Fall archery season in Illinois yields record harvest of 1,045 wild turkeys

By Muddy River News | March 2, 2025
Pike County ranked No. 3 in the state among all counties for the number of wild turkeys harvested during fall archery season.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary record statewide total of 1,045 wild turkeys during the 2024-25 fall archery turkey season, according to information from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The total compares last year’s harvest of 803 and the five-year average of 763 birds harvested. The previous record total for fall…

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Illinois youth turkey hunters enjoy record harvest of more than 2,000 birds

By Muddy River Sports | April 16, 2024
Hunters harvested a state-record 2,006 wild turkeys during the Illinois youth turkey hunting season. | Photo courtesy USFWS

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois turkey hunters harvested a preliminary total of 2,006 birds during the 2024 youth season, breaking the previous harvest record of 1,733 set in 2020. The dates for this year’s season were March 30-31 and April 6-7. A total of 6,001 youth turkey permits were issued this year, compared to 5,283 in…

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