3rd highest turkey hunting season recorded in Illinois

11 turkeys were hunted in La Salle County, 5 in Bureau County, 4 in Putnam County

A wild turkey hen watches the roadway as others forage for food between Lanark and Forreston on a foggy, damp Saturday. Fifteen turkeys were walking through a yard on the south side of Chambers Road when this photo was taken. — Hunters in Illinois tallied a statewide total of 801 wild turkeys during the 2022-2023 fall archery turkey season between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15.

February 12, 2023 at 4:58 pm CST

Hunters in Illinois tallied a statewide total of 801 wild turkeys during the 2022-2023 fall archery turkey season between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15.

The total is the third highest on record for the season in Illinois.

Eleven turkeys were hunted in La Salle County this past season, up from six the previous season. In Bureau County, turkey hunting was down to five turkeys from 12 the previous season, and in Putnam County, four turkeys were hunted this season compared to three the previous year.

The top five counties for fall archery wild turkey hunting this season were Vermilion with 27 turkeys harvested; Ogle, 24; Clay, 22; Marion, 21; and Randolph, 21.

This season, 25,373 permits were sold (excluding landowner permits), compared to 24,768 for the 2021-2022 season. All 102 counties were open for hunting. The harvest consisted of 48% males and 52% hens.

Other neighboring counties totals were: Lee 8, Woodford 6, Livingston 5, Marshall 5, DeKalb 3, Grundy 2 and Kendall 0.