| The Wild Turkey 2001 | Want To Hunt Turkey In Illinois? | Info on Fred’s Wild Turkey Hunts |

The Wild Turkey 2001

by Fred Lutger

If you haven't ventured from the metropolitan Chicago area in the last couple years or haven't talked to your hunting buddies who have, you might not be aware of the tremendous phenomena occurring in the rest of our state. It's happening as close as Will and Kankakee counties. I'm talking about the explosion of the Illinois wild turkey population.

Illinois is blessed with the perfect habitat for whitetail deer. We grow monster size deer in this state. This habitat is also the perfect habitat for wild turkey. And the turkeys in our area are following suit. Not only are we blessed with an abundance of birds, the birds in our state are growing to monstrous size.

I started turkey hunted in Jo Daviess county with guide Mark Flickinger, owner of Jo Daviess outfitters. Mark offers three types of hunts, do it yourself, fully guided, and blind hunts. I chose the latter, blind hunt. I film my hunts. I wanted to hunt with my bow. I felt putting myself and my cameraman in a blind would accomplish two things, give us more freedom of movement with the camera and give me more freedom of movement with my bow. I was right on both counts.

During the spring 1993 hunt, I hunted unsuccessfully with my bow for four days. Mark suggested I try an area near a roost tree on the fifth morning. I opted to take my shotgun. I killed a monster bird that morning. My bird weighed 24 pounds and sported a 10 inch beard! In turkey language that's a 'Boone and Crocket' gobbler.

My 1994 turkey hunt had the same beginning and ending as the '93 hunt. I hunted three days with my bow. High winds prevented me from taking shots I would be comfortable with in calm conditions. The fourth day I took my shotgun. I was blessed with my second 'Booner' in as many years. This bird weighed 23 3/4 pounds and had a tremendous 10 1/2 inch beard. The beard on this bird was not only long but also thick. This beard looked like a heavy rope hanging off his chest.

My fall deer hunting has been in Illinois’ “golden triangle,” an area given that name for all the great trophy size whitetail bucks that consistently come from this region. It is in west central Illinois consisting of Pike, Adams and Brown counties. The more I hunted deer in this region, the more turkey I saw.

I talked to my good friend Mike Pavlic who owns and leases 10,000 prime hunting acres in all three counties. Mike is the worlds #1 whitetail deer-hunting fanatic. I hunt deer with Mike and guide deer hunters for Mike during the Illinois gun and bow season. Mike gave me permission to hunt turkey on his land and stay at his lodge during wild turkey season.

The first spring I hunted at Mikes was phenomenal! I scouted one farm the day before season and saw 19 different gobblers. I was scouting with Chris Counley. Chris is Illinois’ top turkey hunter and has been a turkey guide in Illinois since there has been a huntable wild turkey population here. Chris was going to be the cameraman and do the calling for my hunt.

Chris picked an area 100 yards up from a small creek that separated a 300-acre picked cornfield from a rising hardwoods hilltop. The creek bottom was a jungle of brier, willows and blow downs. Chris picked an open area next to this jungle, put out 3 decoys and put up a portable blind he was carrying. I was positioned between Chris and the decoys, my back against a mammoth oak. Chris called in two flocks of gobblers. The first group consisted of 4 jakes. I passed wanting a mature bird. Thirty minuets later 3 big mature gobblers were pulled from the thicket by Chris’s calls. It took 20 minuets for one of the big gobblers to get in position for a clear shot, a shot we could film. I had my Remington 870 in position and pulled the trigger. The bird started flopping. I immediately jumped up to run for the bird. After sitting dead still for 20 minutes my legs had no feeling. My legs were asleep. I could hardly move, let alone run after my bird. On video I look pretty silly, walking like Frankenstein towards the flopping turkey. I couldn’t believe my luck. I had just killed the biggest wild turkey of my career! This bird checked in at 25 # and sported a 10 ½ in beard and 1 3/8 in spurs. Chris was all smiles. I was elated.

I started outfitting turkey hunts that year. We have one of the best turkey hunts in Illinois. Mike lets me use his lodge and all his land for my hunts. Mike doesn’t hunt turkeys. I don’t tell him about all the fun we are having. He might want to take over my turkey hunts.

Good Hunting,

Fred Lutger

Want To Hunt Wild Turkey In Illinois?

If you would like to hunt turkeys in Illinois, we have four seasons in the spring and two hunt zones. I hunt the Northern Zone. The 2001 seasons are: 1st season: Monday, April 16- Friday, April 20. 2nd season: Saturday, April 21- Thursday, April 26. 3rd season: Friday, April 27- Friday, May 4th. 4th season: Saturday, May 5- Wednesday, May 16th. The southern zone seasons starts April 9 and ends on May 9.
Application dates for Illinois spring turkey hunting vary and are by lottery. Residents have first chance for a permit. Residents can apply as soon as applications are available through December 1 each year. Applications from non-residents [contact permit office for fee info] and anyone that does not have a permit will be accepted through Jan. 11. The third lottery begins Jan 12 through Feb 9 for applicants that do not have a permit or has one permit. Anyone that does not have a permit or has one or two permits may apply for the first random daily drawing from applications received prior to and including March 9. Random daily drawings will be held until three weeks prior to the season applied for. [All applications from one day are randomly processed before applications from the next day are processed.] For information on remaining permits call 217-782-7305. You can get a wild turkey hunting permit application on line at http://dnr.state.il.us.

This is the information on Fred’s 2001 Spring Wild Turkey Hunt.

FRED LUTGER’S WILDERNESS HUNTS

17250 Oak Park Ave, Tinley Park, IL 60477, Phone 708-532-4133, Email: fred@freddiebearsports.com
 
2001 ILLINOIS WILD TURKEY HUNT/ TROPHY BASS & BLUE GILL FISHING
Please join us in 2001. For a very exciting Eastern Wild Turkey hunt.Come by yourself or with friends.A deposit of $200 per hunter is required to book a hunt. Balance of hunt cost is due April 1, 2001.
  • We will hunt private land in Brown and Adams counties in West Central Illinois.A list of required gear will be sent when we receive your deposit. Please call for available hunt dates.
  • I only want serious hunters who will hunt hard and obey all game laws and rules of fair chase. My goal is for every hunter to return home with a trophy Tom and memories of a safe and pleasant hunt. Call me and lets turkey hunt in 2001.
    • Fred Lutger
    Hunt package #1- $400
    Semi guided 3-day hunt. Hunter will be shown an exclusive area to hunt or taken to one of our pre-set blinds. This hunt includes lodging, breakfast and main meal after hunt. Extra days at $100 per day.
    Hunt package #2- $500
    Fully guided 2-day hunt. Hunter will be fully guided 1 on 1 or 2 on 1. Hunts will be free roaming and/or blind hunts at the hunter's discretion. This hunt also includes lodging and meals as above. Extra days at $200 per day.
    Both hunts include deluxe fully furnished modern lodge, linens, showers, TV, VCR, kitchen facilities and mudroom for hunting clothes and boots.
    You may hunt with gun or bow. Bring fishing tackle and fish our private lakes for Bass and Crappie (you must have a valid Illinois fishing license). Non-hunters are welcome at $100 per day. Cost of hunt does not include hunting license or permits.
    Resident turkey tags $15.00 each - 3 tags total. Non-resident turkey tags $75.00 for the 1st tag. $25.00 each additional tag, up to 3 total. Resident and nonresidents are required to purchase a habitat stamp $5.50
    Illinois Spring Turkey seasons Brown and Adams Counties:
    * To receive a turkey permit application call: Illinois Department of Natural Resources permit office 217-782-7305.
    * Call for permit application instructions and available hunt dates.
    FreddieBearSports.com