I was told by an elderly person in this area I moved into 4 tears ago, that deer were not indigenous to the area but brought here in the 60's or 70's to promote hunting. Some say that's bologna and that the deer migrated down from Wisconsin. I've tried to verify this to no avail. Could help me with the proper history of the above mentioned so I don't talk foolishly about the matter? I want to believe the older gentleman, but everyone laughs at me when dsicussing this. Dan Braun

White-tailed deer are native to Illinois. Due to habitat loss and over hunting, their numbers were driven extremely low in the late 1800s. It was rare to see them in many parts of the state until the 1970-80s. The IDNR did reintroduce deer in some locations to increase the population, others moved in from other states, and with stricter hunting laws and better habitat the population grew. Today deer are a common sight in IL. You can find much more information about the history of white-tailed deer and their management in IL by going to: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/deer/historyofmanagment.cfm