Illinois · Deer · 2026–27 Edition
Illinois Deer Season 2026–27: Dates, Zones & Bag Limits
01 — Seasons by method
| Method | Zones | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Archery · Segment 1 | Counties with a firearm season + west of State Route 47 in Kane County | Oct 1 – Nov 19 |
| Archery · Segment 2 | Counties with a firearm season + west of State Route 47 in Kane County | Nov 23 – Dec 2 |
| Archery · Segment 3 (late) | Counties with a firearm season + west of State Route 47 in Kane County | Dec 7 – Jan 17 |
| Archery (continuous) | Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane (east of State Route 47) | Oct 1 – Jan 17 |
| Archery · Antlered-Only | Illinois Restricted Archery Zone (Champaign, Douglas, Macon, Piatt — except Allerton Park) | Oct 1 – Oct 31 |
| Youth Firearm | Statewide | Oct 10 – Oct 12 |
| First Firearm | Counties with a firearm season | Nov 20 – Nov 22 |
| Second Firearm | Counties with a firearm season | Dec 3 – Dec 6 |
| Muzzleloader-Only | Counties with a firearm season | Dec 11 – Dec 13 |
| Special CWD (antlered or antlerless) · Segment 1 | Open CWD counties — see the digest's Special CWD Deer Hunting section | Dec 31 – Jan 3 |
| Late Winter Antlerless · Segment 1 | Participating counties — IDNR posts the list online in October | Dec 31 – Jan 3 |
| Special CWD (antlered or antlerless) · Segment 2 | Open CWD counties — see the digest's Special CWD Deer Hunting section | Jan 15 – Jan 17 |
| Late Winter Antlerless · Segment 2 | Participating counties — IDNR posts the list online in October | Jan 15 – Jan 17 |
02 — Bag limits
| Per permit | 1 deer per legally authorized either-sex, antlered-only, or antlerless-only permit. |
|---|---|
| Annual cap (all seasons) | No hunter may harvest more than 2 antlered deer per year (July 1 – June 30), across youth, archery, muzzleloader, and firearm seasons. Antlered = ≥1 antler ≥3 inches; antlerless = no antlers or antlers <3 inches. |
| Restricted Archery Zone | Oct 1 – Oct 31: only antlered deer (≥1 antler ≥3 inches) may be harvested, regardless of permits in possession. |
03 — Shooting hours
Legal light on opening day (October 1, 2026) 06:23 — 19:08
Rule: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — the digest prints this once for the whole deer table, so it covers archery, firearm, muzzleloader, youth, Late Winter and the Special CWD season alike. Sunrise/sunset shift daily — the times above are computed for opening day; use your local Illinois sun times for any other date.
04 — License
An Illinois hunting license and deer permit are required. Costs, age rules and where to buy are on our license page below.
Illinois hunting license cost & deer permits →
Where to hunt public land in Illinois — WMAs by county & access rules →
05 — Scouting gear
Scouting a property before Illinois's opener usually means glassing terrain and running a trail camera through the summer and early fall.
- Hunting binoculars on Amazon →
- Trail cameras on Amazon →
- Trail camera SD cards — class, capacity & format explained →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category links, not a single named pick — we run no product tests of our own.
06 — FAQ
When does deer season start in Illinois?
The earliest 2026–27 opener is October 1, 2026 — Archery · Segment 1, limited to Counties with a firearm season + west of State Route 47 in Kane County. Other weapons and zones start later — see the table above.
When does deer season end in Illinois?
The latest 2026–27 closing date is January 17, 2027. Individual methods and zones close on their own dates.
When does bow season start for deer in Illinois?
Archery · Segment 1 opens October 1, 2026 (Counties with a firearm season + west of State Route 47 in Kane County). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does rifle season start for deer in Illinois?
Youth Firearm opens October 10, 2026 (Statewide). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
When does muzzleloader season start for deer in Illinois?
Muzzleloader-Only opens December 11, 2026 (Counties with a firearm season). Later segments may follow — see the seasons table.
How many deer can you shoot in Illinois?
2026–27 bag limits: Per permit — 1 deer per legally authorized either-sex, antlered-only, or antlerless-only permit. Annual cap (all seasons) — No hunter may harvest more than 2 antlered deer per year (July 1 – June 30), across youth, archery, muzzleloader, and firearm seasons. Antlered = ≥1 antler ≥3 inches; antlerless = no antlers or antlers <3 inches. Restricted Archery Zone — Oct 1 – Oct 31: only antlered deer (≥1 antler ≥3 inches) may be harvested, regardless of permits in possession. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.
What time can you start shooting deer in Illinois?
On opening day (October 1, 2026) legal light runs 06:23 to 19:08. The rule is: Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — the digest prints this once for the whole deer table, so it covers archery, firearm, muzzleloader, youth, Late Winter and the Special CWD season alike. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Illinois sun times for any other date.
Can I hunt deer on my own land in Illinois without a license?
Illinois owners residing on, or bona fide tenants of, farmland — plus their children, parents, and siblings who live there too — may hunt any legal game on that land without a license. Deer and turkey run through a separate free Resident Landowner/Tenant Permit Program requiring 40 contiguous acres (20 in CWD counties).
Verified · Illinois Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-16
Publisher's note. Dates read from the full 2026-2027 Illinois Hunting & Trapping Digest, which IDNR published in August 2026 — this file previously carried a caveat that the digest was not yet online, and that caveat is now resolved. Every date below matches the digest's 'Deer Season Dates and Limits' table. Two seasons share the same dates but are NOT the same season, and the digest lists them separately: Special CWD allows an antlered or antlerless deer per valid permit and is explicitly exempt from the two-antlered-deer annual cap, while Late Winter is antlerless-only. Both run 31 Dec 2026 - 3 Jan 2027 and 15-17 Jan 2027. The Late Winter county list is still not published — the digest states it 'will be posted online in October'. Firearm/muzzleloader seasons are county-permit based ('counties with a firearm season') and IDNR does not enumerate that county list in the digest either; permits are quota/lottery-issued per county. The Restricted Archery Zone is Champaign, Douglas, Macon and Piatt counties EXCEPT Allerton Park in Piatt County; during Oct. 1-31 only antlered deer may be taken there regardless of permits held, and after Oct. 31 normal statewide archery rules resume.