Illinois youth turkey hunters set new harvest record during 2026 season
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois youth turkey hunters set a new record, harvesting a preliminary total of 2,318 birds during the 2025 Illinois youth season. The total surpasses last year’s record of 2,099 birds and marks the third consecutive year of record-setting youth turkey harvest in Illinois.
Participation also reached an all-time high this spring. Youth hunters purchased a record 7,369 permits in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 6,538 sold in 2025. Along with a success rate of over 30% for the third year in a row, the increasing totals reflect strong youth interest in turkey hunting, excellent hunting opportunities and a robust statewide turkey population.
This year’s youth season was March 28-29 and April 4-5. The top five counties for youth harvest were Jefferson, 75; Fayette, 74; Marion, 68; Adams, 62; and Clay, 62. The following table shows preliminary harvest figures for the youth turkey season by county for 2025 and 2026.
| County | 2025 | 2026 |
| ADAMS | 50 | 62 |
| ALEXANDER | 14 | 29 |
| BOND | 20 | 26 |
| BOONE | 4 | 4 |
| BROWN | 38 | 34 |
| BUREAU | 19 | 12 |
| CALHOUN | 38 | 40 |
| CARROLL | 9 | 8 |
| CASS | 24 | 19 |
| CHAMPAIGN | 6 | 5 |
| CHRISTIAN | 8 | 13 |
| CLARK | 28 | 43 |
| CLAY | 50 | 62 |
| CLINTON | 30 | 37 |
| COLES | 7 | 7 |
| CRAWFORD | 38 | 34 |
| CUMBERLAND | 21 | 27 |
| DEKALB | 0 | 0 |
| DEWITT | 3 | 3 |
| DOUGLAS | 2 | 1 |
| EDGAR | 9 | 7 |
| EDWARDS | 11 | 15 |
| EFFINGHAM | 42 | 42 |
| FAYETTE | 63 | 74 |
| FORD | 1 | 0 |
| FRANKLIN | 27 | 35 |
| FULTON | 28 | 29 |
| GALLATIN/HARDIN | 31 | 48 |
| GREENE | 31 | 31 |
| GRUNDY | 4 | 4 |
| HAMILTON | 38 | 34 |
| HANCOCK | 30 | 43 |
| HENDERSON | 9 | 12 |
| HENRY | 25 | 18 |
| IROQUOIS | 7 | 7 |
| JACKSON | 28 | 45 |
| JASPER | 28 | 30 |
| JEFFERSON | 72 | 75 |
| JERSEY | 20 | 32 |
| JO DAVIESS | 47 | 34 |
| JOHNSON | 23 | 35 |
| KANKAKEE | 6 | 7 |
| KENDALL | 2 | 1 |
| KNOX | 15 | 6 |
| LAKE | 0 | 1 |
| LASALLE | 7 | 7 |
| LAWRENCE | 13 | 11 |
| LEE | 14 | 10 |
| LIVINGSTON | 3 | 5 |
| LOGAN | 4 | 7 |
| MACON | 1 | 3 |
| MACOUPIN | 60 | 57 |
| MADISON | 36 | 44 |
| MARION | 48 | 68 |
| MARSHALL/PUTNAM | 9 | 12 |
| MASON | 22 | 20 |
| MASSAC | 17 | 17 |
| MCDONOUGH | 8 | 11 |
| MCHENRY | 17 | 12 |
| MCLEAN | 9 | 11 |
| MENARD | 18 | 12 |
| MERCER | 12 | 12 |
| MONROE | 25 | 34 |
| MONTGOMERY | 34 | 40 |
| MORGAN | 11 | 15 |
| MOULTRIE | 5 | 6 |
| OGLE | 27 | 21 |
| PEORIA | 11 | 20 |
| PERRY | 34 | 42 |
| PIATT | 0 | 0 |
| PIKE | 71 | 59 |
| POPE | 30 | 38 |
| PULASKI | 18 | 23 |
| RANDOLPH | 66 | 55 |
| RICHLAND | 17 | 8 |
| ROCK ISLAND | 10 | 12 |
| SALINE | 26 | 34 |
| SANGAMON | 20 | 23 |
| SCHUYLER | 27 | 26 |
| SCOTT | 3 | 9 |
| SHELBY | 31 | 34 |
| ST CLAIR | 28 | 47 |
| STARK | 3 | 6 |
| STEPHENSON | 18 | 22 |
| TAZEWELL | 11 | 8 |
| UNION | 21 | 34 |
| VERMILION | 17 | 8 |
| WABASH | 6 | 8 |
| WARREN | 9 | 8 |
| WASHINGTON | 27 | 26 |
| WAYNE | 48 | 52 |
| WHITE | 34 | 36 |
| WHITESIDE | 27 | 25 |
| WILL | 4 | 5 |
| WILLIAMSON | 38 | 48 |
| WINNEBAGO | 25 | 26 |
| WOODFORD | 13 | 10 |
| Total | 2,099 | 2,318 |
