Illinois turkey hunters had a record-breaking spring season as preliminary reports released by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources revealed hunters harvested a total of 20,821 wild turkeys, surpassing the previous record of 18,189 birds harvested in 2025.
This year, hunters purchased 94,704 permits compared to 89,580 last year.
This year’s total included a record youth spring turkey season harvest of 2,326 birds compared to 2,099 birds in 2025.
Sangamon County hunters totaled 164 turkeys.