SPRINGFIELD – Illinois youth turkey hunters harvested a preliminary total of 2,006 birds during the 2024 youth turkey season, breaking the previous harvest record of 1,733 set in 2020.
Randolph County youth led the state with the number of turkeys harvested at 71, compared to 48 last year.
Other counties in the top five were: Fayette, 66; Jefferson, 63; Marion, 62; and Pike, 54.
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 2023. In 2023, a total of 1,297 turkeys were taken.
A preliminary total of 160 wild turkeys, or eight percent of this year’s harvest, were taken on public land.