
The restoration of the
wild turkey is one of the greatest success stories in wildlife conservation.
Once completely extirpated in Illinois, wild turkeys now occur in robust
numbers in every county. To rebuild the state’s population, Illinois Department
of Natural Resources (IDNR) conducted trap and release efforts beginning in the
1950s, concluding the program in the early 2000s. Today, the Forest Wildlife
Program at IDNR manages wild turkeys and their habitat to maintain these
healthy populations.