Apr 27, 2018 By Olivia Goudy for The 3 min read

While the thought of an unseasonably cold, snowy spring was distasteful for most, for hunters, it held promise for a good spring gobbler harvest.

The season opens statewide tomorrow, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is saying that the 50thanniversary spring gobbler hunt holds plenty of potential.

Patrick Snickles, information and education supervisor for the PGC, said the cooler weather and late green-up may play a role in the overall activity seen this season.

“Wildlife activity is dictated by the lengthening and shortening of daylight. Scientifically, weather isn’t supposed to be a factor,” Snickles said.

“But I’ve noticed with the extended snow periods, I’ve seen less strutting and mating this year than other years. It may be that the height of the season will be delayed,” he said.

That’s good news for hunters, as the heightened activity coming up may mean a good, successful harvest for many.

Snickles also attributed the potential for a successful hunt to the late green up. By this time in other years, buds and greenery had already made an appearance.

This year, though, Snickles said it’ll be beneficial to hunters because “the less leaf-up, the better the visibility and chance of seeing the birds come.”

Mary Jo Casalena, the PGC’s wild turkey biologist, said in a press release that the forecast for the coming season is a statewide turkey population numbering between 210,000 and 220,000 birds.

She noted that turkeys are coming through a relatively mild winter and had a tremendous acorn crop last fall.

“I light fall harvest – preliminary estimated at 11,780 – sparked by greater supplies of fall foods and fewer hunters afield also helped kindle increased expectations for the spring hunt,” she said in the release.

According to Casalena, 38,101 birds were harvested in the state last spring. She again anticipates a harvest of around 36,000 to 38,000 this year.

There aren’t any regulation changes this year, Snickles said, though he reminded hunters to be careful and exercise respect and caution in the field.

“Identify your target before you shoot. Be mindful of what’s beyond the bird,” he said.

He also reminded hunters that the legal way to hunt gobblers is to call them in, rather than stalking them.

“Not every turkey sound is a turkey. It could be another hunter,” he said.

The season runs from April 28 through May 31, though until May 12, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon. The remaining two weeks, beginning May 14, have legal hunting hours of one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.