Section 710.70  Spring Youth Turkey Hunt

 

a)         Season:  The two consecutive weekends immediately prior to the regular season in the Southern Zone.  The Northern Zone and Southern Zone are open concurrently for all 4 days.

 

b)         Open Counties:  All counties listed in Section 710.10 are open to the Spring Youth Turkey Hunt.

 

c)         Eligibility:  The Spring Youth Turkey Hunt is open only to hunters who have not reached the age of 18 prior to the opening date of the youth season.  Hunters must have an apprentice or youth hunting license, or they must have completed a State‑approved Hunter Education course and have a hunting license, unless exempt.  In addition, hunters must have a Habitat Stamp, unless exempt.

 

d)         Permit Requirements − Spring Youth Turkey Hunt

 

1)         All youth hunters must have a current, valid Youth Turkey Hunt Permit ($10).  Hunters are eligible to purchase only one Youth Turkey Hunt Permit.  Hunting without a permit is a Class B misdemeanor (see 520 ILCS 5/2.9).

 

2)         For a county permit:  Youth Turkey Hunt Permits valid for counties open to youth turkey hunting will be available for sale over-the-counter (OTC) from agents beginning the first Tuesday in March through the last day of the Youth Turkey Season.

 

3)         For a Special Hunt Area permit:  Youth hunters may apply online (www.exploremoreil.com) for a site-specific permit valid for one of the Special Hunt Areas.  The application period begins the third Tuesday in January and ends the third Monday in February.  Permits will be allocated via a lottery drawing in which Illinois residents will be given preference.

 

4)         The applicants must not have had their hunting privileges suspended or revoked in this State or any other state.

 

5)         A $3 service fee will be charged for replacement permits issued by the Department, except when permits are lost in the mail, there will be no charge.  Monies derived from this source will be deposited in the Wildlife and Fish Fund.

 

6)         The Youth Turkey Hunt Permit shall be valid only for the dates and counties/Special Hunt Area listed on the permit. 

 

7)         A permit issued for the Youth Turkey Hunt will count toward the maximum number of permits (Section 710.20(k)(3)) an individual can receive for the Spring Wild Turkey Season.

 

e)         Youth Turkey Hunting Regulations

 

1)         Each hunter participating in the Illinois Youth Turkey Hunt while using an Apprentice Hunter License or Youth Hunting License must be accompanied by a non-hunting, validly-licensed (Illinois hunting license) adult who is 21 years of age or older.

 

2)         All other hunters (using other types of hunting licenses or license-exempt) participating in the Youth Turkey Hunt must each be accompanied by a non-hunting supervisor (parent, guardian or responsible adult).  If the youth is hunting with a firearm, a nonresident supervisor must have a valid Illinois hunting license.

 

3)         The non-hunting supervisor must remain with the hunting youth so as to have the youth under immediate control.  Each supervisor may only accompany a single youth at any given time during the hunt.  The supervising adult shall be criminally liable for the actions of the youth in the hunting party and shall be subject to the criminal penalties provided by law.

 

4)         All regulations prescribed by Section 710.30 apply during the Youth Turkey Hunt.

 

f)         The following sites will be open to holders of a valid Youth Turkey Hunt Permit for the county in which the site is located.  Persons wishing to hunt one of the listed sites should contact that site prior to hunting for information about site regulations and restrictions.  Sites that require use of windshield cards by hunters as specified in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 510.10 are followed by a (2).

 

Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Apple River Canyon State Park − Thompson and Salem Units (2)

 

Argyle Lake State Park

 

Big Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area (Whiteside County)

 

Big Grand Pierre Glade State Natural Area (2)

 

Big River State Forest (2)

 

Cache River State Natural Area

 

Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area – East Fork Management Unit (2)

 

Cave-In-Rock State Park – Kaegi Tract (2)

 

Copperhead Hollow State Wildlife Area (2)

 

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Public Hunting Area

 

Crawford County State Fish Wildlife Area

 

Cretaceous Hills State Natural Area (2)

 

Cypress Pond State Natural Area

 

Deer Pond State Natural Area

 

Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Dog Island State Wildlife Management Area

 

Ferne Clyffe State Park − Cedar Draper State Habitat Area

 

Fox Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Fox Ridge State Park (2)

 

Giant City State Park

 

Green River State Wildlife Area (2)

 

Hamilton County State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Hanover Bluff State Natural Area (2)

 

Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area − Alexander County (Controlled Hunting Area and Public Hunting Area only)

 

Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Lake Shelbyville Project Land (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed) – Moultrie County

 

Lake Shelbyville Project Land (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed) – Shelby County

 

Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Marshall State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Mississippi River Area Pools 21, 22, 24, 25 and 26

 

Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center (1)

 

Nauvoo State Park (Max Rowe Unit Only) (2)

 

Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Paul C. Burrus Habitat Area (2)

 

Pere Marquette State Park (open area east of Graham Hollow Road only) (2)

 

Pyramid State Park − East Conant and Park Units (2)

 

Rall Woods State Natural Area (2)

 

Rauchfuss Hill State Recreation Area (1)

 

Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Rend Lake Corps of Engineers-managed land in Jefferson and

Franklin Counties

 

Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Saline County State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Sam Parr State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area (2)

 

Siloam Springs State Park (2)

 

Siloam Springs State Park (Buckhorn Unit) (2)

 

Skinner Farm State Habitat Area

 

Spoon River State Forest (2)

 

Tapley Woods State Natural Area (2)

 

Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Trail of Tears State Forest

 

Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Union County State Fish and Wildlife Area (Firing Line and Controlled Hunting Area only)

 

Weinberg-King State Park (2)

 

Weinberg-King State Park (Cecil White Unit) (2)

 

Weinberg-King State Park (Scripps Unit) (2)

 

Weinberg-King State Park (Spunky Bottoms Unit) (2)

 

Winston Tunnel State Natural Area (2)

 

Wise Ridge State Natural Area

 

Witkowsky State Wildlife Area (2)

 

g)         Statewide regulations shall apply except that all hunting is allowed by site‑specific permit only.  The Department of Natural Resources allocates permits for these areas through the lottery process set forth in Section 710.70(d).  This permit is only valid for the specific site and season indicated on the permit.

 

Burning Star State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Butterfield Trail State Recreation Area (2)

 

Castle Rock State Park (2)

 

Clinton Lake State Recreation Area (2)

 

Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (Closed Portion)

 

Dixon Springs State Park

 

Edward Madigan State Park – James Helfrich Propagation Center (designated areas only)

 

Eldon Hazlet State Park (2)

 

Embarras River Bottoms State Habitat Area (2)

 

Ferne Clyffe State Park − Ferne Clyffe Hunting Area

 

Fort Massac State Park (2)

 

Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area (2)

 

Heidecke State Fish and Wildlife Area (Jugtown Unit)

 

Hidden Springs State Forest (2)

 

Iroquois County State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

 

Kankakee River State Park

 

Kickapoo State Recreation Area (2)

 

Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Momence Wetlands

 

Moraine View State Park (2)

 

Ramsey Lake State Park (2)

 

Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (2)

 

Sand Ridge State Forest

 

Sangchris Lake State Park

 

Stephen A. Forbes State Park (2)

 

Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area

 

Weldon Springs − Piatt County Unit (2)

 

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 15607, effective October 17, 2024)