Harvest numbers for spring turkey hunting in Illinois were strong in 2020 and ahead of the harvest of last year, even with all Illinois Department of Natural Resources sites being closed the entire season.
Here is the word the IDNR:
Illinois 2020 Spring Wild Turkey Preliminary Harvest Totals 15,800 Birds SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois turkey hunters harvested a preliminary statewide total of 15,800 wild turkeys during the 2020 Spring Turkey Season. This year’s preliminary harvest total compares with the 2019 statewide turkey harvest of 15,190. The statewide preliminary total includes the 2020 Youth Turkey Season harvest of 1,744 birds, a record total, and compares with the 2019 youth harvest of 1,392 turkeys. The statewide record total was set in 2006 when 16,569 turkeys were harvested. Spring turkey hunting was open in 100 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The 2020 season dates were April 6-May 7 in the South Zone and April 13-May 14 in the North Zone. The Youth Spring Turkey Season was March 28-29 and April 4-5 statewide. Spring turkey hunting was suspended at Illinois Department of Natural Resources sites during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkey hunters this spring took a preliminary total of 6,285 wild turkeys during all regular season segments in the South Zone, compared with 5,959 last year in the south. The preliminary harvest total for all regular season segments in the North Zone this year was 7,771 wild turkeys, compared with 7,832 in northern counties in 2019. The top five counties for spring wild turkey harvest in 2020 were Jefferson (508), Jo Daviess (464), Marion (444), Pike (404), and Randolph (379). A table with county preliminary harvest totals for the 2020 Illinois Spring Turkey Season, and 2019 comparable harvest totals, is below.
Illinois Spring Turkey Season Harvest County Totals
County 2020 2019
ADAMS 321 331
ALEXANDER 142 163
BOND 159 153
BOONE 79 66
BROWN 244 227
BUREAU 170 212
CALHOUN 246 201
CARROLL 152 179
CASS 202 254
CHAMPAIGN 36 20
CHRISTIAN 41 53
CLARK 233 179
CLAY 264 232
CLINTON 116 111
COLES 45 50
CRAWFORD 217 227
CUMBERLAND 78 64
DEKALB 11 12
DEWITT 55 42
DOUGLAS 9 7
EDGAR 89 80
EDWARDS 93 98
EFFINGHAM 144 120
FAYETTE 284 259
FORD 19 9
FRANKLIN 203 183
FULTON 377 402
GALLATIN/HARDIN 221 224
GREENE 153 170
GRUNDY 59 56
HAMILTON 251 227
HANCOCK 327 344
HENDERSON 128 142
HENRY 110 108
IROQUOIS 84 80
JACKSON 329 295
JASPER 147 136
JEFFERSON 508 480
JERSEY 194 169
JODAVIESS 464 542
JOHNSON 197 220
KANE 3 1
KANKAKEE 47 51
KENDALL 14 17
KNOX 270 265
LAKE 10 5
LASALLE 102 115
LAWRENCE 163 128
LEE 85 90
LIVINGSTON 38 34
LOGAN 47 39
MACON 36 36
MACOUPIN 319 270
MADISON 283 220
MARION 444 328
MARSHALL/PUTNAM 127 108
MASON 150 182
MASSAC 98 83
MCDONOUGH 129 149
MCHENRY 101 86
MCLEAN 65 62
MENARD 108 98
MERCER 224 234
MONROE 166 141
MONTGOMERY 190 162
MORGAN 157 130
MOULTRIE 43 36
OGLE 147 165
PEORIA 136 139
PERRY 240 218
PIATT 5 14
PIKE 404 383
POPE 277 310
PULASKI 122 107
RANDOLPH 379 383
RICHLAND 151 117
ROCK ISLAND 217 203
SALINE 122 102
SANGAMON 116 124
SCHUYLER 249 239
SCOTT 93 101
SHELBY 146 118
ST CLAIR 152 140
STARK 18 13
STEPHENSON 188 184
TAZEWELL 72 77
UNION 311 310
VERMILION 118 127
WABASH 56 58
WARREN 61 61
WASHINGTON 175 144
WAYNE 372 303
WHITE 188 139
WHITESIDE 116 162
WILL 43 80
WILLIAMSON 284 249
WINNEBAGO 169 169
WOODFORD 81 63
