing, and protecting white-tailed deer and their habitats. Deer were nearly extirpated from Illinois due to overharvest by the end of the 19th century but today deer are primarily managed via regulated hunting seasons and harvest quotas.

Management: Wildlife management involves balancing ecological principles with human interests. IDNR incorporates information on harvest trends, hunter success, deer vehicle collisions, and agricultural damage to set county-wide harvest quotas. More information is available here about Illinois deer management.

  • Check historic deer harvest: IDNR Deer Harvest Query
  • Historical Statewide Reports (below; under Management by the Numbers)
  • Deer Harvest Summaries by County (below; under Management by the Numbers)

Ecology: Effective white-tailed deer harvest strategies require in-depth knowledge of the species’ ecology including behavior, food and habitat preferences, and disease dynamics. More information on these topics, and others, can be found at White-tailed Deer Illinois.

Disease

White-tailed deer are subject to several wildlife diseases that vary in their impact on humans, livestock, other wildlife, and deer populations. More information is available here about white-tailed deer diseases and parasites.

Illinois hunters are encouraged to report sick or dead deer to IDNR. Additionally, if abnormalities are detected while field dressing a harvested deer and there are concerns about consuming the meat, hunters should contact an IDNR District Wildlife Biologist.

Hunters should be particularly aware of the presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in counties of northern IL. Hunters are required to check their deer during firearm seasons in those counties. Find more information concerning check stations here.

Samples can be submitted from any county and will be tested by IDNR for CWD. We partner with taxidermists and meat processing facilities to encourage statewide testing. Yearly results and an overview of CWD occurrence in Illinois can be found here.