SPRINGFIELD, IL – Youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary record total of 1,541 birds during the 2017 Illinois Youth Turkey Season. The dates for this year’s season were March 25-26 and April 1-2. This was the first year two youth turkey hunting weekends were open for the entire state. Previously, there was one weekend dedicated for the north zone and one for the south. In 2016, a total of 1,058 turkeys were harvested, combining both seasons and zones. The previous youth season record harvest was in 2012, when 1,300 birds were taken. This year, a total of 5,601 youth turkey permits were issued, including 106 permits for special hunt areas. Last year, 4,761 permits were issued, including 113 for special hunt areas.
Much of the state received rain during one or both days of the first weekend. However, it didn’t seem to slow the young hunters down as they harvested 776 birds over those two days. Weather was more favorable overall for the second weekend and 765 birds were taken.
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The table below shows Illinois Youth Turkey Season preliminary harvest figures for both the north and south zones by county, with numbers from 2016 and 2017.
|
North Zone |
Year |
|
|
County |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Adams |
32 |
35 |
|
Boone |
7 |
7 |
|
Brown |
24 |
24 |
|
Bureau |
7 |
9 |
|
Calhoun |
20 |
23 |
|
Carroll |
5 |
7 |
|
Cass |
17 |
21 |
|
Champaign |
1 |
6 |
|
Christian |
1 |
1 |
|
Clark |
12 |
11 |
|
Coles |
4 |
6 |
|
Cumberland |
5 |
7 |
|
DeKalb |
1 |
|
|
DeWitt |
5 |
8 |
|
Edgar |
7 |
3 |
|
Ford |
1 |
|
|
Fulton |
31 |
42 |
|
Greene |
19 |
13 |
|
Grundy |
3 |
4 |
|
Hancock |
9 |
20 |
|
Henderson |
5 |
14 |
|
Henry |
4 |
5 |
|
Iroquois |
1 |
10 |
|
Jersey |
15 |
23 |
|
JoDaviess |
30 |
29 |
|
Kankakee |
1 |
4 |
|
Kendall |
1 |
|
|
Knox |
19 |
29 |
|
LaSalle |
1 |
5 |
|
Lee |
6 |
18 |
|
Livingston |
1 |
|
|
Logan |
1 |
7 |
|
Macon |
1 |
4 |
|
Macoupin |
31 |
28 |
|
Marshall |
5 |
5 |
|
Mason |
12 |
15 |
|
McDonough |
8 |
13 |
|
McHenry |
4 |
11 |
|
McLean |
4 |
6 |
|
Menard |
8 |
11 |
|
Mercer |
12 |
17 |
|
Montgomery |
20 |
31 |
|
Morgan |
12 |
18 |
|
Moultrie |
2 |
2 |
|
Ogle |
25 |
23 |
|
Peoria |
8 |
11 |
|
Pike |
39 |
52 |
|
Putnam |
2 |
1 |
|
Rock Island |
7 |
12 |
|
Sangamon |
11 |
10 |
|
Schuyler |
18 |
27 |
|
Scott |
6 |
8 |
|
Shelby |
8 |
13 |
|
Stark |
1 |
|
|
Stephenson |
12 |
15 |
|
Tazewell |
11 |
6 |
|
Vermilion |
7 |
11 |
|
Warren |
4 |
7 |
|
Whiteside |
12 |
15 |
|
Will |
2 |
2 |
|
Winnebago |
11 |
13 |
|
Woodford |
11 |
6 |
|
North Total |
606 |
788 |
|
South Zone |
Year |
|
|
County |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Alexander |
7 |
14 |
|
Bond |
18 |
22 |
|
Clay |
15 |
24 |
|
Clinton |
7 |
13 |
|
Crawford |
6 |
16 |
|
Edwards |
5 |
9 |
|
Effingham |
6 |
15 |
|
Fayette |
28 |
50 |
|
Franklin |
12 |
16 |
|
Gallatin |
12 |
12 |
|
Hamilton |
22 |
34 |
|
Hardin |
4 |
9 |
|
Jackson |
21 |
40 |
|
Jasper |
8 |
11 |
|
Jefferson |
31 |
46 |
|
Johnson |
13 |
19 |
|
Lawrence |
5 |
13 |
|
Madison |
21 |
19 |
|
Marion |
27 |
41 |
|
Massac |
9 |
14 |
|
Monroe |
10 |
15 |
|
Perry |
10 |
29 |
|
Pope |
6 |
17 |
|
Pulaski |
7 |
8 |
|
Randolph |
23 |
40 |
|
Richland |
10 |
8 |
|
Saline |
12 |
24 |
|
St. Clair |
11 |
11 |
|
Union |
24 |
41 |
|
Wabash |
1 |
6 |
|
Washington |
8 |
22 |
|
Wayne |
16 |
30 |
|
White |
11 |
28 |
|
Williamson |
26 |
37 |
|
South Total |
452 |
753 |
|
Grand Total |
1058 |
1541 |
