Illinois’ youth deer hunters, archers reporting plenty of activity

Numbers from the first three weeks of archery season and the early October youth deer hunt have not been made available by DNR, but reports from hunters up and down the state indicate a solid start.
An uptick in the use of crossbows during the Oct. 7-9 youth hunt was noted. This year also was the first time the youth hunt allowed use of single-shot rifles. Some believe crossbow and rifles will put more hunters in treestands this season and boost the overall deer harvest. Last year’s harvest of 157,854 was up from the 146,438 taken in 2021-2022.