The Division of Wildlife Resources of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is mandated to restore, manage, and protect deer and their habitats.
Hunting has long been the standard tool to manage deer populations in Illinois. Development of an effective deer management program entails an annual evaluation of the deer population, establishing hunting season regulations and quotas in line with goals, and conducting hunting seasons to manage the deer population.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources uses deer harvest and deer–vehicle accidents statistics as the basis for management recommendations and decisions.
To view examples of the information available from the deer harvest data, please go to the Harvest Information section.
Research is a cornerstone of effective deer management. A wildlife management program depends on sound scientific principles and an understanding of long-term trends to maintain a healthy, productive deer population. Illinois deer managers work with a variety of research institutions to develop a better understanding of the role of deer in a changing environment and to keep up-to-date on the diverse views and needs of hunters, landowners, and others with an interest in deer.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources also encourages public involvement since including multiple perspectives is an important component of establishing deer management rules, regulations, and policies.
Deer–vehicle accidents were identified as a primary concern involving human safety and damage to property by the Illinois “Joint Task Force on Deer Population.”
Making use of these facts, biologists developed a simple, yet effective, approach to deer management. See Reducing Deer–Vehicle Accidents below for details.
Since deer–vehicle accidents are one of the major conflicts caused by an abundance of deer, it is logical to use deer–vehicle accident rates, rather than using specific numbers of deer or deer densities, as a measure to judge whether management is maintaining deer populations at acceptable levels.
By dividing the number of accidents by the number of vehicle miles travelled, biologists developed a deer–vehicle accident rate for each county.
Each county in Illinois is assigned a goal for reducing the deer–vehicle accident rate to a level at or below a set rate, achieved primarily by deer hunting. More hunting permits are issued as the accident rate increases.
Counties with deer infected with chronic wasting disease have objectives to reduce the size of the deer herd below the level determined by the deer-vehicle accidents index.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provides an Interactive Map for viewing deer–vehicle accidents across the state.
In Illinois, deer–vehicle accidents increase slightly during June, but the peak of accidents happening October through December. Motorists can reduce their chance of a deer-vehicle accident by knowing basic deer behaviors and following these tips:
A deer road sign like this one near the busy road alerts motorists that deer may be in the area." width="" />
Occasionally, a disease appears in the deer population, typically starting in one region.
Reports of animals displaying specific signs alert biologists of areas where a potential disease outbreak may be underway.
Definitive disease diagnosis requires testing tissue samples from a sick or freshly dead deer.
Many deer diseases are transmitted through saliva or fecal contamination by animals sharing common feeding sites. Consequently, Illinois law prohibits making food, salt, or mineral blocks available to wildlife in areas where wild deer are present.
