North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dr. Lucky Pittman" <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

Doreen,

Contrary to what you stated in your article, it’s not illegal to shoot wild turkeys in IL, though there may be some issues regarding discharging firearms within some city/municipality limits. 

IL DNR sets out defined turkey-hunting seasons – and IL has both ‘spring’ and ‘fall’ turkey seasons. 

http://dnr.state.il.us/admin/pdf/season_dates.pdf

Looks like you’re smack-dab in the middle of the fall archery turkey season – if anyone in the family is an accomplished toxophilite(word for the day – it means archer, or ‘lover of the bow’), you could potentially be feasting on a tasty tom or hen at your next festive family dinner.

 

Several years back, someone on the list, or in an older issue of POMONA was singing the praises of wild turkeys – or tame turkeys of the old ‘wild’ type as superb vole/mouse control for the orchard.

 

Lucky