Illinois turkey hunters came within a few dozen of the record harvest for spring seasons.
Hunters Bag 16,565 Birds During 2010 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Season Harvest up over 2009 totals SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – 1Hunters in Illinois bagged a preliminary statewide total of 16,565 wild turkeys during the 2010 Spring Turkey Season. The 2010 total compares with the statewide turkey harvest of 15,490 in 2009. Hunters took a state-record 16,605 turkeys during the spring season in 2006. Hunters this spring took a preliminary total of 6,916 wild turkeys during all seasons in the South Zone, an increase from the harvest of 6,353 last year in the south. The North Zone total of 9,649 wild turkeys compares with last year’s total of 9,137 in the north. Harvests during the 2006 record year were 6,530 in the south and 10,075 in the north. All results include harvest during the Youth Turkey Seasons. Weather was exceptionally cooperative during the first several seasons, particularly in the South Zone, said Paul Shelton, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Forest Wildlife Program Manager. Hunters were on record pace until the very last season in the North Zone, when several days of morning thunderstorms slowed things down a bit. In spite of poor reproduction during the past several years, Illinois’ turkey population has remained strong. Weather during the next several weeks will be an important factor affecting nesting success; perhaps this will be the year that puts us over the top. The top five counties for turkey harvest in the South Zone this spring were: Pope (397), Jefferson (396), Union (356), Marion (353), and Randolph (351). The top five counties for spring turkey harvest in the North Zone this year were: JoDaviess (628), Pike (527), Fulton (455), Adams (406), and Schuyler (348). The 2010 spring turkey seasons were conducted April 5-May 6 in the South Zone and April 12-May 13 in the North Zone, with the youth seasons on Mar. 27-28 in the South Zone and April 3-4 in the North Zone. The table below includes the preliminary 2010 county-by-county spring turkey harvest results and comparable totals for 2009. County 2009 2010 Adams 421 406 Alexander 136 142 Bond 157 179 Boone 54 50 Brown 279 270 Bureau 140 172 Calhoun 341 289 Carroll 240 229 Cass 258 292 Champaign 21 24 Christian 33 49 Clark 168 161 Clay 203 206 Clinton 121 121 Coles 31 30 Crawford 175 143 Cumberland 68 67 DeKalb 14 15 DeWitt 39 44 Edgar 71 98 Edwards 85 90 Effingham 84 93 Fayette 172 208 Franklin 157 175 Fulton 417 455 Gallatin 105 134 Greene 273 257 Grundy 44 58 Hamilton 163 230 Hancock 320 330 Hardin 161 168 Henderson 156 154 Henry 61 61 Iroquois 39 58 Jackson 280 298 Jasper 142 146 Jefferson 363 396 Jersey 230 245 JoDaviess 612 628 Johnson 237 298 Kankakee 20 38 Kendall 17 30 Knox 238 286 LaSalle 138 181 Lawrence 122 141 Lee 95 104 Livingston 19 17 Logan 45 47 Macon 23 17 Macoupin 351 346 Madison 260 291 Marion 329 353 Marshall 93 94 Mason 199 197 Massac 71 89 McDonough 124 132 McHenry 31 37 McLean 61 63 Menard 111 114 Mercer 181 192 Monroe 158 169 Montgomery 163 212 Morgan 200 225 Moultrie 20 22 Ogle 173 197 Peoria 196 201 Perry 208 233 Piatt 12 10 Pike 549 527 Pope 332 397 Pulaski 106 144 Putnam 39 60 Randolph 352 351 Richland 127 108 Rock Island 195 221 Saline 123 132 Sangamon 97 101 Schuyler 336 348 Scott 116 105 Shelby 53 66 St. Clair 164 160 Stark 13 15 Stephenson 194 181 Tazewell 65 86 Union 296 356 Vermilion 110 173 Wabash 40 36 Warren 66 65 Washington 192 166 Wayne 325 339 White 135 132 Whiteside 177 186 Will 53 57 Williamson 272 292 Winnebago 159 160 Woodford 74 91
