Spring turkey season records 14,968 birds harvested

[MAY 31, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 14,968 wild turkeys during the spring turkey season that concluded in early May. The preliminary total fell just short of last year's record-setting statewide harvest of 15,066 birds.

Cold, rainy weather may have contributed to the lower harvests reported during the first portion of the season in the south zone and the middle segment of the season in the north zone. This year's spring turkey seasons were April 4-May 5 in the south zone and April 11-May 12 in the north zone.

The top five counties for spring turkey harvest for 2005 were all in the north zone: Pike, 632; Jo Daviess, 611; Adams, 483; Fulton, 409; and Macoupin, 403. The top five counties in the south zone for the 2005 spring season were Pope, 355; Jefferson, 344; Randolph, 326; Marion, 319; and Jackson, 270.

An additional 458 turkeys were taken during this spring's youth turkey hunt, compared with a harvest of 497 birds during the youth hunt in 2004.

A total of 96 counties in Illinois were open to turkey hunting this spring.

Following is a list of the preliminary 2005 Illinois spring wild turkey harvest by county. The comparable harvest figures for 2004 are also included.

2005 spring wild turkey preliminary harvest totals

County	2005 total	2004 total
Adams	483	502
Alexander	130	123
Bond	127	113
Boone	40	44
Brown	276	313
Bureau	132	112
Calhoun	325	375
Carroll	176	226
Cass	246	246
Champaign	21	19
Christian	50	45
Clark	156	108
Clay	209	207
Clinton	106	91
Coles	23	19
Crawford	185	167
Cumberland	73	53
DeKalb	13	14
DeWitt	35	29
Edgar	65	41
Edwards	77	80
Effingham	58	69
Fayette	144	140
Franklin	98	89
Fulton	409	437
Gallatin	93	93
Greene	333	365
Grundy	31	36
Hamilton	128	140
Hancock	325	340
Hardin	148	159
Henderson	159	183
Henry	36	34
Iroquois	26	24

County	2005 total	2004 total
Jackson	279	270
Jasper	140	135
Jefferson	344	339
Jersey	260	261
Jo Daviess	611	696
Johnson	229	219
Kankakee	16	21
Kendall	14	10
Knox	281	280
LaSalle	128	113
Lawrence	139	138
Lee	64	80
Livingston	15	9
Logan	24	40
McDonough	128	139
McHenry	18	27
McLean	25	26
Macon	19	16
Macoupin	403	401
Madison	271	264
Marion	319	312
Marshall	53	47
Mason	191	193
Massac	75	75
Menard	96	86
Mercer	137	125
Monroe	175	172
Montgomery	135	133
Morgan	279	270
Moultrie	11	9
Ogle	105	98
Peoria	134	155
Perry	206	202
Piatt	17	21
Pike	632	620
Pope	355	352
Pulaski	93	77
Putnam	40	32
Randolph	326	304
Richland	126	121
Rock Island	185	178
St. Clair	112	128
Saline	92	112
Sangamon	85	91
Schuyler	354	380
Scott	158	154
Shelby	56	34
Stark	7	12
Stephenson	185	172
Tazewell	36	27
Union	258	290
Vermilion	104	100
Wabash	37	53
Warren	51	51
Washington	151	131
Wayne	249	235
White	92	94
Whiteside	153	164
Will	23	22
Williamson	189	176
Winnebago	129	132
Woodford	49	50
Special hunt areas	364	356
Total	14,968	15,066

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources news release]

Life Sentence, No Parole

If we tried to invent the cruelest punishment for dogs, we probably couldn't come up with anything worse than "solitary confinement" on a chain or in a kennel.

Dogs are pack animals who crave the companionship of others.  Scratches behind the ears, games of fetch, or even just walks around the block mean the world to them.  Curling up at your feet while you watch TV is their idea of heaven.

Many dogs left to fend for themselves at the end of a chain fall prey to attacks by other animals or cruel people, and many others are injured or hanged or choke as a result of getting entangled or caught in their tether.

If you have a backyard dog, please, bring him or her inside.  They don't want much--just you.

A public service announcement from Lincoln Daily News and helpinganimals.com