Southern Illinois fall deer harvest figures reported

Jackson County had the state's largest deer harvest in this fall's firearm hunting season, and Randolph County had the third largest, according to an Illinois Department of Natural Resources' preliminary report.

Illinois permitted firearm deer hunting from Nov. 16 to 18 and Nov. 29 to Dec. 2.

Over those seven days, Jackson County had a total of 2,439 deer harvested; hunters in Adams County (Quincy), killed 2,340 deer and Randolph County had 2,2 71 deer taken.

All figures are considered preliminary.

Altogether in Illinois, 80,896 deer were taken by hunters during the seven-day firearm season, the IDNR says, slightly more than the 80,117 deer harvested during the firearm season in 2017.

Remaining 2018-19 deer season hunting opportunities in Illinois are:

• Archery Deer Season continues through Jan. 20, 2019.

• The Late Winter Antlerless-Only Deer Season and CWD Deer Season (in designated counties only) will be on Dec. 27-30, 2018 and Jan. 18-20, 2019.

2018 deer totals for some southern Illinois counties, followed by their 2017 totals:

Franklin County: 1381; 1373

Gallatin County: 421; 448

Hamilton County: 1,150; 1,175

Jackson County: 2439; 2,302

Jefferson County: 1902; 2,081

Johnson County: 1,561; 1,589

Massac County: 455; 526

McLean County: 543; 491

Monroe County: 1,019; 941

Perry County: 1,351; 1,272

Pope County: 1,438; 1,502

Pulaski County: 281; 340

Randolph County: 2,271; 2,404

Saline County: 945; 977

Washington County: 1,018; 1,020

Williamson County: 1,849; 1,775.</group><group id="68D0DF6B-2CA7-4770-9669-476FEB7F1E57" type="seoLabels"><seoLabels></seoLabel