State of Illinois

11/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/12/2026 12:10

Fall firearm hunters harvest 257 wild turkeys in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Turkey hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 257 wild turkeys during the 2026 fall firearm season, compared with 255 in 2025. The nine-day season ran Oct. 24 through Nov. 1.

A total of 1,911 regular fall firearm turkey permits were sold, compared to 1,763 in 2025. An additional 20,154 landowner permits were issued in 2026, compared to 19,370 in 2025.

The top counties for harvest were Jo Daviess, 21; Jackson, 19; Jefferson, 17; Union, 15; and Williamson, 13. Preliminary harvest reports identified 138 female birds (54%) and 116 male birds (46%). The sex of three birds was unknown.

The following table includes the preliminary 2026 county-by-county fall firearm turkey harvest results with comparable totals for 2025.

County

2025

2026

Adams

0

2

Alexander

4

8

Brown

2

4

Calhoun

0

3

Carroll

0

4

Cass

5

2

Clark

1

4

Clay

5

8

Crawford

4

2

Edwards

4

1

Franklin

9

5

Fulton

2

1

Gallatin

2

5

Greene

5

3

Hamilton

3

4

Hancock

1

2

Hardin

3

2

Henderson

0

0

Jackson

6

19

Jasper

11

3

Jefferson

16

17

Jersey

6

6

Jo Daviess

16

21

Johnson

7

3

Knox

2

1

Lawrence

2

2

Macoupin

2

5

Madison

4

8

Marion

9

7

Mason

8

4

Massac

4

2

McDonough

5

3

Menard

0

1

Mercer

1

1

Monroe

3

4

Morgan

1

3

Perry

6

4

Pike

8

3

Pope

8

7

Pulaski

1

2

Randolph

9

3

Richland

5

1

Rock Island

1

3

Saline

3

6

Schuyler

3

3

Scott

7

2

Stephenson

3

4

Union

11

15

Wabash

2

0

Warren

0

1

Washington

4

2

Wayne

11

11

White

4

0

Whiteside

3

2

Williamson

7

13

Winnebago

6

5

About IDNR


The Illinois Department of Natural Resources was established in 1925 as the Illinois Department of Conservation, bringing under one umbrella oversight of fish and game, forestry, public works, and lakes. Today, IDNR's work encompasses management of about 400 sites across Illinois, including state parks and historic sites; wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and natural heritage; Lake Michigan water allocation and coastal management; conservation police; mines and minerals; oil and gas; issuance of licenses, permits, and numerous grants; the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta; and the Illinois State Museum. Visit https://dnr.illinois.gov and follow us on Facebook , YouTube and LinkedIn .
State of Illinois published this content on November 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 12, 2026 at 18:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]