Results of the 2008-2009 Turkey Hunter Survey

A random sample of 3,000 addresses was selected from among 2008 Illinois resident and non-resident turkey hunting permit purchasers. A 10-page questionnaire was successfully mailed to 2,918 individuals, from whom we received 2,057 valid responses, for a 70% response rate. Of the 2,057 respondents to the turkey hunter survey, 87% reported hunting turkeys in Illinois during the 2008-2009 season. A majority (81%) hunted during the spring turkey season; 28% hunted during the fall shotgun turkey season, and 29% hunted during the fall archery turkey season. The average number of days hunted ranged from 1.70 during the spring youth season to 12.72 days during the fall archery season. A plurality of hunters who hunted during the spring season (57%), fall shotgun season (56%), and fall archery season (59%) rated their overall turkey hunting experience as average or better. A majority of respondents who hunted the 2008 spring and fall seasons hunted on private land. Majorities of hunters during the spring, fall shotgun and fall archery turkey hunting seasons reported no difficulty finding a place to hunt in Illinois. Few turkey hunters reported leasing land on which they hunted turkeys during the spring season (4%), fall shotgun season (4%), and fall archery season (5%).A plurality of hunters who did not hunt turkeys every fall cited their preference for hunting other species in the fall as the most important reason why they did not. A majority of respondents supported changing spring turkey hunting hours to include all daylight hours.Pluralities of respondents who hunted on private land only (47%) and public land only (48%) supported changing the the spring turkey seasons in Illinois to one continuous, 3-week season. However, after respondents were given information about the likely effects on turkey hunters in Illinois, a plurality (49%) of private land hunters, and majorities of respondents who hunt on public land (57%) and on both public and private land (53%) did not support changing the spring turkey season in Illinois.