Against all odds, Illinois’ statewide youth season sets record harvest.

Against all odds, the Illinois youth season smashes the standing harvest record for spring turkey.

By Dale Bowman

File photo of two turkeys in the field. Credit: Dale Bowman — File photo of two turkeys in the field.

Despite all odds, the Illinois youth turkey season smashed the record harvest. In weekend statewide hunts on March 28-29 and April 4-5, young hunters harvested 1,744 birds, far surpassing the previous record of 1,531 in the spring of 2017.

Considering that we are in the midst of a stay-home charge in Illinois, it is a remarkable feat.

Here is the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Here’s an update on the 2020 Illinois Youth Turkey Season from the IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources: Youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary total of 1,744 birds during the 2020 Illinois Youth Turkey Season, a record harvest total. In 2019, a total of 1,392 turkeys were taken. The previous record total was in 2017 when 1,531 turkeys were harvested. The dates for this year’s season were March 28-29 and April 4-5. This year, a total of 5,433 youth turkey permits were issued, compared to 4,994 in 2019. The top five counties for harvest during this year’s youth season were Jefferson (69), Marion (61), Randolph (51), Pike (49), and Fayette (48). The attached table shows Illinois Youth Turkey Season preliminary harvest figures by county, with numbers from 2020 and 2019.

County 2020 2019
ADAMS 30 27
ALEXANDER 18 13
BOND 19 17
BOONE 7 8
BROWN 15 15
BUREAU 15 19
CALHOUN 32 21
CARROLL 7 6
CASS 21 24
CHAMPAIGN 6 2
CHRISTIAN 2 4
CLARK 23 18
CLAY 38 22
CLINTON 18 10
COLES 4 3
CRAWFORD 29 21
CUMBERLAND 4 5
DEKALB 0 2
DEWITT 4 4
EDGAR 8 0
EDWARDS 14 10
EFFINGHAM 25 18
FAYETTE 48 45
FORD 0 1
FRANKLIN 33 21
FULTON 36 32
GALLATIN/HARDIN 25 18
GREENE 10 16
GRUNDY 3 4
HAMILTON 43 31
HANCOCK 35 32
HENDERSON 10 11
HENRY 19 17
IROQUOIS 8 13
JACKSON 32 21
JASPER 17 12
JEFFERSON 69 43
JERSEY 17 17
JO DAVIESS 29 32
JOHNSON 21 20
KANKAKEE 2 6
KENDALL 0 2
KNOX 19 29
LAKE 0 1
LASALLE 7 6
LAWRENCE 15 9
LEE 10 9
LIVINGSTON 4 2
LOGAN 8 2
MACON 6 1
MACOUPIN 42 32
MADISON 23 21
MARION 61 36
MARSHALL/PUTNAM 14 9
MASON 7 13
MASSAC 10 7
MCDONOUGH 7 10
MCHENRY 9 13
MCLEAN 8 5
MENARD 15 11
MERCER 31 29
MONROE 25 12
MONTGOMERY 21 17
MORGAN 17 10
MOULTRIE 6 1
OGLE 10 15
PEORIA 15 10
PERRY 25 21
PIKE 49 42
POPE 20 10
PULASKI 18 19
RANDOLPH 51 39
RICHLAND 21 14
ROCK ISLAND 15 1
SALINE 24 15
SANGAMON 16 15
SCHUYLER 16 13
SCOTT 6 5
SHELBY 25 19
ST CLAIR 22 23
STARK 1 2
STEPHENSON 18 18
TAZEWELL 8 4
UNION 40 25
VERMILION 5 7
WABASH 6 3
WARREN 8 7
WASHINGTON 14 8
WAYNE 35 24
WHITE 29 15
WHITESIDE 10 10
WILL 7 4
WILLIAMSON 36 25
WINNEBAGO 17 14
WOODFORD 16 5

Grand Total 1744 1392

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Turkey hunting: Illinois statewide youth season sets record

Against all odds, the Illinois youth season smashes the standing harvest record for spring turkey.