Firearm Deer Season numbers up slightly both statewide and locally

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 76,579 deer during the entire seven-day Illinois Firearm Deer Season that concluded Dec. 6, a slight increase from the 75,417 taken in 2019, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources reported.

The slight statewide increase includes similar small increases in Starved Rock Country and most of the surrounding counties, though not in La Salle, Putnam or Grundy counties, which all saw slight decreases.

In La Salle County, 697 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 703 a year ago.

In Bureau County, 1,001 deer were harvested, compared with 967 a year ago.

In Livingston County, 386 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 363 a year ago.

In Putnam County, 320 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 337 a year ago.

In DeKalb County, 113 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 108 in 2019.

In Kendall County, 78 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 65 a year ago.

In Grundy County, 252 deer were successfully hunted, compared with 266 in 2019.