Numbers Are In On First Weekend of Shotgun Deer Hunting Season

Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 51,365 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season November 17-19. Hunters took 54,452 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2016.

Illinois' seven-day firearm deer season will conclude November 30 through December 3.

Area counties and their totals compared to 2016:

Clay--760 this year, down from 784 in 2016

Cumberland--478, down from 494

Effingham--580, just behind 589 last year

Fayette--1,008, down from 1,050 last year

Jasper--663, down from 675

Shelby--733, down from 782 last year