Thanks for visiting the Grand Slam Network.  Below we’ve provided a few tips and links to help you get started turkey hunting in Illinois.

Illinois provides many private and public land hunting opportunities to take advantage of.  In some instances, Illinois offers hunters an opportunity to hunt areas with great turkey populations through drawings on quota hunts.  Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Before Turkey Season Starts in Illinois

Before season, be sure to visit the state’s department of natural resources website.  For starters, make sure you understand the laws and regulations for hunting in Illinois.  Pay careful attention to the hunters education requirements and dates for the season.  Once you’ve done that, look on their website for public land opportunities.  Sometimes, these public land hunting areas will be called wildlife management areas, but be sure to look out for National Forests that allow hunting too.  If the state offers an online option to purchase a turkey hunting license, you can take advantage of that.

Typically, these websites provide maps that you can print of the public hunting land – you can print these maps and take them on your scouting expeditions.  Another document that comes in handy is the wild turkey harvest report for Illinois that covers the turkey habitat and counties that have the highest density of turkey populations.  Looking at these reports is typically a great starting point for figuring out which counties to look for public land hunting.

Illinois Turkey Hunting Outfitters and Guides

Another option for turkey hunters is to locate turkey hunting outfitters in Illinois, who can typically offer outstanding turkey hunting opportunities and better chances to harvest a turkey than public land hunting, which can be tough at times.

Illinois Turkey Hunting Forum

Forums are a great place to learn from other turkey hunters and pick up a few tips.  The Grand Slam Network was created to help improve your turkey hunting skills and help you network with other turkey hunters to find turkey hunting opportunities in Illinois.  Registration is free, so be sure to sign up for our turkey hunting forum!
Connect other wild turkey hunters in Illinois!