Illinois hunting: Higher turkey harvest keeps on

With the spring turkey-hunting seasons concluded in Illinois’ south zone and ending this week in the north zone, hunters continue to report harvest well ahead of last year.

Here is the latest update from Chris Young, the communications director for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:

Here is the spring wild turkey season update from Paul Shelton South Zone: With all seasons concluded in the South Zone, preliminary harvest figures stand at 6,034, compared to 5,812 last year. Twenty-three counties showed increases and 11 declined. Top 5 counties were Jefferson (413), Pope (359), Marion (314), Union (287), and Randolph (279). The grand total for all spring seasons, including youth season, was 6,387 compared to the 6,184 taken during 2014. North Zone: Through four seasons, preliminary harvest in the North Zone stands at 7,181, compared to 6,059 last year. Fifty-two counties show increases, nine declined, and five remain the same. Top five counties are currently JoDaviess (538), Adams (344), Fulton (335), Pike (287), and Brown (277). A table with county results is attached.

Here is the county-by-county breakdown:

South Zone:

County20152014Alexander137130Bond151137Clay151187Clinton9772Crawford132129Edwards101103Effingham10476Fayette207193Franklin176153Gallatin108115Hamilton203208Hardin152133Jackson269302Jasper12271Jefferson413368Johnson247234Lawrence108102Madison243209Marion314271Massac9777Monroe147145Perry208204Pope359346Pulaski77112Randolph279299Richland109107Saline134112St. Clair10686Union287285Wabash4643Washington125132Wayne262284White110122Williamson253265Total60345812

South Zone youth recap:

2015 Youth2014 Youth648614104933895817101116121202075112065203113927317192724156131176492127719106325163361091510132721353372North zone so far through four seasons:

2015County1st Season2nd Season3rd Season4th SeasonTotal2014 TotalAdams1081116560344258Boone12189175649Brown116735137277171Bureau40432229134107Calhoun66554215178172Carroll57522828165197Cass73674825213152Champaign5843209Christian1515654139Clark44343127136108Coles123432222Cumberland17141285135DeKalb33411113DeWitt13131064234Douglas210143Edgar222013136864Ford132289Fulton1151006060335296Greene42543215143125Grundy1414874327Hancock70734940232215Henderson40402322125122Henry162816147462Iroquois11167124637Jersey60552816159117JoDaviess18715111189538532Kane000110Kankakee114562626Kendall28411515Knox72473844201157Lake111030LaSalle331622219284Lee272118127849Livingston43492012Logan611873223Macon76452216Macoupin97794950275226Marshall18149135442Mason50322515122107McDonough3534271911576McHenry15715165346McLean10126103834Menard332418199453Mercer46352530136137Montgomery41343430139138Morgan72494419184124Moultrie66141719Ogle33403134138109Peoria35433219129101Piatt023055Pike921006233287259Putnam1410884032Rock Island42433633154140Sangamon232318178167Schuyler87905243272169Scott18331016252Shelby272013147463Stark011022Stephenson60534750210155Tazewell15171595651Vermilion3419232096103Warren151610155660Whiteside37332123114136Will12131094428Winnebago37412720125112Woodford151411145456Total234321181472124871816059

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