Harvest by hunters during Illinois’ spring turkey season dropped by 2,244 birds from the 2020 spring harvest.
Yes, I do find it a little surprising that it dropped that much.
Here is the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:
2021 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Preliminary Harvest Totals 13,383 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Turkey hunters harvested a preliminary statewide total of 13,383 wild turkeys during the 2021 Illinois Spring Turkey Season. This year’s preliminary harvest total compares with the 2020 statewide turkey harvest of 15,831. The statewide preliminary total includes the 2021 Youth Turkey Season harvest of 1,283 birds, which compares with the 2020 youth harvest of 1,733 turkeys (the record for youth season harvest). The statewide record total harvest for the spring turkey season was set in 2006 when 16,569 turkeys were harvested. Spring turkey hunting was open in 100 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The 2021 season dates were April 5-May 6 in the South Zone and April 12-May 13 in the North Zone. The Youth Spring Turkey Season was March 27-28 and April 3-4 statewide. The top five counties for spring wild turkey harvest in 2021 were Jefferson (421), Pike (353), Jo Daviess (352), Marion (332), and Wayne (298). A table with county preliminary harvest totals for the 2021 Illinois Spring Turkey Season, and 2020 comparable harvest totals, is below.
County 2021 2020
ADAMS 271 321
ALEXANDER 150 142
BOND 128 159
BOONE 71 79
BROWN 217 244
BUREAU 149 170
CALHOUN 183 246
CARROLL 130 152
CASS 209 202
CHAMPAIGN 20 36
CHRISTIAN 38 41
CLARK 211 233
CLAY 220 264
CLINTON 84 116
COLES 46 45
CRAWFORD 176 217
CUMBERLAND 62 78
DEKALB 9 11
DEWITT 49 55
DOUGLAS 7 9
EDGAR 80 89
EDWARDS 78 93
EFFINGHAM 126 144
FAYETTE 263 284
FORD 16 19
FRANKLIN 176 203
FULTON 241 377
GALLATIN/HARDIN 191 221
GREENE 138 153
GRUNDY 53 59
HAMILTON 236 251
HANCOCK 252 327
HENDERSON 132 128
HENRY 106 110
IROQUOIS 78 84
JACKSON 276 329
JASPER 130 147
JEFFERSON 421 508
JERSEY 146 194
JODAVIESS 352 464
JOHNSON 219 197
KANE 0 3
KANKAKEE 44 47
KENDALL 9 14
KNOX 221 270
LAKE 6 10
LASALLE 110 102
LAWRENCE 138 163
LEE 83 85
LIVINGSTON 32 40
LOGAN 28 47
MCDONOUGH 124 129
MCHENRY 97 101
MCLEAN 62 65
MACON 25 36
MACOUPIN 222 319
MADISON 192 283
MARION 332 444
MARSHALL/PUTNAM 104 127
MASON 132 150
MASSAC 96 98
MENARD 74 108
MERCER 185 225
MONROE 139 166
MONTGOMERY 150 190
MORGAN 125 157
MOULTRIE 20 43
OGLE 152 147
PEORIA 112 136
PERRY 229 240
PIATT 10 5
PIKE 353 404
POPE 271 277
PULASKI 110 122
RANDOLPH 286 379
RICHLAND 106 151
ROCK ISLAND 152 217
SALINE 111 122
SANGAMON 105 116
SCHUYLER 183 249
SCOTT 68 93
SHELBY 128146
ST CLAIR 126 152
STARK 17 18
STEPHENSON 154 188
TAZEWELL 71 72
UNION 256 311
VERMILION 128 118
WABASH 39 56
WARREN 47 61
WASHINGTON 134 175
WAYNE 298 372
WHITE 176 188
WHITESIDE 106 116
WILL 73 43
WILLIAMSON 283 284
WINNEBAGO 143 169
WOODFORD 66 81
Total 13,383 15,831
