You Can See Wild Turkeys Running Around In Lake County

By Kate Shepherd in News on Nov 25, 2015 5:48PM

Jim Osborn for FWS.gov

It's hard to imagine wild turkeys roaming around anywhere near Chicago but it happens. There's little more festive for Thanksgiving than seeing a wild turkey and it's actually possible in Lake County and other parts of northern Illinois.

Wild turkeys have been successfully breeding in Lake County after an absence of about eight decades, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

There's even a wild turkey hunting season in the fall in Chain O'Lakes State Parks and three were shot last year, according to the lllinois Department of Natural Resources. Turkey hunting is allowed in McHenry County in the spring and fall because there are just so many turkeys.

Many wild turkeys roamed in Illinois when it was settled but habitat loss and overhunting made them nearly extinct in the state. An introductory program was started in 1959 when seven wild turkeys were imported to southern Illinois and set free. Now more than 150,000 wild turkeys live in Illinois and in every county.

Turkeys are mostly found in the southern, western and northwestern parts of Illinois. They typically live in mature forests with some edges and fields and like to feed on corn, acorns and other wild nuts.

Round Lake resident Ron Bisbee was excited to see one male and four female turkeys this April at Chain O'Lakes.

"This is a very good indicator that we have done a good job monitoring and increasing open space particularly in the northern section of Lake County," he told the News-Sun. "It's very exciting we have created an environment for them to survive so close to Chicago."