Will and Grundy counties constitute the best opportunity for archers and muzzleloaders in Region 2. Thousands of wintering whitetails range among the large tracts of mixed grassland, forest and river bottom in the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Goose Lake State Park, Des Plains FWA and Heidecke Lake areas. Public access is superb.

Region 3
Statistically, not one county in Region 3 made the formula cut for late-season hotspots. Still, on the region's southernmost border, Shelby, Cumberland and Clark counties hold respectable numbers of deer. Hunters here do well to concentrate on the Kaskaskia River basin, the Wabash corridor, Wolf Creek State Park and Eagle Creek State Park on Lake Shelbyville.

Also, McLean County is well known for producing some of the state's largest bucks. Biologist Darryl Coates said the northwest corner of the county, around Comlara Park, and the Mackinaw River basin is prime winter deer yards.

Keep your eye on DeWitt County, as well. Whitetail density is low, but deer heavily concentrate in the late season around Clinton Lake, Weldon Springs or in the basin of Salt Creek.

Vermilion County is a constant best for the archery deer harvest and stands perennially as a prime destination for late-season bowhunters. Most of the action takes place in the Vermilion River basin and its tributaries, but don't discount the rough ground of the old strip mines around Kickapoo State Park. Superb cover meets food-rich fields and is a natural over-wintering area for cold-weather whitetails.

Region 4
Overall, seven counties in Region 4 received high marks for great deer harvests in both the 2006 second shotgun season and the January 2007 late-winter season. Pike County topped this list, with Adams, Hancock and Schuyler counties not far behind.

"Finding deer in this area is not a problem, and virtually every farm, woods and bottom ground are going to have deer. So, to pick a specific area (for the best hunting opportunities) is tough," said district wildlife biologist Brad Poulter of the INDR. "Generally, during the winter we see numbers of deer using the high parts of hills and bluffs for a wind break and to sun themselves. However, lowland ravines are key, too, and cedar and pine stands attract winter deer. Find these and you'll find the whitetails."

The bottomland along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers holds historic winter deer yards, too. Public access is superb among the several small state land tracts and where federal lands are found in this area.

Greene and Macoupin counties notched high tallies in both harvest categories. Greene County deer hunters focus their efforts on the bottoms along the Illinois River and its tributaries. And deer run rampant in all corners of Macoupin County, where 50 percent of the land stands in timber, with a good complement of creeks, ravines and lowlands.

According to IDNR wildlife biologist Brian Mahan, finding deer in Randolph County during the late season also won't be a problem.

"We have an overabundant (deer) population," Mahan said of the Randolph County deer herd. "There are a lot of public hunting areas that tend to get overlooked."

Represented in both December 2006 and January 2007 harvest totals, Randolph collectively holds about 25,000 acres of public-hunting land. Mahan suggested the best lands lie in Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Also, Brown County -- which holds a top rating among last year's county-by-county late-winter season deer harvests -- is a traditional winter deer yard. Calhoun County holds the absolute highest whitetail density in the state. Area hunters enjoy thousands of acres of public access through phenomenal river lowland.

Speaking of river land, the Sangamon River bottom through Cass, Mason, Menard and Sangamon counties is premium winter ground for much of the region's whitetails.