Illinois was among a number of Midwestern and Great Lakes region states in which deer harvest declined in 2013-14.  Biologists cited a number of factors for the decline, especially during November/December firearm seasons, including adverse weather, herd reductions to achieve management goals and, in some locations, deer mortality due to outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease.  Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 74,355 deer during the 2013 Illinois Firearm Deer Season in late November and early December.   Harvest totaled 3,546 deer during the 2013 Illinois Muzzleloader-Only Deer Season in mid-December, and 3,012 deer during the 2013 Illinois Youth Deer Season in mid-October.  During the 2013-14 Illinois Archery Deer Season of October through mid-January, hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 57,290 deer, compared with the archery deer harvest of 59,805 in the 2012-13 archery season.