FIREARM DEER HUNTERS TAKE 93,725 DURING 1996 SEASON
CONTACT: 217/785-0970
TDD: 217/782-9175
FAX: 217/524-4641
FIREARM DEER HUNTERS TAKE 93,725 DURING 1996 SEASON
SPRINGFIELD, ILL., Dec. 13, 1996 -- Firearm deer hunters
harvested a preliminary total of 93,725 deer in Illinois during
1996, a decline of 9,417 (9 percent) from 1995, Natural Resources
Department Director Brent Manning announced today.
The second-season harvest total of 33,765 was an increase of
4 percent more than 1995's 32,432, but did not offset the first-season decline of 16 percent. These results do not include deer
harvested during special hunts on state properties.
Paul Shelton, the Department's Forest Wildlife Program
Manager, said population modeling projections indicated virtually
no change in the statewide deer population during the past year.
While he characterized this year's harvest as a good one, he
noted hunting conditions this year just could not match the near
perfect conditions of 1995.
"As the Department accomplishes its goal of stabilizing
Illinois' deer herd, it is likely that fluctuations in annual
harvests will become the norm, rather than the continuing upward
trend that has come to be expected," Shelton said. "These annual
fluctuations will be heavily influenced by weather and crop
conditions, but are not likely to have a significant impact on
the success of the Department's deer management program."
This year, 8 percent of corn remained in the fields on
opening morning, particularly in bottomland areas, hampering
hunting success. Weather conditions were less cooperative as
well, with rain, snow and high winds marring portions of the
season. The weather was most adverse in northern Illinois and not
coincidentally, the greatest harvest declines occurred in
northern counties.
In comparison, last year hunting conditions were excellent
throughout the state during both seasons, and all corn crops had
been harvested by the onset of the first season. As a result, the
1995 harvest exceeded projections.
Shelton said a drop in harvest numbers sometimes results in
rumors of a special third season to take more deer, but he
characterized this year's harvest as a good one and emphasized
that another season was not necessary.
The Department's Permit Office issued 284,979 permits,
including free landowner and paid landowner permits, for the two
firearm seasons, Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8.
###
Preliminary 1996 Firearm Harvest Report, December 13, 1996
1996
1996
1st SEASON
2nd SEASON
1996
1995
COUNTY
HARVEST
HARVEST
TOTAL
TOTAL
DIFFERENCE
ADAMS
1862
886
2748
3069
-321
ALEXANDER
229
129
358
379
-21
BOND
465
301
766
877
-111
BOONE
163
186
349
444
-95
BROWN
1076
548
1624
1914
-290
BUREAU
649
389
1038
1202
-164
CALHOUN
883
386
1269
1209
60
CARROLL
611
359
970
1121
-151
CASS
436
228
664
817
-153
CHAMPAIGN
129
89
218
288
-70
CHRISTIAN
318
143
461
533
-72
CLARK
680
367
1047
1104
-57
CLAY
780
333
1113
1163
-50
CLINTON
516
171
687
604
83
COLES
379
262
641
675
-34
CRAWFORD
702
393
1095
1339
-244
CUMBERLAND
434
221
655
704
-49
DEKALB
175
176
351
389
-38
DEWITT
195
156
351
438
-87
DOUGLAS
118
62
180
225
-45
EDGAR
380
195
575
693
-118
EDWARDS
389
170
559
533
26
EFFINGHAM
475
238
713
762
-49
FAYETTE
1132
638
1770
1854
-84
FORD
62
30
92
138
-46
FRANKLIN
632
314
946
955
-9
FULTON
1234
569
1803
2142
-339
GALLATIN
398
211
609
475
134
GREENE
836
528
1364
1433
-69
GRUNDY
273
216
489
685
-196
HAMILTON
652
322
974
1073
-99
HANCOCK
1045
589
1634
1829
-195
HARDIN
692
253
945
978
-33
HENDERSON
495
215
710
733
-23
HENRY
396
323
719
772
-53
IROQUOIS
362
288
650
804
-154
JACKSON
1676
753
2429
2789
-360
JASPER
744
343
1087
1156
-69
JEFFERSON
1207
642
1849
1909
-60
JERSEY
485
254
739
822
-83
JODAVIESS
1494
771
2265
2639
-374
JOHNSON
1574
587
2161
2297
-136
KANKAKEE
118
76
194
260
-66
KENDALL
72
69
141
133
8
KNOX
670
481
1151
1317
-166
LASALLE
688
451
1139
1309
-170
LAWRENCE
390
262
652
749
-97
LEE
383
340
723
820
-97
LIVINGSTON
244
183
427
484
-57
LOGAN
236
149
385
447
-62
MACON
122
79
201
267
-66
MACOUPIN
1162
744
1906
1983
-77
MADISON
533
269
802
920
-118
MARION
838
472
1310
1252
58
MARSHALL
382
175
557
665
-108
MASON
378
184
562
671
-109
MASSAC
397
182
579
525
54
MCDONOUGH
457
296
753
923
-170
MCHENRY
377
390
767
862
-95
MCLEAN
431
401
832
900
-68
MENARD
327
197
524
533
-9
MERCER
408
370
778
804
-26
MONROE
519
236
755
821
-66
MONTGOMERY
779
489
1268
1384
-116
MORGAN
777
442
1219
1309
-90
MOULTRIE
109
53
162
213
-51
OGLE
768
659
1427
1580
-153
PEORIA
610
331
941
1206
-265
PERRY
1059
547
1606
1683
-77
PIATT
100
62
162
187
-25
PIKE
2387
1602
3989
4232
-243
POPE
1830
533
2363
2255
108
PULASKI
537
281
818
832
-14
PUTNAM
231
139
370
413
-43
RANDOLPH
1399
787
2186
2327
-141
RICHLAND
518
274
792
883
-91
ROCK ISLAND
411
259
670
810
-140
SALINE
573
273
846
818
28
SANGAMON
461
260
721
887
-166
SCHUYLER
986
638
1624
1791
-167
SCOTT
321
248
569
666
-97
SHELBY
655
371
1026
1092
-66
STARK
115
113
228
215
13
STCLAIR
575
331
906
1026
-120
STEPHENSON
559
591
1150
1373
-223
TAZEWELL
420
213
633
767
-134
UNION
1253
626
1879
2200
-321
VERMILLION
479
331
810
938
-128
WABASH
190
114
304
316
-12
WARREN
468
233
701
549
152
WASHINGTON
813
395
1208
1283
-75
WAYNE
840
448
1288
1403
-115
WHITE
585
313
898
943
-45
WHITESIDE
409
334
743
903
-160
WILL
180
131
311
366
-55
WILLIAMSON
1059
526
1585
1705
-120
WINNEBAGO
397
332
729
966
-237
WOODFORD
542
246
788
1011
-223
COUNTY TOTALS
59960
33765
93725
103142
-9417
TDD: 217/782-9175
FAX: 217/524-4641
FIREARM DEER HUNTERS TAKE 93,725 DURING 1996 SEASON
SPRINGFIELD, ILL., Dec. 13, 1996 -- Firearm deer hunters
harvested a preliminary total of 93,725 deer in Illinois during
1996, a decline of 9,417 (9 percent) from 1995, Natural Resources
Department Director Brent Manning announced today.
The second-season harvest total of 33,765 was an increase of
4 percent more than 1995's 32,432, but did not offset the first-season decline of 16 percent. These results do not include deer
harvested during special hunts on state properties.
Paul Shelton, the Department's Forest Wildlife Program
Manager, said population modeling projections indicated virtually
no change in the statewide deer population during the past year.
While he characterized this year's harvest as a good one, he
noted hunting conditions this year just could not match the near
perfect conditions of 1995.
"As the Department accomplishes its goal of stabilizing
Illinois' deer herd, it is likely that fluctuations in annual
harvests will become the norm, rather than the continuing upward
trend that has come to be expected," Shelton said. "These annual
fluctuations will be heavily influenced by weather and crop
conditions, but are not likely to have a significant impact on
the success of the Department's deer management program."
This year, 8 percent of corn remained in the fields on
opening morning, particularly in bottomland areas, hampering
hunting success. Weather conditions were less cooperative as
well, with rain, snow and high winds marring portions of the
season. The weather was most adverse in northern Illinois and not
coincidentally, the greatest harvest declines occurred in
northern counties.
In comparison, last year hunting conditions were excellent
throughout the state during both seasons, and all corn crops had
been harvested by the onset of the first season. As a result, the
1995 harvest exceeded projections.
Shelton said a drop in harvest numbers sometimes results in
rumors of a special third season to take more deer, but he
characterized this year's harvest as a good one and emphasized
that another season was not necessary.
The Department's Permit Office issued 284,979 permits,
including free landowner and paid landowner permits, for the two
firearm seasons, Nov. 22-24 and Dec. 5-8.
###
Preliminary 1996 Firearm Harvest Report, December 13, 1996
1996
1996
1st SEASON
2nd SEASON
1996
1995
COUNTY
HARVEST
HARVEST
TOTAL
TOTAL
DIFFERENCE
ADAMS
1862
886
2748
3069
-321
ALEXANDER
229
129
358
379
-21
BOND
465
301
766
877
-111
BOONE
163
186
349
444
-95
BROWN
1076
548
1624
1914
-290
BUREAU
649
389
1038
1202
-164
CALHOUN
883
386
1269
1209
60
CARROLL
611
359
970
1121
-151
CASS
436
228
664
817
-153
CHAMPAIGN
129
89
218
288
-70
CHRISTIAN
318
143
461
533
-72
CLARK
680
367
1047
1104
-57
CLAY
780
333
1113
1163
-50
CLINTON
516
171
687
604
83
COLES
379
262
641
675
-34
CRAWFORD
702
393
1095
1339
-244
CUMBERLAND
434
221
655
704
-49
DEKALB
175
176
351
389
-38
DEWITT
195
156
351
438
-87
DOUGLAS
118
62
180
225
-45
EDGAR
380
195
575
693
-118
EDWARDS
389
170
559
533
26
EFFINGHAM
475
238
713
762
-49
FAYETTE
1132
638
1770
1854
-84
FORD
62
30
92
138
-46
FRANKLIN
632
314
946
955
-9
FULTON
1234
569
1803
2142
-339
GALLATIN
398
211
609
475
134
GREENE
836
528
1364
1433
-69
GRUNDY
273
216
489
685
-196
HAMILTON
652
322
974
1073
-99
HANCOCK
1045
589
1634
1829
-195
HARDIN
692
253
945
978
-33
HENDERSON
495
215
710
733
-23
HENRY
396
323
719
772
-53
IROQUOIS
362
288
650
804
-154
JACKSON
1676
753
2429
2789
-360
JASPER
744
343
1087
1156
-69
JEFFERSON
1207
642
1849
1909
-60
JERSEY
485
254
739
822
-83
JODAVIESS
1494
771
2265
2639
-374
JOHNSON
1574
587
2161
2297
-136
KANKAKEE
118
76
194
260
-66
KENDALL
72
69
141
133
8
KNOX
670
481
1151
1317
-166
LASALLE
688
451
1139
1309
-170
LAWRENCE
390
262
652
749
-97
LEE
383
340
723
820
-97
LIVINGSTON
244
183
427
484
-57
LOGAN
236
149
385
447
-62
MACON
122
79
201
267
-66
MACOUPIN
1162
744
1906
1983
-77
MADISON
533
269
802
920
-118
MARION
838
472
1310
1252
58
MARSHALL
382
175
557
665
-108
MASON
378
184
562
671
-109
MASSAC
397
182
579
525
54
MCDONOUGH
457
296
753
923
-170
MCHENRY
377
390
767
862
-95
MCLEAN
431
401
832
900
-68
MENARD
327
197
524
533
-9
MERCER
408
370
778
804
-26
MONROE
519
236
755
821
-66
MONTGOMERY
779
489
1268
1384
-116
MORGAN
777
442
1219
1309
-90
MOULTRIE
109
53
162
213
-51
OGLE
768
659
1427
1580
-153
PEORIA
610
331
941
1206
-265
PERRY
1059
547
1606
1683
-77
PIATT
100
62
162
187
-25
PIKE
2387
1602
3989
4232
-243
POPE
1830
533
2363
2255
108
PULASKI
537
281
818
832
-14
PUTNAM
231
139
370
413
-43
RANDOLPH
1399
787
2186
2327
-141
RICHLAND
518
274
792
883
-91
ROCK ISLAND
411
259
670
810
-140
SALINE
573
273
846
818
28
SANGAMON
461
260
721
887
-166
SCHUYLER
986
638
1624
1791
-167
SCOTT
321
248
569
666
-97
SHELBY
655
371
1026
1092
-66
STARK
115
113
228
215
13
STCLAIR
575
331
906
1026
-120
STEPHENSON
559
591
1150
1373
-223
TAZEWELL
420
213
633
767
-134
UNION
1253
626
1879
2200
-321
VERMILLION
479
331
810
938
-128
WABASH
190
114
304
316
-12
WARREN
468
233
701
549
152
WASHINGTON
813
395
1208
1283
-75
WAYNE
840
448
1288
1403
-115
WHITE
585
313
898
943
-45
WHITESIDE
409
334
743
903
-160
WILL
180
131
311
366
-55
WILLIAMSON
1059
526
1585
1705
-120
WINNEBAGO
397
332
729
966
-237
WOODFORD
542
246
788
1011
-223
COUNTY TOTALS
59960
33765
93725
103142
-9417
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