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Illinois Late-Winter and Special CWD Deer Seasons, 2026-27
Where the antlerless-only winter hunts run, 31 late-winter counties and 25 Special CWD counties, with dates, permits and prices.
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)
Late-winter and Special CWD antlerless hunts
Two antlerless-only hunts follow the firearm and muzzleloader seasons: the late-winter hunt in 31 private-land counties and the Special CWD season in 25 counties. Both run December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 15 to 17 in the days the Digest lists, and a county permit is sold over the counter from December 8, 2026 through January 17, 2027. Special hunt areas, which also cover listed public sites, are drawn in an internet lottery from October 27 to November 23, 2026. The late-winter county list changes from year to year, so check the IDNR PDF when you buy. 0 counties appear on both lists. The table shows each of the 56 counties once with its flags.
From IDNR 2026-27 late-winter hunting information and IDNR 2026-27 Special CWD season information (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
56 counties with a late-winter or Special CWD hunt
| County | Late winter | Special CWD | CWD confirmed | Check station | Firearm deer | Firearm antlerless left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 901 |
| Boone | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 472 |
| Brown | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 695 |
| Bureau | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,133 |
| Carroll | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,198 |
| Clay | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 827 |
| Clinton | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 349 |
| Coles | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 431 |
| Crawford | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 705 |
| DeKalb | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 569 |
| Effingham | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 695 |
| Fayette | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 117 |
| Ford | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 144 |
| Franklin | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 380 |
| Fulton | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,569 |
| Grundy | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 718 |
| Hamilton | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 283 |
| Hancock | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,339 |
| Henderson | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 367 |
| Jasper | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 65 |
| Jefferson | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 19 |
| Jo Daviess | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 2,804 |
| Kane | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | West of Route 47 | 187 |
| Kankakee | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 286 |
| Kendall | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 184 |
| Knox | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,255 |
| LaSalle | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,621 |
| Lee | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 857 |
| Livingston | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 592 |
| Macoupin | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,367 |
| Madison | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 392 |
| Marion | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 844 |
| Marshall | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 372 |
| McDonough | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 587 |
| McHenry | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,105 |
| Mercer | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,011 |
| Monroe | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 627 |
| Ogle | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 761 |
| Peoria | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 324 |
| Perry | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 501 |
| Pike | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 40 |
| Putnam | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 220 |
| Randolph | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 337 |
| Rock Island | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 628 |
| Saline | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 699 |
| Schuyler | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 1,180 |
| Scott | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | – |
| Shelby | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 480 |
| Stark | – | Yes | Yes | – | Open | 106 |
| Stephenson | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,351 |
| Warren | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 328 |
| Washington | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 92 |
| Will | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 418 |
| Williamson | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 812 |
| Winnebago | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Open | 1,022 |
| Woodford | Yes | – | – | – | Open | 191 |
From IDNR late-winter hunting information and IDNR Special CWD season information (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
Dates, permits and prices for the winter hunts
Dates: December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 15 to 17 for the late-winter season and December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 15 to 17 for the Special CWD season, the same two windows. Antlerless only. Open on private land in the 31 listed counties plus listed public sites. Open only in the 25 Special CWD counties; deer taken do not count toward the antlered-deer limit.
Permits: County-specific antlerless-only OTC permit $5.00 + fees, sold December 8, 2026 through January 17, 2027; special hunt area antlerless-only $17.50 by lottery October 27-November 23, 2026. Lottery permits for special hunt areas allow one application each.
| Season | Permit | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter | $17.50 county permit | 31 private-land counties |
| Special CWD | $5.00 county permit | 25 counties |
| Special hunt area | $17.50 by lottery | Listed sites |
From Digest deer permit pages (Illinois Department of Natural Resources), checked November 13, 2026.
White-tailed deer buck in the treesPhoto: USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0)
White-tailed doe standing in light snowPhoto: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain)
White-tailed deer buckPhoto: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain)
Late-winter and Special CWD seasons FAQ
When are the late-winter and Special CWD seasons?
December 31, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and January 15 to 17, 2027, for both antlerless-only hunts.
Which counties have a late-winter hunt?
31 private-land counties: Brown, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Jasper, Jefferson, Knox, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, McDonough, Mercer, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Rock Island, Saline, Schuyler, Shelby, Warren, Washington, Williamson and Woodford.
Which counties have the Special CWD season?
25 counties: Adams, Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Effingham, Ford, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McHenry, Ogle, Peoria, Putnam, Scott, Stark, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago.
Can I take a buck in the winter hunts?
No: both seasons are antlerless only.
Do winter deer count toward my antlered limit?
Special CWD season deer are exempt from the two antlered deer a year limit; the late-winter season is antlerless only, so it adds no antlered deer.
How do I buy a winter permit?
County permits are sold over the counter December 8, 2026 to January 17, 2027, and special hunt-area permits come from an internet lottery October 27 to November 23.
Does the county list change?
Yes. IDNR’s note says the late-winter list changes yearly, so use the current PDF when you buy.
Is public land included?
Special hunt areas cover listed public sites; the late-winter county hunt is on private land, per the IDNR PDF.
Do check-station rules apply in winter?
The check-station rule is written for the first and second firearm seasons; see the CWD rules page for the 18 counties.
Other photos on this page: USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain).