Illinois deer hunters harvested a preliminary total of 76,547 deer during the seven-day traditional firearm deer hunting season that closed Dec. 7.

That figure compares to 74,318 deer harvested during the 2013 firearm season. Preliminary figures for the second segment of the firearm season totaled 24,717, up 34 percent from 18,483 in 2013.

Overall, this year’s total represents a slight increase from 2013, with a preliminary first segment harvest of 51,830 compared with 55,708 deer harvested during the first weekend of the 2013 firearm season.

In Monroe County, there were 553 deer harvested during the first weekend this year and 184 during the second weekend for a total of 737. That number is lower than the 2013 total of 810.

Randolph County again ranks near the top in amount of deer harvested, reporting 1,384 during the first weekend this year and 572 the second weekend for a total of 1,956. That number is up from last year’s total of 1,787.

St. Clair County reported 473 deer harvested the first weekend and 158 the second weekend for a total of 631. That number is down slightly from last year’s total of 648.

Additional deer hunting opportunities remain.

The Illinois muzzleloader season was Dec. 12-14. The first late-winter antlerless-only and CWD deer seasons will be Jan. 1-4. The second late-winter antlerless-only and CWD deer seasons will be Jan. 16-18.

Archery deer season continues through Jan. 18.

For more deer hunting information, visit www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/deer/Pages/default.aspx.