Illinois e-News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 24, 2024

Media contact: [email protected]

Illinois’ spring turkey hunters harvest record number of wild turkeys

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois hunters harvested a preliminary statewide record total of 17,208 wild turkeys during the 2024 Illinois spring turkey season.

This year’s total compares with the 2023 statewide harvest of 16,123 and the previous harvest record total of 16,569, set during the spring season in 2006.

The top five counties for the 2024 spring turkey harvest were: Jo Daviess, 654; Jefferson, 472; Marion, 435; Pope, 397; and Randolph, 395.

The 2024 harvest total includes the record youth turkey harvest of 2,009 birds, which compares with the 2023 youth harvest of 1,309. The previous youth season record of 1,733 was set in 2020.

This year, hunters purchased 86,083 permits compared to 80,642 last year. Spring turkey hunting was open in 100 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The 2024 regular season dates were April 8 through May 9 in the South Zone and April 15 through May 16 in the North Zone. The 2024 youth spring turkey season was March 30-31 and April 6-7 statewide.


County

2024

2023

Adams

318

337

Alexander

190

194

Bond

145

154

Boone

96

74

Brown

222

248

Bureau

197

196

Calhoun

246

255

Carroll

249

214

Cass

185

230

Champaign

36

21

Christian

52

60

Clark

270

238

Clay

295

270

Clinton

131

110

Coles

57

40

Crawford

238

207

Cumberland

77

95

DeKalb

14

7

DeWitt

54

47

Douglas

12

12

Edgar

125

115

Edwards

95

79

Effingham

170

129

Fayette

345

277

Ford

18

14

Franklin

252

227

Fulton

288

318

Gallatin-Hardin

253

296

Greene

160

160

Grundy

63

61

Hamilton

336

270

Hancock

291

286

Henderson

153

163

Henry

132

126

Iroquois

85

78

Jackson

334

282

Jasper

199

140

Jefferson

472

480

Jersey

178

209

Jo Daviess

654

596

Johnson

260

253

Kane

4

4

Kankakee

59

57

Kendall

18

13

Knox

235

222

Lake

20

10

LaSalle

110

103

Lawrence

180

156

Lee

110

109

Livingston

47

32

Logan

35

30

Macon

31

31

Macoupin

285

312

Madison

272

236

Marion

435

339

Marshall-Putnam

114

125

Mason

167

155

Massac

148

126

McDonough

94

126

McHenry

142

111

McLean

83

72

Menard

89

73

Mercer

237

197

Monroe

186

163

Montgomery

200

145

Morgan

136

121

Moultrie

38

26

Ogle

222

208

Peoria

138

134

Perry

297

242

Piatt

11

12

Pike

381

420

Pope

397

382

Pulaski

152

140

Randolph

395

371

Richland

143

126

Rock Island

195

201

Saline

159

126

Sangamon

100

120

Schuyler

212

258

Scott

70

92

Shelby

158

157

St. Clair

169

158

Stark

18

16

Stephenson

236

222

Tazewell

85

76

Union

316

308

Vermilion

154

162

Wabash

53

55

Warren

64

47

Washington

193

164

Wayne

371

297

White

220

165

Whiteside

165

158

Will

76

70

Williamson

360

286

Winnebago

193

205

Woodford

83

83

Total

17,208

16,123


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