The Illinois Spring Turkey season set a new record. Hunters harvested a preliminary statewide total of 16,140 birds this spring. That topped the previous record of 15,563 set in 2004. The first modern turkey season in Illinois in 1970 had a total harvest of 25 birds.

Top counties for spring turkey harvest in 2006 were Pike (708), Jo Daviess (564), Adams (560), Macoupin (468) and Fulton (444).

Jefferson County just missed the top ten with one fewer than Marion County with 362. Clay County had 203 turkeys harvested, Fayette County 162, Washington County 158, Bond County 132, and Clinton County 101.

2006 Season Dates:
April 3-May 4, South Zone;
April 10-May 11, North Zone

Bag Limit: 1 gobbler or bearded hen per permit, max of 3 permits

Legal Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 PM

Fall 2005 Season Dates:

Season Dates:

Shotgun - Oct 22 - 30
Archery - Oct 1 - Jan 12, 2006 (closed Nov 18-20 & Dec 1/4

Bag Limit: 2 either sex

Legal Hours:

Firearms - 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset

Archery - 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

Statewide, hunters bagged 15,066 turkeys in the spring of 2004. This is an increase of about 3 percent compared to the spring of 2003. There were 68,000 permits issued statewide. Hunters had a success rate of about 22 percent which is similar to previous years.

The top five counties for spring turkey harvest for 2004 were all in the north zone: JoDaviess (696), Pike (620), Adams (502), Fulton (437), and Macoupin (401). The top five counties in the south zone for the 2004 spring season were Pope (352), Jefferson (339), Marion (312), Randolph (304), and Union (290).