Illinois hunters take a record number of turkeys

Illinois hunters took a preliminary statewide record of 17,208 wild turkeys during the 2024 Illinois spring turkey season.

This year’s total surpassed the previous high of 16,569 set in 2006 and is an increase from the 2023 season, in which 16,123 wild turkeys were hunted.

La Salle, Bureau and Livingston counties saw increases from 2023 to 2024. In La Salle County, there were 103 turkeys taken in 2023 and that number increased to 110 in 2024. In Bureau County, one more turkey was taken in 2024 than 2023 as 197 were hunted in 2024. Livingston County saw an increase of 47 turkeys taken in 2024 compared to 32 in 2023.

The amount of turkeys hunted decreased in Marshall-Putnam counties from 125 to 114 from 2023 to 2024.

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

The 2024 state 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.