Illinois spring turkey harvest: Staying well ahead of 2018 pace

Here’s an update on the Illinois Spring Turkey Season from the IDNR Division of Wildlife Resources: At the conclusion of the Fourth Season Segment in the South Zone on 5/1, turkey hunters in the South Zone had harvested a preliminary total of 4,917 birds. This compares to last year’s total of 3,953 at the same point in the season and the 5-year average of 4,819 turkeys harvested for this time period. At the conclusion of the Third Season Segment in the North Zone on 5/1, turkey hunters in the North Zone had harvested a preliminary total 5,508 birds. This compares to last year’s total of 5,054 at the same point in the season and the 5-year average of 5,636 turkeys harvested for this time period. As of Sunday, 5/5/19, a preliminary total of 13,353 turkeys had been harvested statewide, compared to 12,550 at the same point in the season last year. County totals for 2018 and 2019 during this time period are below and include the Youth Season harvest.