CHAPTER I: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
SUBCHAPTER b: FISH AND WILDLIFE
PART 710 THE TAKING OF WILD TURKEYS - SPRING SEASON
SECTION 710.70 SPRING YOUTH TURKEY HUNT
Section 710.70 Spring Youth Turkey Hunt
a) Hunting Dates
1) Northern Zone: the Saturday and Sunday beginning 9 days prior to the opening date of the Northern Zone first spring turkey hunting season.
2) Southern Zone: the Saturday and Sunday beginning 9 days prior to the opening date of the Southern Zone first spring turkey hunting season.
b) Open Counties: All counties listed in Section 710.10 are open to Spring Youth Turkey Hunting.
c) Eligibility: The Spring Youth Turkey Hunt is open only to hunters who have not reached their 16th birthday prior to the opening date of the youth season. Hunters must have an apprentice 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 (http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/turkey.htm) 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(j)) 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 must be accompanied by a non-hunting, validly-licensed (Illinois hunting license) parent, guardian or grandparent. 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) who has a valid Illinois hunting license or who has in his or her possession a valid Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card. An Illinois resident serving as a youth supervisor must have a valid FOID card regardless of whether he or she has a valid Illinois hunting license. FOID cards are not issued to non-residents, so non-residents serving as youth supervisors must have a valid Illinois hunting license. 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.
2) All regulations prescribed by Section 710.30 of this Part 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.
Anderson Lake Fish and Wildlife Area
Apple River Canyon State Park − Thompson and Salem Units (1)
Argyle Lake State Park
Big Bend Fish and Wildlife Area (Whiteside County)
Big River State Forest
Cache River State Natural Area
Cape Bend State Fish and Wildlife Area
Copperhead Hollow State Wildlife Area
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Public Hunting Area
Crawford County Conservation Area
Cypress Pond State Natural Area
Deer Pond State Natural Area
Devil's Island State Fish and Wildlife Area
Dog Island Wildlife Management Area
Ferne Clyffe State Park − Cedar Draper State Habitat Area
Giant City State Park
Green River State Wildlife Area
Hanover Bluff State Natural Area (1)
Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area − Alexander County
Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area
Kinkaid Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area (1)
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Moraine View State Park (free site permit required)
Mississippi River Area Pools 21, 22, 24, 25 and 26
Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center (1)
Nauvoo State Park (Max Rowe Unit Only)
Newton Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Pere Marquette State Park (open area south of Graham Hollow Road only)
Pyramid State Park
Pyramid State Park − East Conant Unit
Rall Woods State Natural Area (1)
Ray Norbut Fish and Wildlife Area
Rend Lake Corps of Engineers-managed land in Jefferson and
Franklin Counties
Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Sam Parr State Park
Sielbeck Forest State Natural Area
Siloam Springs State Park
Siloam Springs State Park (Buckhorn Unit)
Skinner Farm State Habitat Area
Spoon River State Forest
Tapley Woods State Natural Area (1)
Trail of Tears State Forest
Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area
Union County Conservation Area
Weinberg-King State Park
Weinberg-King State Park (Cecil White Unit)
Weinberg-King State Park (Scripps Unit)
Weinberg-King State Park (Spunky Bottoms Unit)
Winston Tunnel State Natural Area (1)
Wise Ridge State Natural Area
Witkowsky State Wildlife Area (1)
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 5 (preseason scouting is permitted beginning the Saturday prior to the youth season; hunters must have their permit in possession while scouting)
Butterfield Trail State Recreation Area
Castle Rock State Park
Clinton Lake State Recreation Area
Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (Closed Portion)
Eldon Hazlet State Park
Ferne Clyffe State Park − Ferne Clyffe Hunting Area
Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area
Hidden Springs State Forest
Iroquois County State Fish and Wildlife Area
Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area
Kankakee River State Park
Kickapoo State Recreation 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
Middlefork State Fish and Wildlife Area
Momence Wetlands
Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Sand Ridge State Forest
Sangchris Lake State Park
South Shore State Park (must have Eldon Hazlet State Park permit)
Stephen A. Forbes State Park
Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area
Weldon Springs − Piatt County Unit
(Source: Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 20588, effective December 9, 2011)