SPRINGFIELD – Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary statewide total of 262 wild turkeys during the 2023 fall firearm turkey season. The season dates were Oct. 21-29.
The 2023 total compares with the statewide turkey harvest of 267 in 2022. The record harvest was set in 2005 when 1,218 birds were harvested.
This year, 1,711 regular fall firearm season permits were sold compared to 1,727 last year. The highest permit sales total on record was in 2007 with 4,968 permits sold.
Fall turkey firearm was open in 56 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The top counties for harvest this year were Jo Daviess, 23; Marion, 14; Williamson, 14; Franklin, 13; and Pope, 12. Preliminary data show 55% of the harvest were female birds and 48% were male.
Randolph County hunters harvested three birds this year. They had five birds last year.
The following information includes the preliminary 2023 county-by-county fall firearm turkey harvest results with comparable totals for 2022.
County 2023 2022
Adams 2 1
Alexander 4 4
Brown 2 2
Calhoun 1 2
Carroll 7 4
Cass 5 6
Clark 2 8
Clay 9 10
Crawford 1 0
Edwards 5 5
Franklin 13 10
Fulton 4 0
Gallatin 5 4
Greene 2 5
Hamilton 3 8
Hancock 3 1
Hardin 4 0
Henderson 2 2
Jackson 4 12
Jasper 8 5
Jefferson 9 10
Jersey 1 0
Jo Daviess 23 19
Johnson 7 11
Knox 7 7
Lawrence 1 2
Macoupin 3 2
Madison 5 1
Marion 14 12
Mason 0 8
Massac 2 1
McDonough 3 5
Menard 0 3
Mercer 3 2
Morgan 1 4
Perry 8 1
Pike 1 2
Pope 12 10
Pulaski 1 1
Randolph 3 5
Richland 8 5
Rock Island 2 2
Saline 1 2
Schuyler 1 1
Scott 1 3
Stephenson. 6 4
Union 8 10
Wabash 0 1
Warren 0 1
Washington 4 3
Wayne 10 5
White 4 2
Whiteside 3 4
Williamson 14 15
Winnebago 8 13
Total 262 267