Oct 23, 2005 7 min read

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe a drier spring helped improve poult production, but that the large mast crop may keep birds disbursed making the hunt more challenging when the fall wild turkey season opens Saturday. “About 95 percent of the agency’s Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) and Land Management Group Supervisors (LMGSs) who work in areas with habitat that can support wild turkeys believe turkey hunting will be good this fall,” said Game Commission Executive Director Vern Ross. “Many field officers reported seeing large flocks of birds, and better – although sometimes later – poult production in their work areas.

“Hunters should expect to find increased age diversity among wild turkeys for the fall season, unlike 2004, when several consecutive years of reduced poult production led to reductions in local populations statewide. However, the substantial availability of mast will make it harder to locate wild turkeys and pattern their movements.”

According to Game Commission harvest estimates, the 2005 spring turkey population was about 323,500, compared to 342,000 in 2004. This was six percent below the previous seven-year average (345,700). Pennsylvania’s estimated spring wild turkey population peaked in 2001, at nearly 410,00 turkeys.

“Data from this summer’s turkey surveys show that turkey sightings were slightly below average, indicating that the 2005 nesting success also was slightly below average,” said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. “The above average rainfall during the first hatching peak (late May-early June) may have affected some turkey poult survival. However, many WCOs reported seeing turkey poults in September, which showed success of late nests.

“Additionally, the hot, dry summer may have negatively impacted sightability of turkeys during the survey period (June-August) as turkey broods most likely remained in the cooler wooded areas rather than feeding in hot open fields. Therefore, recruitment may have been higher than surveys indicated.”

Casalena noted that last year’s fall harvest was estimated to be 28,800 birds, which was 16.8 percent below the fall 2003 harvest of 31,100 birds, and 34.8 percent below the previous five-year average of 39,679. However, she pointed out that two variables play a large role in this decreased harvest; shorter fall season lengths due to lower recruitment, and a trend of decreasing fall turkey-hunting participation.

Most field officers subscribed to the belief that wild turkey populations are improved. LMGS Eugene Weiner Jr., who works in western Luzerne, Sullivan and Wyoming counties, said, “Food and Cover Corps employees have seen large broods of turkey poults. Most broods containing 10 to 15 poults. They have noticed a wide variety of age classes and sizes of these poults. All-age group population levels would be rated as abundant with excellent hunting opportunities available.”

In Fulton County, WCO Kevin Mountz asked, “‘Where don’t we have turkeys?’ should be the question! I’ve seen large numbers of birds this year in every township.”

Butler County WCO Randy Pilarcik reports a similar situation. “Turkey populations are excellent in this county in all WMUs,” he said. “I have observed flocks with as many as 90 birds in them in the past and although the nesting season wasn’t as good as last year, because cold rains and temperatures in late April and early May, the chance of bagging a big bird is still great.”

In Greene County, WCO Rod Burns offered a different assessment. “A dry spring should have really benefited the nesting success of these big birds, but unfortunately sightings are way down again this year,” he noted.

“Flocks are still being seen, but pre-season scouting is a must. Five years ago every woodlot held turkeys but now you must find food sources to locate the flocks. Can you still be successful in Greene County finding your Thanksgiving dinner? Absolutely, but you have to put in extra effort to tag your bird. Turkey hunting should be fair this year.”

Clearfield County WCO Dave Carlini said, “This was the best nesting year and poult survival year we have had for the last three to four years. The result will be a lot of birds around for the fall turkey season. This should be an excellent year for turkey hunters. The large amount of mast this year could keep the birds from moving far in search of food and may help some hunters keep tabs on flocks after they find them.”

Casalena noted that hunters should follow basic scouting techniques to improve their chances of finding wild turkeys.

“Finding and using trails that are free of dry, fallen leaves may help you move quietly through the woods and improve your scouting success,” she said. “First find the food. Then you will find the turkeys. Mast production this year seems to be average to above average. Areas that produced abundant food last year may not this year, causing turkeys to be in different locations this year. If nuts are plentiful, turkeys will be dispersed throughout these areas. But they can be patterned. Patterning a flock should take about a week of daily monitoring.

“Grape production seemed to be very good this year. Grapes are a favorite fall food for turkeys, so don’t forget to also look up in the tree canopy for grapevines.”

In late October, with the abundant nuts, grapes and other mast supplies on top of the leaf litter, turkeys do not need to scratch the ground in search of food, so look for sign other than scratchings such as droppings, feathers and tracks.

In both spring and fall turkey seasons, it is unlawful to use drives to hunt turkeys. Hunters may take only one turkey in the fall season.

Casalena noted that WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B & 4D seasons remain two weeks (Oct. 29-Nov. 12).

“In 2003, the seasons were shortened from three weeks to two weeks because three-week fall seasons seemed to be limiting these turkey populations,” Casalena said. “Shortened fall seasons allow a higher population to enter the next breeding season, which should aide in quickly increasing wild turkey populations in these units.”

WMU 5A remains CLOSED to fall turkey hunting again for the third year in order to help restore the turkey population there. Our radio-telemetry research showed that fall hunting mortality was a factor limiting that turkey population.

Also, WMU 5B remains CLOSED to aide with the turkey trap and transfer efforts there.

Season lengths vary in the state’s other WMUs for fall turkey hunting: WMUs 1A and 1B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 29-Nov. 12; 2A and 2B (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) – Oct. 29-Nov. 19; WMUs 2D, 2F, 2G, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C and 4E – Oct. 29-Nov. 19; and WMUs 5C and 5D (Shotgun and bow and arrow only) -Oct. 29-Nov. 4.

Turkey hunters are advised that blinds now are legal to use while turkey hunting. The law defines a blind as “any artificial or manufactured blind consisting of all manmade materials of sufficient density to block the detection of movement within the blind from an observer located outside the blind.”

Turkey hunters, in most parts of the state, must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back, visible in all directions, while moving.

They may remove the orange at a stationary calling location, if they place a 100-square inch orange alert band within 15 feet of their location. In WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D – where fall hunting is limited to shotguns and archery equipment only – hunters must wear a hat containing a minimum of 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange (no camouflage orange) on the head that is visible when moving.

The hat may be removed when the hunter is at a stationary calling location, and no orange alert band is required. For additional information, please consult pages 78-80 of the 2005-06 Digest.

Shot size is limited to No. 4 lead, bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron or No. 2 steel. Turkey hunters also are required to tag their bird before moving it and to mail the postage-paid harvest report card – provided with all hunting licenses – within 10 days of taking a turkey.