Excitement surrounds fall turkey season

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Commission reports that sizeable wild turkey populations await hunters across the Commonwealth, but finding them may be a challenge because fall foods are in great supply in many areas.

"Wild turkey reproduction in Pennsylvania this spring and early summer was sort of off the chart statewide and above-average in most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs)," explained Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. "This is a welcomed change for our turkey population after successive wet or cold springs that hampered poult production and survival in recent years.

"There will be a noticeable difference for hunters who get out and get into turkeys this fall, because local populations should provide good to excellent hunting. But finding birds may be a challenge, because the availability of fall foods - particularly acorns - throughout the state will increase the territory turkeys cover making them harder to find. That's why pre-season and inseason scouting will be important to hunters this year."

Casalena noted that participation in fall turkey hunting, as well as fall harvests, have been declining recently. Both had been related to factors that included reduced reproduction and recruitment; a population with more smarter, older birds, the availability and distribution of fall foods and weather. The fall turkey season also occurs when many other hunting seasons are open, and there likely are some tradeoffs for a hunter's time.

"If you are one of the hunters who hasn't been turkey hunting lately, this is the year to begin again," emphasized Casalena. "Summer turkey reproduction, as calculated from our summer turkey sighting surveys, on a statewide basis was the highest on record. Remember though, with this fall's acorn crop, turkey flocks will tend to be dispersed and difficult to locate. So scouting will be essential, especially in areas with short, fall seasons, because locating a flock is 90 percent of the sport. So get out early and often.

"If you are given the opportunity, consider taking a young turkey and passing up an adult. Adults are more experienced and have a higher probability of surviving into and being more successful breeders next spring."

Turkey hunters are coming off an average 2007 spring gobbler season, which, even though average is much higher than most other states' harvests. Preliminary harvest estimates indicate 41,000 bearded turkeys were taken - including about 1,500 birds taken on the second or "special spring gobbler season licenses." The 2007 preliminary spring harvest compares with a final 2006 spring harvest of 39,300 (the preliminary 2006 spring estimate was 44,000). Preliminary harvest estimates are developed from harvest report card returns; final harvest figures are a product of the agency's Game-Take Survey of hunters.

"The key to finding wild turkeys is finding an abundance of the forest foods they prefer," Casalena said. "Talk to farmers, hikers and other hunters if you don't have leads for areas to scout. Look for scratches in the leaves, and know that it's pretty hard to miss the signs turkeys make looking for food. Leaves are dropping or have dropped in many areas, so scratching for food will become more pronounced on the forest floor.

"Once you find the general area turkeys are working, try to pattern their movements through daily monitoring. Look for fresh scratches, tracks and feathers. Sort out what the birds are eating. It takes about a week to pattern a flock. Once you have, wait until the opening day and capitalize on your preseason fieldwork."

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 the Board of Game Commissioners, in setting the 2007 fall turkey seasons, took steps to extend the twoweek fall season by one day in 12 WMUs to Monday, Nov. 12, which will provide greater opportunity for hunters who are off work or school for the Veteran's Day holiday.

Other season length changes for this year are: WMUs 2A and 2F were shortened from three weeks to 14 days, and WMU 4D increased from two weeks to three weeks.

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, 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) 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 page 82 of the 2007-08 Digest.

Also, a reminder to turkey hunters that legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. For more information, please see page 14 of the 2007-08 Digest for the legal hunting hours table.

Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: Did you know that it was illegal to use turkey calls in Pennsylvania from 1909 until 1937?