Carey Mayer Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer & Division Manager | Official Website
Carey Mayer Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer & Division Manager | Official Website
Hunters in Illinois set a new record by harvesting 1,045 wild turkeys during the 2024-2025 fall archery season. This number surpasses the previous year's total of 803 and the five-year average of 763 birds. The prior record for the fall archery season was in 2015 with 851 turkeys harvested.
During this season, hunters purchased 27,422 permits, excluding landowner permits, compared to 25,741 permits sold in the previous season. The hunting season ran from October 1, 2024, through January 19, 2025, and included all of Illinois' 102 counties.
The harvest was nearly evenly split between male and female turkeys at 51% and 49%, respectively. Last year saw a slightly higher percentage of males at 54%. Crossbows were used by 62% of hunters while compound bows were used by 37%, and traditional bows by just 1%.
Fayette County led the state with a harvest of 37 turkeys, followed by Jefferson with 28; Pike with 25; Marion with 24; and Jo Daviess also with a count of 23.
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