Illinois Deer Hunting Season 2025, 2026
Recorded deer windows for Illinois, including history and unverified dates.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
2 of 6 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
Illinois Deer Season Calendar
Find all deer hunting season dates for Illinois including archery, rifle, muzzleloader, and shotgun seasons for 2025, 2026.
Deer Season Coming Soon
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Nov 20-22, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual 2026 Illinois rules PDF page 2: first Firearm base window, shown in the shotgun view. Permit is valid only for its specific county/hunt area; private-land permission and signed permit are required. Shotguns use slugs only, 10–20 gauge, at most three consecutive slugs. Qualifying centerfire single-shot rifles are also permitted subject to cartridge/bullet rules; this is not a rifle ban. Check current license/habitat-stamp exemptions, FOID, legal ammunition, sex/bag limits, tagging/harvest reporting, CWD rules and site closures. Not muzzleloader-only, youth, late-winter/CWD or site-specific dates; not individual permission.
Dec 3-6, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual 2026 Illinois rules PDF page 2: second Firearm base window, shown in the shotgun view. The November–December gap is not open under these records. Permit is valid only for its specific county/hunt area; private-land permission and signed permit are required. Shotguns use slugs only, 10–20 gauge, at most three consecutive slugs. Qualifying centerfire single-shot rifles are also permitted subject to cartridge/bullet rules; this is not a rifle ban. Check current license/habitat-stamp exemptions, FOID, legal ammunition, sex/bag limits, tagging/harvest reporting, CWD rules and site closures. Not muzzleloader-only, youth, late-winter/CWD or site-specific dates; not individual permission.
All Deer Seasons
6 seasons for Illinois deer hunting
Oct 1, 2025 - Jan 19, 2026
Unverified date record; agency review required. Extended archery in some counties
Nov 21 - Dec 1, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Unverified historical first-firearm summary; these dates were not checked against a dated source.
Nov 20-22, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual 2026 Illinois rules PDF page 2: first Firearm base window, shown in the shotgun view. Permit is valid only for its specific county/hunt area; private-land permission and signed permit are required. Shotguns use slugs only, 10–20 gauge, at most three consecutive slugs. Qualifying centerfire single-shot rifles are also permitted subject to cartridge/bullet rules; this is not a rifle ban. Check current license/habitat-stamp exemptions, FOID, legal ammunition, sex/bag limits, tagging/harvest reporting, CWD rules and site closures. Not muzzleloader-only, youth, late-winter/CWD or site-specific dates; not individual permission.
Dec 3-6, 2026
Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions. Actual 2026 Illinois rules PDF page 2: second Firearm base window, shown in the shotgun view. The November–December gap is not open under these records. Permit is valid only for its specific county/hunt area; private-land permission and signed permit are required. Shotguns use slugs only, 10–20 gauge, at most three consecutive slugs. Qualifying centerfire single-shot rifles are also permitted subject to cartridge/bullet rules; this is not a rifle ban. Check current license/habitat-stamp exemptions, FOID, legal ammunition, sex/bag limits, tagging/harvest reporting, CWD rules and site closures. Not muzzleloader-only, youth, late-winter/CWD or site-specific dates; not individual permission.
Dec 4-7, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Second firearm season
Dec 12-14, 2025
Unverified date record; agency review required. Muzzleloader only
Got your license ready to show?
Store credentials offline in Hunter Passport
Hunting Method Legend
Zone-Specific Information
Illinois has different deer hunting dates by zone. This page shows seasons for: General Firearm — first base window, permitted county/hunt area only, General Firearm — second base window, permitted county/hunt area only. Check the official state regulations for detailed zone maps and boundaries.
Important Note for Illinois
Only the two 2026 General Firearm base windows were reviewed, shown in the shotgun view. Qualifying single-shot centerfire rifles are permitted subject to current ammunition rules. Signed county/hunt-area permits, licenses/habitat stamp, FOID, sex/bag limits, tagging/reporting, CWD, land permission and closures require agency checks. Other hunt types/site-specific dates, historical rows and license-year metadata remain unverified.
Illinois Deer Hunting FAQ
Common questions about deer hunting in Illinois
When is deer season in Illinois?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-10-01 to 2026-01-19; 2025-11-21 to 2025-12-01; 2026-11-20 to 2026-11-22; 2026-12-03 to 2026-12-06; 2025-12-04 to 2025-12-07; 2025-12-12 to 2025-12-14. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
When does archery deer season start in Illinois?
Recorded archery deer window: Oct 1, 2025 to Jan 19, 2026. Unverified date record; agency review required. Extended archery in some counties
Does Illinois have a muzzleloader deer season?
Recorded muzzleloader deer window: Dec 12, 2025 to Dec 14, 2025. Unverified date record; agency review required. Muzzleloader only
Are there different deer hunting zones in Illinois?
Yes, Illinois has zone-specific deer seasons. The zones include: General Firearm — first base window, permitted county/hunt area only, General Firearm — second base window, permitted county/hunt area only. Check the season calendar above for zone-specific dates.
Do I need a license to hunt deer in Illinois?
Yes, you need a valid Illinois hunting license and any required deer tags or permits. Check with the Illinois wildlife agency for current license requirements and fees.
Deer Hunting in Other States
Compare deer seasons across states
View All Illinois Hunting Seasons
See recorded windows and their review status for other species in Illinois.
Your license shouldn't be harder to access than these regulations.
Hunter Passport stores every state's hunting license on your phone. Works without signal — three seconds from tap to warden.