2017 Illinois Youth Turkey Season Preliminary Harvest
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary record total of 1,541 birds during the 2017 Illinois Youth Turkey Season. The dates for this year’s season were March 25-26 and April 1-2. This was the first year two youth turkey hunting weekends were open for the entire state. Previously, there was one weekend dedicated for the north zone and one for the south. In 2016, a total of 1,058 turkeys were harvested, combining both seasons and zones. The previous youth season record harvest was in 2012, when 1,300 birds were taken. This year, a total of 5,601 youth turkey permits were issued, including 106 permits for special hunt areas. Last year, 4,761 permits were issued, including 113 for special hunt areas.
Much of the state received rain during one or both days of the first weekend. However, it didn’t seem to slow the young hunters down as they harvested 776 birds over those two days. Weather was more favorable overall for the second weekend and 765 birds were taken.
The table below shows Illinois Youth Turkey Season preliminary harvest figures for both the north and south zones by county, with numbers from 2016 and 2017.
North Zone
Year
County
2016
2017
Adams
32
35
Boone
7
7
Brown
24
24
Bureau
7
9
Calhoun
20
23
Carroll
5
7
Cass
17
21
Champaign
1
6
Christian
1
1
Clark
12
11
Coles
4
6
Cumberland
5
7
DeKalb
1
DeWitt
5
8
Edgar
7
3
Ford
1
Fulton
31
42
Greene
19
13
Grundy
3
4
Hancock
9
20
Henderson
5
14
Henry
4
5
Iroquois
1
10
Jersey
15
23
JoDaviess
30
29
Kankakee
1
4
Kendall
1
Knox
19
29
LaSalle
1
5
Lee
6
18
Livingston
1
Logan
1
7
Macon
1
4
Macoupin
31
28
Marshall
5
5
Mason
12
15
McDonough
8
13
McHenry
4
11
McLean
4
6
Menard
8
11
Mercer
12
17
Montgomery
20
31
Morgan
12
18
Moultrie
2
2
Ogle
25
23
Peoria
8
11
Pike
39
52
Putnam
2
1
Rock Island
7
12
Sangamon
11
10
Schuyler
18
27
Scott
6
8
Shelby
8
13
Stark
1
Stephenson
12
15
Tazewell
11
6
Vermilion
7
11
Warren
4
7
Whiteside
12
15
Will
2
2
Winnebago
11
13
Woodford
11
6
North Total
606
788
South Zone
Year
County
2016
2017
Alexander
7
14
Bond
18
22
Clay
15
24
Clinton
7
13
Crawford
6
16
Edwards
5
9
Effingham
6
15
Fayette
28
50
Franklin
12
16
Gallatin
12
12
Hamilton
22
34
Hardin
4
9
Jackson
21
40
Jasper
8
11
Jefferson
31
46
Johnson
13
19
Lawrence
5
13
Madison
21
19
Marion
27
41
Massac
9
14
Monroe
10
15
Perry
10
29
Pope
6
17
Pulaski
7
8
Randolph
23
40
Richland
10
8
Saline
12
24
St. Clair
11
11
Union
24
41
Wabash
1
6
Washington
8
22
Wayne
16
30
White
11
28
Williamson
26
37
South Total
452
753
Grand Total
1058
1541
