Is Illinois Deer Season Open Now? What the 2026-27 Dates and Rules Require
November 6, 2026
Deer hunting season in Illinois 2026-27 runs from October 1 to January 17, but your permit decides which of those days you can actually hunt. The state splits its gun seasons across two short windows, closes archery during them in most counties, and sells firearm permits by county through a lottery.
This article lays out the dates, the permit calendar, the rules for each weapon type and the CWD requirements, so you can plan around what the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has published. Where a figure is not spelled out here, the IDNR page linked in that section is the place to confirm it.
Deer Hunting Season Dates in Illinois 2026-27
As of November 2026, IDNR’s deer hunting page lists the late winter and CWD seasons for December 31, 2026 through January 3, 2027, and January 15-17, 2027. The rest of the calendar sits on separate IDNR pages for archery and for firearm and muzzleloader hunting.
| Season | 2026-27 Dates |
|---|---|
| Archery (firearm counties, Kane County west of Route 47) | Oct. 1 – Nov. 19; Nov. 23 – Dec. 2; Dec. 7 – Jan. 17, 2027 |
| Archery (Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane east of Route 47) | Oct. 1, 2026 – Jan. 17, 2027 |
| Youth Firearm | Oct. 10-12, 2026 |
| First Firearm | Nov. 20-22, 2026 |
| Second Firearm | Dec. 3-6, 2026 |
| Muzzleloader-Only | Dec. 11-13, 2026 |
| Late Winter Antlerless and Special CWD | Dec. 31, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027; Jan. 15-17, 2027 |
Archery dates come from IDNR’s archery page, and the gun dates from its firearm and muzzleloader page. The youth dates come from the Hunt Illinois season table.
Archery and Crossbow Deer Season in Illinois
Archery is the longest opportunity you have. In counties that hold a firearm season, IDNR splits archery into three segments: October 1 to November 19, November 23 to December 2, and December 7, 2026 to January 17, 2027.
The gaps match the two firearm seasons. Cook, DuPage, Lake and Kane County east of State Route 47 run straight through, October 1 to January 17, with no closures.
Illinois also has a Restricted Archery Zone made up of Champaign, Douglas, Macon and Piatt Counties, except Allerton Park in Piatt County. Per IDNR, only antlered deer may be taken there from October 1 to October 31, regardless of the permits you hold.
For the equipment side, including bow and crossbow rules, see our breakdown of bow hunting laws in Illinois.
Muzzleloader Deer Season in Illinois
The muzzleloader-only season runs December 11, 12 and 13, 2026. IDNR also lets you use a muzzleloader permit with a muzzleloading rifle during the second firearm season, December 3-6.
Muzzleloader permits follow the same lottery calendar as firearm permits. You can apply for one in each lottery window, and landowner firearm permit holders are handled differently in the first two lotteries, as covered below.
Pro Tip: A muzzleloader permit is valid in two windows, December 3-6 and December 11-13. That gives you seven possible days from one permit, which is more than a first-season firearm permit offers.
Firearm Deer Season in Illinois (Rifle and Shotgun)
Illinois has two firearm seasons: November 20-22 and December 3-6, 2026. Hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, and you get one deer per firearm permit.
According to Hunt Illinois, legal firearms include shotguns, centerfire rifles, muzzleloaders and handguns, with equipment details in the firearm section of the state’s regulations.
The permit calendar is the part that catches people out. Here is the sequence IDNR published:
- Lottery 1: March 3 to April 30, 2026, Illinois residents only.
- Lottery 2: May 11 to June 30, 2026, for residents who did not apply or were not drawn in Lottery 1.
- Lottery 3: July 13 to August 21, 2026, open to residents and nonresidents.
- Over-the-counter sales: begin October 20, 2026 at department-designated agents, first come, first served, until quotas are exhausted or the season closes.
If you are reading this in early November, the lotteries are over. Any remaining county permits are only available over the counter, so check availability with a license vendor before the November 20 opener.
Youth and Disabled Hunter Deer Seasons in Illinois
The Youth Firearm Deer Season runs October 10-12, 2026. Youth hunters may use a shotgun, centerfire rifle or muzzleloader under the same specifications as the regular firearm season.
IDNR’s regulations digest notes that rifles may be possessed to take other game mammals during the youth deer season. The same digest, the IDNR deer hunting hub, links to the youth hunt information page.
During the late winter antlerless season, youth hunters are limited to a shotgun or muzzleloader. The rules for hunters with disabilities, including any separate special hunt, are published in the IDNR digest and on the department’s deer pages, so check those for eligibility and application details.
Antlerless, Late and Holiday Deer Seasons in Illinois
Two late seasons run on identical dates: December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and January 15-17, 2027. One is the Late Winter Antlerless-Only season, the other is the Special CWD season.
| Feature | Late Winter Antlerless | Special CWD |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Dec. 31 – Jan. 3; Jan. 15-17 | Dec. 31 – Jan. 3; Jan. 15-17 |
| Hours | 30 min. before sunrise to 30 min. after sunset | 30 min. before sunrise to 30 min. after sunset |
| Limit | One antlerless deer per permit | One deer per either-sex or antlerless-only permit |
| Legal Firearms | Shotgun, muzzleloader, handgun | Any legal firearm, muzzleloader or handgun |
Both seasons are open only in eligible counties. Per the Hunt Illinois deer page, antlerless-only permits left after the lottery go on sale to residents and nonresidents over the counter at vendors in early December.
Illinois Deer Hunting Zones, Units and Counties
Illinois does not use numbered management units for deer. It issues permits by county, and each county has its own firearm quota. That is why a firearm permit for one county is useless in the next one over.
Archery rules split on geography instead. The metro counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake and east Kane stay open all season, and the four-county Restricted Archery Zone limits October harvest to antlered deer.
The CWD counties have their own harvest reporting insert and their own late season. IDNR’s 2026-27 hunting digest added Effingham, Scott and Stark counties to the list eligible for the Special CWD season, according to the IDNR deer page and its digest announcement.
Deer Bag Limits in Illinois
Each permit tags one deer. That holds for archery, firearm and muzzleloader permits, and for the late winter antlerless season, where the limit is one antlerless deer per permit.
The CWD season is the exception to the statewide antlered limit. The Hunt Illinois table states that the antlered deer limit does not apply to the Special CWD season.
Permit types control what you can take. An either-sex permit lets you take an antlered or antlerless deer, while an antlerless-only permit does not allow a buck.
Antler Point Restrictions and Buck Rules in Illinois
The only buck restriction in IDNR’s archery rules is the Restricted Archery Zone, where only antlered deer can be taken in October. That is the reverse of a typical antler restriction, because it protects does early in the season.
Hunt Illinois also describes a statewide cap on antlered deer, with the Special CWD season exempt from it. The exact statewide antlered deer limit is printed in the IDNR digest, so confirm the number there before you tag a second buck.
Several Illinois counties have seen firearm permits cut in recent years. IDNR says archery harvest accounts for half or more of total harvest, so it is managed carefully there.
Deer Hunting License, Tag and Permit Requirements in Illinois
You need a hunting license, a habitat stamp if you are 18 or older, and a deer permit for the season you are hunting. The IDNR archery page lists these 2026-27 resident archery permit prices:
| Permit | Window | How to Get It | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single either-sex archery | Aug. 1 – Sept. 1, 2026 | Paper application | $17 |
| Archery combination (1 either-sex, 1 antlerless-only) | Aug. 3, 2026 – Jan. 17, 2027 | License vendor, in person | $26 |
| Single antlerless-only archery | Aug. 3, 2026 – Jan. 17, 2027 | License vendor, in person | $15.50 |
Firearm and muzzleloader permits are allocated by county through the lotteries described above. Landowner firearm permit applicants are not eligible for a firearm permit in Lotteries 1 and 2 but may apply for a muzzleloader permit.
Hunter education is also required for most hunters. You can buy licenses through the IDNR License One-Stop and its vendor network.
Nonresident Deer Hunting in Illinois
Nonresidents are shut out of the first two firearm lotteries. They can apply only in Lottery 3, July 13 to August 21, 2026, and then buy any leftover permits over the counter starting October 20.
For archery, a nonresident antlerless-only permit costs $25.50, and you must already hold a nonresident either-sex archery permit to buy it, per IDNR’s archery permit table. Nonresident either-sex archery permits go through a separate process outlined on that page.
Pro Tip: Nonresidents who miss Lottery 3 should have a license vendor check county availability on October 20. Popular counties sell out of leftover permits quickly.
Where to Hunt Deer in Illinois: Public and Private Land
Most Illinois land is private, so access usually means getting written or verbal permission from a landowner. Public options include state sites managed by IDNR and the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.
Some IDNR sites run on a permit system. Site-specific hunt area permits are available only through a lottery and are not sold over the counter, according to Hunt Illinois, which lists an application window opening October 27, 2026.
If you want to pair your deer trip with another species, our guides to turkey hunting season in Illinois and pheasant hunting season in Illinois cover other public land opportunities.
Hunting Deer on Your Own Property in Illinois
Landowners get their own permit pathway. Landowner deer firearm permit applicants and recipients cannot apply for a regular firearm permit in Lotteries 1 and 2, but they may apply for a muzzleloader permit, per IDNR.
In Lottery 3, those same landowner applicants become eligible to apply for both firearm and muzzleloader permits. Check IDNR’s landowner permit rules for acreage and residency requirements before you apply.
Other rules still apply on your own ground, including legal hours, legal equipment and the harvest reporting requirement.
Blaze Orange, Shooting Hours and Legal Methods in Illinois
Shooting hours for the firearm, muzzleloader, youth, late winter and CWD seasons run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The same hours apply to archery.
Legal firearms in the firearm season are shotguns, certain centerfire rifles, muzzleloaders and handguns. Late winter antlerless hunters are limited to shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns, according to Hunt Illinois.
Blaze orange requirements and the exact rifle specifications are listed in the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Read that section before opening day, since equipment rules are the most common source of tickets.
Pro Tip: Wear hunter orange during the firearm seasons even where your archery gear exempts you. Other hunters in the field are not looking for a bowhunter in camouflage.
Sunday Deer Hunting in Illinois
Illinois does not have a general ban on Sunday deer hunting. Several 2026-27 seasons include Sundays by design: the first firearm season ends on Sunday, November 22, the second firearm season ends on Sunday, December 6, and the muzzleloader season ends on Sunday, December 13.
Archery also runs on Sundays throughout its segments. Some individual public sites may set their own schedules, so check any site-specific rules before you go.
Chronic Wasting Disease Rules for Deer Hunters in Illinois
CWD management shapes the late season in Illinois. The Special CWD Deer Season runs December 31 to January 3 and January 15-17, and it operates only in eligible counties.
The Outdoor Illinois Journal coverage of the 2026-27 digest says Effingham, Scott and Stark counties were added to the eligible list, as CWD continues to expand across the state.
IDNR staff also test deer for CWD during the firearm season dates of November 20-22 and December 3-6, as long as funding is available. Hunters in CWD counties use a separate firearm harvest reporting insert.
Deer Harvest Reporting, Tagging and Transport in Illinois
Every hunter has to report a harvest. IDNR publishes separate reporting inserts for archery, for firearm and muzzleloader hunters, and for firearm hunters in CWD counties.
Permits must be signed and are non-transferable. Tag the deer as the permit instructs before you move it.
The insert for your season has the exact reporting method and deadline, so keep it with your permit. For CWD counties, follow the county-specific insert rather than the general one.
Best Time to Hunt Deer in Illinois
Peak rut in Illinois falls in early to mid-November, with one 2026 forecast placing it around November 10, in the middle of the long archery run. That makes the first half of November the best stretch for bowhunters, before the November 20 firearm opener.
Firearm hunters have a different calculation. The first firearm season, with its three days, gets the heaviest pressure, while the December windows tend to be quieter and often colder.
The muzzleloader season on December 11-13 draws fewer hunters than either firearm season, and late January CWD days offer a last chance in eligible counties. Once deer season wraps, you can turn to coyote hunting laws in Illinois for a way to keep hunting through winter.