When Does Turkey Season Start in Illinois? A Complete Guide

Resident Landowner Program Information

• Fee
  • Landowner permits are free to all qualified Illinois residents
• Application Deadline Dates
  • To receive landowner permits for an upcoming season, the application must be received by February 9 for Spring Turkey permits and September 1 for Fall Turkey and Deer permits. Due to the large volume of applications received, please assist us by submitting your application 5-6 weeks in advance of the application deadline dates, particularly if you wish to receive an upcoming season’s Fall Turkey and Deer permits.
• Eligibility Period
  • Once an application is received, and eligibility approved, Illinois residents remain eligible for 5 years, if there is no change in ownership or residency affecting the permittee’s eligibility for resident landowner permits. At the end of the 5-year certification period, IDNR will mail a Recertification Application (RC-POH) notice. If there is any change in circumstance affecting the permittee’s eligibility for resident landowner permits during the 5-year period, the permittee must notify the Department of the change in circumstances by mailing notice to:
    • Illinois Department of Natural Resources Attn: Permits Dept. One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702

• Any permits received after a permittee becomes ineligible for resident landowner permits shall be returned by mail – unused – to the Department, along with a note of explanation for return.
• Qualified applicants are limited to:
  • Landowners of 40 acres or more of land and their immediate families, resident tenants renting or leasing 40 acres or more of commercial agricultural land and their immediate families, and bona fide current income beneficiaries of a trust that owns 40 acres or more of land and their immediate families. No one may apply for or be issued both a landowner permit and a tenant permit.
  • “Immediate family of a landowner, tenant, or a bona fide current income beneficiary” means, and is limited to, the spouse, children, brothers, sisters and parents permanently residing on the same property as the landowner, tenant, or bona fide current income beneficiary”
  • “Bona fide current income beneficiary” means, an individual who, at the time of application for a permit: is entitled to income (whether income exists or not) from the trust that owns the land the applicant wishes to hunt with no condition precedent (such as surviving another person, reaching a certain age, etc.) other than the trustee distributing the income; and is listed by name in the trust documents as an income beneficiary.
  • Bona fide equity shareholders of corporations, bona fide equity members of limited liability companies or bona fide partners of partnerships owning 40 or more acres of land in a county. Only one permit per 40 acres, for a maximum of 15 permits per county, for corporations and limited liability companies, and a maximum of 3 permits per county for partnerships, shall be issued based on ownership of lands by corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships.
• Landowners need to submit only one permit application to apply for all permits listed below:
  1. Combination firearm deer permit (1 either-sex and 1 antlerless-only permit) (available only for counties open to firearm deer hunting);
  2. Combination archery deer permit (1 either-sex and 1 antlerless-only permit);
  3. 1 fall firearm turkey permit (available only for counties open to fall firearm turkey hunting);
  4. 1 fall archery turkey permit; and
  5. 1 spring turkey permit (valid for all 5 regular spring turkey seasons).
• For spring turkey hunting seasons, individuals who have received a landowner permit, or who have submitted an application for a landowner permit that is still pending, may not apply for additional permits in the First Lottery drawing for that season. Landowners who receive permits in the First Lottery drawing are not eligible for landowner permits
• For firearm deer and fall firearm turkey hunting seasons, individuals who have received a landowner permit, or who have submitted application for a landowner permit that is still pending, may not apply for additional permits in the First or Second Lottery Drawing for that season. Landowners who receive permits in the First or Second Lottery Drawing are not eligible for landowner permits.
• All landowner permits issued are valid on all properties owned by that permittee, regardless of in which county the property is located, so long as that county is open for the specific hunting season for which the permit is issued. This includes all permits issued to: 1) A landowner, tenant, bona fide current income beneficiary, or the immediate family of a landowner, tenant, or income beneficiary; or 2) A bona fide equity shareholder, bona fide equity member, or bona fide equity partner and on all lands owned by the corporation, limited liability company or partnership.
• All tenant permits issued are valid only on lands rented/leased for commercial agriculture in the counties open for the specified hunting season. “Commercial agriculture” means utilization of land for the raising of hay, grain crops or livestock for profit. A hunting rights lease, or other nonagricultural lease, is not valid as a basis for obtaining a landowner or tenant permit.
• Landowner Deer Muzzleloader permits are not issued. You must apply in either the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Deer Lottery for a Deer Muzzleloader permit.
• For further Resident Landowner application definitions and required documents that must accompany a Resident Landowner Application, please refer to the R-POH Permit Application.

AnnouncementsDeer Firearm & Muzzleloader Lottery Open NOW!

• See Licenses/Stamps to find what licenses and stamps you qualify for
• Use the Hunt Planner to help determine what type of permit you need
• See the Statewide Hunting Regulations for full details on licenses and stamps
• Find your current permits/licenses.
  • Spring Season
  • Fall Gun Season
• Correct, replace or reprint licenses/stamps online

Illinois Week 1 Turkey Season

FAQ

When can you hunt turkeys in Illinois?

How early should you start turkey hunting?

Can you use a .410 for turkey in Illinois?

What are the hunting seasons in Illinois?

When is spring turkey hunting in Illinois?

Illinois’s youth spring turkey hunting seasons are set for March 30–31 and April 6-7. How many permits are allowed per person for Spring Turkey hunting in Illinois? Spring licenses, including lottery-drawn, OTC, youth, and landowner permits, are limited to three per hunter.

Can you take a Turkey in the spring?

Only male turkeys (toms and jakes) or hens with an obvious beards may be taken in the spring. Even when not actively hunting, hunters should wear blaze orange or blazing pink helmets or vests to boost their visibility to other hunters. Apply for spring permits via lotteries and over-the-counter purchases.

Is turkey hunting legal in Illinois?

On Illinois’s public lands, turkey hunting is legal, but only if hunters have the proper licenses and abide by the laws laid out by the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Jacob Ross is a passionate outdoor enthusiast and skilled turkey hunter who is committed to sharing his love of the outdoors via interesting writing and helpful advice.

Can you get a turkey hunting license in the fall?

If available, hunters may get two wild turkey hunting licenses in the fall gun season. Permits for a certain county or territory are only valid there. The fall archery season has no lottery drawing, and hunters may buy permits from approved merchants. Two fall archery licenses are allowed.