Is It Legal in Illinois to Hunt Wild Turkey's In Your Backyard

Does it seem like there are more wild turkeys roaming around the neighborhoods of northern Illinois than there normally are?

Every single county in Illinois has a wild turkey population, and according to the U of I Extention, there are around 150,000 wild turkeys in the state.

When Does Wild Turkey Hunting Season Begin?

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Fall 2023 Turkey Archery season begins on October 1, and Turkey Shotgun season will be from October 21 to 29.

Can You Legally Shoot a Wild Turkey in Your Backyard?

According to the IDNR website, if you want to legally hunt wild turkeys on your personal property, you must hold a valid hunting license, a state habitat stamp, and at least one valid turkey permit, according to eregulations.

Johnny Vincent, Canva

For the Fall hunting season, the deadline has passed to obtain a 2023 Landowner Fall Turkey/Deer permit which was September 1, 2023. All applications that are received now will be reviewed for the 2024-2028 certification period, according to the IDNR.

Even if you do have valid permits and licenses to hunt wild turkeys, it still may not be legal to discharge a firearm in your neighborhood depending on where you live, but using the bow and arrow may be permitted if you're within the hunting season dates and in the fall hunting zone.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.