Hunters in county harvest 1,060 deer

Harvest totals for hunters in Illinois were down significantly during the first weekend of this year’s firearm deer season, which was Nov. 18-20.

The second part of the season is scheduled for Dec. 1-4.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources reports that hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 54,452 deer during the first weekend of the 2016 season.

The harvest total was down from 57,870 deer which were taken during the first weekend of the 2015 firearm season.

Hunters in Union County harvested 1,060 deer during the first weekend of the 2016 season.

That total compares to 1,281 deer which were harvested during the first weekend of the 2015 season.

Harvest totals for other counties during the first weekend of the 2016 season, as compared to 2015, follow:

Alexander County: 283 in 2016, compared to 335 in 2015. Jackson County: 1,562, 1,586. Johnson County: 1,166, 1,213.

Massac County: 367, 418. Pulaski County: 281, 358. Williamson County: 1,060, 1,203.

IDNR notes that other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include:

Muzzleloader-only deer season, which is Dec. 9-11.

Late-winter antlerless-only and CWD deer seasons (first segment) in select counties only, Dec. 29, 2016, through Jan. 1, 2017.

Late-winter antlerless-only and CWD deer seasons (second segment) in select counties only, Jan. 13-15, 2017.

Archery deer season continues through Jan. 15, 2017. Archery hunting is closed Dec. 1-4 in counties which are open for the firearm deer season.

IDNR adds that a new rule allows hunters with a valid Illinois firearm deer permit to use archery equipment during firearm season on private land only. Archery permits are not valid during the firearm season, except in those counties closed to firearm deer hunting.