Hunters Bag 16,565 Birds During 2010 Illinois Spring Wild Turkey Season
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – Hunters 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
Return To Top Of Page |
