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How IDNR hands out deer and turkey permits: lotteries, then the counter
Illinois Deer and Turkey Permit Lotteries
Illinois sells county deer permits in three lotteries, the first for residents only, and whatever is left goes on sale over the counter from October 20, 2026. Spring and fall turkey permits follow the same three-step pattern, with special hunt area lotteries for late-winter deer, CWD and turkey, youth permits, nonresident archery and a paper application for resident single archery permits. This page lists every window, what each permit costs, and the permits still unsold in 99 counties.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
How the lotteries run across the Prairie State
A county permit works only in the county on its face, so hunters pick the county first and then the permit type: either sex or antlerless only, for the firearm or the muzzleloader season. The special hunt areas for late-winter, CWD and youth hunts are applied for separately and by lottery.
Lottery 1
Residents only, March 3 to April 30, 2026. A county permit applied for here is drawn before the other two lotteries open.
Lottery 2
Open to residents and nonresidents, May 11 to June 30, 2026, for whatever the first lottery left in each county.
Lottery 3
The last lottery, July 13 to August 21, 2026; it sets the starting counts for the counter sale.
Over the counter
From October 20, 2026 the permits left in each county sell at license vendors and online until they are gone.
Dates from the Digest species application tables (deer p.19 PDF, turkey p.27 PDF). Deer lottery dates are the 2026 application windows for the 2026-27 seasons.
Sources: 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 19; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 4; IDNR deer permit inquiry. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
Illinois deer applications from March to January
The three county lotteries span March 3 to August 21, so by November 13, 2026 they are all finished and the counter sale that began October 20 is the way to a firearm or muzzleloader permit. The late-winter and CWD lottery is open until November 23, 2026.
| Window | Open to | Opens | Closes | Status on Nov 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lottery 1 | Residents only | Mar 3, 2026 | Apr 30, 2026 | Closed |
| Lottery 2 | Residents and nonresidents | May 11, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | Closed |
| Lottery 3 | Residents and nonresidents | Jul 13, 2026 | Aug 21, 2026 | Closed |
| Leftover county permits | Anyone | Oct 20, 2026 | While permits last | Open |
| Late-winter and CWD special hunt area lottery | Residents | Oct 27, 2026 | Nov 23, 2026 | Open now |
| Late-winter and CWD county permits | Anyone | Dec 8, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | Opens Dec 8, 2026 |
| Nonresident archery lottery | Nonresidents | Jun 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2026 | Closed |
| Resident single either-sex archery, paper form | Residents | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 1, 2026 | Closed |
Sources: 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 19; IDNR archery deer page. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
When Illinois turkey permits go on sale
Spring 2027 turkey permits start with a residents-only lottery from Oct 6, 2026 to Dec 1, 2026, and the counter sale opens Mar 9, 2027. Fall gun permits ran earlier, with the counter sale open since Sep 21, 2026; fall archery turkey is over the counter only.
| Window | Open to | Opens | Closes | Status on Nov 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring lottery 1 | Residents only | Oct 6, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 | Open now |
| Spring lottery 2 | Residents and nonresidents | Dec 11, 2026 | Jan 11, 2027 | Opens Dec 11, 2026 |
| Spring lottery 3 | Residents and nonresidents | Jan 22, 2027 | Feb 9, 2027 | Opens Jan 22, 2027 |
| Spring over the counter | Anyone | Mar 9, 2027 | While permits last | Opens Mar 9, 2027 |
| Spring special hunt area | Internet only | Jan 19, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | Opens Jan 19, 2027 |
| Spring youth over the counter | Youth | Mar 2, 2027 | Apr 4, 2027 | Opens Mar 2, 2027 |
| Fall gun lottery 1 | Residents only | May 5, 2026 | Jul 6, 2026 | Closed |
| Fall gun lottery 2 | Residents and nonresidents | Jul 17, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 | Closed |
| Fall gun over the counter | Anyone | Sep 21, 2026 | While permits last | Open |
Sources: 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 19; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 27; IDNR turkey permit page. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
Illinois permit prices at a glance
A resident pays $25.00 for an either-sex firearm permit and $17.50 for an antlerless one, and a nonresident pays $300.00 for the either-sex permit. All prices are the Digest base price before vendor fees.
| Permit | Digest price |
|---|---|
| Deer firearm, either sex | $25.00 (resident) / $300.00 (nonresident) |
| Deer firearm, antlerless only | $17.50 (resident) / $25.00 (with an ES permit) or $100.00 (nonresident) |
| Deer muzzleloader, either sex | $25.00 (resident) / $300.00 (nonresident) |
| Deer muzzleloader, antlerless only | $17.50 |
| Deer youth combination | $10.00 |
| Late-winter antlerless | $17.50 |
| Special CWD antlerless | $5.00 |
| Spring turkey, county | $15.00 (resident) / $125.00 (nonresident) |
| Fall gun turkey, county | $15.00 (resident) / $125.00 (nonresident) |
| Fall archery turkey | $5.00 (resident) / $75.00 (nonresident) |
- Special CWD permitCounty-specific antlerless-only OTC permit $5.00 + fees, sold Dec 8, 2026 through Jan 17, 2027; special hunt area antlerless-only $17.50 by lottery Oct 27-Nov 23, 2026.
- Landowner permitsResident landowners receive the deer combination permits free, and nonresident landowners pay a reduced fee; the programs are described on IDNR landowner pages.
- Vendor feesIDNR fee tables list prices with vendor fees added (resident hunting $12.50). See regs_flagged.json.
Sources: 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 15; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 26; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 18; IDNR page. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
Which Illinois counties still have deer permits
Jo Daviess County had the most either-sex firearm permits left at 3,000, followed by Bureau County and Pope County. A dash means the county had none of that type. Cook, DuPage and Lake counties have no firearm deer season, so they carry no counts; Kane County has counts only for its open western part.
| County | Firearm either sex | Firearm antlerless | Muzzleloader either sex | Muzzleloader antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 2,272 | 901 | 72 | 65 |
| Alexander | 287 | – | 133 | – |
| Bond | 526 | 322 | 18 | 26 |
| Boone | 788 | 472 | 187 | 98 |
| Brown | 693 | 695 | 41 | 75 |
| Bureau | 2,340 | 1,133 | 182 | 101 |
| Calhoun | 287 | 0 | 50 | 7 |
| Carroll | 1,483 | 1,198 | 206 | 143 |
| Cass | 574 | 239 | 56 | 51 |
| Champaign | 69 | – | 32 | – |
| Christian | 321 | 263 | 72 | 29 |
| Clark | 392 | 324 | 59 | 66 |
| Clay | 929 | 827 | 83 | 138 |
| Clinton | 330 | 349 | 21 | 73 |
| Coles | 390 | 431 | 74 | 53 |
| Crawford | 290 | 705 | 54 | 101 |
| Cumberland | 69 | 173 | 9 | 23 |
| DeWitt | 372 | 321 | 99 | 39 |
| DeKalb | 828 | 569 | 165 | 98 |
| Douglas | 139 | – | 27 | – |
| Edgar | 21 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| Edwards | 101 | – | 15 | – |
| Effingham | 553 | 695 | 122 | 59 |
| Fayette | 138 | 117 | 26 | 57 |
| Ford | 207 | 144 | 48 | – |
| Franklin | 981 | 380 | 79 | 74 |
| Fulton | 2,034 | 1,569 | 269 | 247 |
| Gallatin | 569 | 382 | 11 | 22 |
| Greene | 140 | – | 0 | – |
| Grundy | 879 | 718 | 256 | 166 |
| Hamilton | 152 | 283 | 54 | 25 |
| Hancock | 997 | 1,339 | 68 | 164 |
| Hardin | 731 | 359 | 121 | 40 |
| Henderson | 160 | 367 | 22 | 45 |
| Henry | 176 | 0 | 23 | 5 |
| Iroquois | 247 | 0 | 77 | – |
| Jackson | 2,227 | 1,045 | 127 | 142 |
| Jasper | 76 | 65 | 39 | 70 |
| Jefferson | 91 | 19 | 83 | 56 |
| Jersey | 271 | 149 | 30 | 50 |
| Jo Daviess | 3,000 | 2,804 | 658 | 436 |
| Johnson | 451 | 98 | 81 | 74 |
| Kane | 290 | 187 | 123 | 74 |
| Kankakee | 920 | 286 | 169 | 28 |
| Kendall | 390 | 184 | 139 | 73 |
| Knox | 1,546 | 1,255 | 185 | 213 |
| LaSalle | 1,919 | 1,621 | 516 | 232 |
| Lawrence | 379 | 526 | 56 | 105 |
| Lee | 1,368 | 857 | 206 | 134 |
| Livingston | 1,080 | 592 | 177 | 102 |
| Logan | 192 | – | 21 | – |
| Macon | 244 | – | 100 | – |
| Macoupin | 1,857 | 1,367 | 110 | 117 |
| Madison | 346 | 392 | 51 | 63 |
| Marion | 358 | 844 | 75 | 109 |
| Marshall | 907 | 372 | 77 | 66 |
| Mason | 16 | – | 12 | – |
| Massac | 200 | – | 15 | – |
| McDonough | 833 | 587 | 153 | 73 |
| McHenry | 2,029 | 1,105 | 371 | 136 |
| McLean | 1,187 | 571 | 139 | 83 |
| Menard | 208 | 117 | 40 | 7 |
| Mercer | 801 | 1,011 | 109 | 124 |
| Monroe | 543 | 627 | 46 | 73 |
| Montgomery | 139 | 24 | 55 | 18 |
| Morgan | 71 | – | 20 | – |
| Moultrie | 76 | – | 29 | – |
| Ogle | 1,614 | 761 | 359 | 178 |
| Peoria | 890 | 324 | 24 | 29 |
| Perry | 299 | 501 | 24 | 70 |
| Piatt | 130 | – | 52 | – |
| Pike | 591 | 40 | 56 | 88 |
| Pope | 2,324 | – | 231 | – |
| Pulaski | 0 | – | 4 | – |
| Putnam | 517 | 220 | 52 | 32 |
| Randolph | 322 | 337 | 66 | 86 |
| Richland | 73 | 0 | 20 | 23 |
| Rock Island | 1,368 | 628 | 188 | 203 |
| Saline | 1,231 | 699 | 117 | 44 |
| Sangamon | 121 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Schuyler | 1,467 | 1,180 | 57 | 134 |
| Scott | 187 | – | 78 | – |
| Shelby | 459 | 480 | 0 | 110 |
| St. Clair | 26 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Stark | 242 | 106 | 56 | 28 |
| Stephenson | 1,505 | 1,351 | 275 | 186 |
| Tazewell | 454 | 71 | 48 | – |
| Union | 120 | 0 | 39 | 22 |
| Vermilion | 691 | 335 | 82 | 26 |
| Wabash | 28 | – | 21 | – |
| Warren | 713 | 328 | 111 | 32 |
| Washington | 218 | 92 | 56 | 5 |
| Wayne | 28 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| White | 219 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Whiteside | 975 | 446 | 42 | 46 |
| Will | 793 | 418 | 161 | 104 |
| Williamson | 1,655 | 812 | 60 | 90 |
| Winnebago | 1,758 | 1,022 | 266 | 143 |
| Woodford | 582 | 191 | 63 | 48 |
Sources: IDNR deer permit inquiry. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
Other Illinois permit lotteries
Public waterfowl sites
Public waterfowl site permits by internet lottery: first (residents only) Aug 16-31, second Sept 1-15, third Sept 16-28, then first-come-first-served (the Digest printed).
Upland game permit
Free Upland Game Permit lottery Aug 1-31, 2026.
Bobcat lottery
Bobcat one-time lottery Sept 1-30, 2026; $5 non-refundable application fee.
Disabled hunters
Disabled Hunter Opportunities: dnr.illinois.gov/doo.
Controlled pheasant
IDNR runs a controlled pheasant hunting program on selected sites; its permits and dates are on the IDNR program page.
Over-the-counter list
Deer OTC (leftover county permits) from Oct 20, 2026; late-winter and CWD OTC from Dec 8, 2026 through Jan 17, 2027; spring turkey OTC from Mar 9, 2027; fall gun turkey OTC from Sept 21, 2026; fall archery turkey is OTC only.
Sources: IDNR deer permit inquiry; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 27; 2026-27 Digest, PDF page 4. Checked: rechecked against the IDNR text on November 13, 2026.
Illinois permit lottery questions
Once the lotteries finish, when do leftover deer permits go on sale?
From October 20, 2026, for permits left in each county after Lottery 3, until they are gone.
Can nonresidents apply in the first Illinois deer lottery?
No. Lottery 1 is for residents only; nonresidents can enter from Lottery 2, and the nonresident archery lottery runs June 1 to June 30.
When do Illinois spring turkey applications open?
The residents-only lottery runs October 6 to December 1, 2026, the second December 11, 2026 to January 11, 2027 and the third January 22 to February 9, 2027; the counter sale opens March 9, 2027.
How many turkey permits can one Illinois hunter hold?
Maximum 3 spring permits including youth and landowner. Digest price excludes vendor fees. Maximum 2 fall gun permits. Digest price excludes vendor fees.
How do I apply for the late-winter or CWD deer hunt?
The special hunt area lottery runs October 27 to November 23, 2026, and county permits sell from December 8, 2026 to January 17, 2027.
Where do I see how many deer permits are left in my county?
On the county permit table above, copied from the IDNR permit inquiry system as it stood after Lottery 3, or on the IDNR system itself for live counts.
What do Illinois youth deer permits cost and when are they sold?
$10.00 for the youth combination, and sales begin August 4 through the last day of the youth deer season (Oct 12, 2026).
Does a lottery win guarantee a spot on a public hunting area?
No. County permits cover private land and open public land, while many state sites run their own reservation or lottery hunts; see each place page.
When is Lottery 1 for Illinois deer permits?
March 3 to April 30, 2026 for residents only; Lottery 2 runs May 11 to June 30, 2026 and Lottery 3 July 13 to August 21, 2026.
Check the printed rules
State sites often set stricter hours, fewer shells or reservation hunts, which means a Digest rule is only the starting point on a fish and wildlife area.
Other photos on this page: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); James St. John (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).