The deer harvest totals are in for the 2020 hunting season and one area saw a huge increase.

Department of Natural Resources Deputy Director Rachel Torbert indicates the archery deer season blew right past a record that was set last year and now they will begin exploring why that was the case.

DNR Conservation Police Captain John Williamson indicates a change in Illinois now allows crossbows to be used during the archery deer season. He says this was a positive change for hunters that could not handle the size of the archery equipment. 

Capt. Williamson and Torbert say the increase in deer harvest may not just be due to the allowance of crossbows. Capt. Williamson says the rebound of the deer population from the 2012-13 EHD epidemic is now starting to return closer to normal.

There was a total of 1,025 deer harvest in DeWitt County with 631 coming during the archery season and 365 during the firearm season.

Logan County had a total of 840 deer harvested with 467 from the archery season and 336 during the firearm season.

In Piatt County, 436 deer were harvest, 287 during the archery season, and 133 during the firearm season.

Champaign County had 690 deer harvested with 429 coming from the archery season and 230 the firearm season.

881 deer were harvest in Macon County with 568 from the archery season and 267 from the firearm season. 

McLean County harvested 2,038 deer with 629 from the archery season and 628 the firearm season.

Finally, Peoria County harvested 2,038 deer with 1,117 from the archery season and 866 from the firearm season.