One thing is for sure during the spring turkey season — outsmarting clever gobblers is the essence of turkey hunting.
And there will be plenty of opportunities, often with large and noisy groups of turkeys.
The 2024 spring gobbler season in Pennsylvania starts on Saturday, April 27, with a half-day hunt for junior and mentored hunters aged 16 and under.
All participants must be accompanied by adults, and hunting is allowed from half an hour before sunrise until noon.
The regular season runs from May 4-31, with hunting permitted from half an hour before sunrise until noon from May 4-18, and then from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset from May 20-31.
The season ends on May 31, giving hunters 24 days to pursue gobblers, including four Saturdays.
There will certainly be plenty of birds out there due to three consecutive years of good reproduction.
The Game Commission’s 2023 summer turkey sighting survey found an average of 2.9 poults per hen statewide, which varied by Wildlife Management Unit.
Although the statewide figure decreased from the record high of 3.1 in 2021 and 2022, it was still above average and significantly more than in 2019 or 2020.
This should mean there will be plenty of gobblers, including jakes, 3-year-olds, and the preferred 2-year-olds for most hunters. It's generally good to have more 2-year-olds around as they are typically more vocal and noisier than younger, timid gobblers and older, warier ones.
“There’s nothing more thrilling than being in the woods in springtime and calling to a gobbler that responds with his emphatic gobble,” said Mary Jo Casalena, the Game Commission’s turkey biologist. “So make the most of what's available, even if you're new to turkey hunting. Just being out there is enjoyable, and the more time you spend in the turkey woods learning about these incredible birds, the better hunter you'll become.”
Around 172,000 people hunt spring turkeys in Pennsylvania each year on average. Last season, these hunters harvested about 39,500 gobblers, an increase from about 35,700 in 2022 and about 28,100 in 2021.
Casalena advised hunters looking to improve their chances of taking a gobbler this spring to focus on areas with good turkey habitat. This usually involves a 60/40 mix of woods and shrubby areas, with either agriculture or, in big woods areas, openings of emerging vegetation or nut-producing trees that still have nuts remaining from last fall.
After that, she suggested searching for turkeys in those places. Try to determine how many different gobblers are gobbling, where their typical roost areas are, and the areas they may switch to on rainy, windy, cold mornings.
Only bearded birds can be harvested during the spring season. Hunters should not knowingly harvest bearded hens because they nest and raise broods.
There is no requirement for hunters to wear fluorescent orange during the spring turkey season, although it is recommended when moving.
In Pennsylvania, hunters are allowed to buy a permit to catch a second male turkey in the spring season, but they can only catch one per day. The sales of this permit will stop on May 3, which is the day before the regular statewide season starts.
The license costs $21.97 ($41.97 for those who don't live in Pennsylvania) and can be bought online, but it can't be printed at home. In this case, buying it directly from an issuing agent might be a better choice. The same goes for general hunting licenses, which are also sent by mail when purchased online and require shipping charges.
If you want to know more about the rules for hunting spring turkeys, including youth or regular hunts, you can check the 2023-24 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which is given with a hunting license and is available online at pgc.pa.gov.
Game Commissioners
meeting highlights
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners met last week in Harrisburg to listen to public comments and conduct official business.
Highlights from the meeting:
Wild Pheasant season
could be a reality soon
There's a possibility that hunting wild pheasants in Pennsylvania might become a reality for those who can get access to private property within a Wild Pheasant Recovery Area.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has approved a measure that allows the Game Commission’s Executive Director to decide every year if a Wild Pheasant Recovery Area (WPRA) will be open to rooster-only pheasant hunting, and if so, the season length and bag limit that applies.
That doesn’t mean there will be such a season next year. The decision will be based on data collected within the state’s two WPRAs in the coming months.
But if a season is established, it will be open to all hunters eligible to hunt pheasants.
Deer opener to get
additional review
Once again this year, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners set the opening day of the firearms deer season as the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The board has long believed that the Saturday opener better suits most hunters and is better for the future of hunting, supported by evidence such as license sales and a scientific survey of hunters.
But President Commissioner Scott Foradora said the board wants to know more about the effects of the Saturday opener, especially knowing that some hunters would like to see the opener return to the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Following today’s approval of 2024-25 hunting seasons and bag limits, Foradora read a statement directing Game Commission staff to work with the Legislature on the issue. The statement appears below:
“With today’s vote, the Board has once again scheduled the start of the firearms deer season to be on a Saturday. We do this, firmly believing that starting the season on a Saturday creates the most opportunity for hunters, and thus helps ensure the future of the sport that we are charged with protecting.
“Nonetheless, we recognize that there are those with a different opinion, who would like to see a return to a Monday opener. And we recognize the passion that many of you feel about this issue. We may disagree, but we have heard your voices.
The ongoing argument about whether to start hunting on a Saturday or Monday has unfortunately led to significant disagreement among our hunting group. It has divided us at a time when we should be coming together.
Therefore, I am instructing the Game Commission staff to collaborate with the leaders of the House Game and Fisheries Committee to study this issue once again. I hope that a thorough review can address the concerns we've heard and ensure that the Board's decision truly serves our hunting community's best interest.
North Branch Land Trust’s
Virtual Auction is now open
The North Branch Land Trust’s Virtual Auction is now open and new items are being added daily — and you do not need to be present to win!
Auction closes Wednesday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m.
North Branch Land Trust’s Annual Dinner & Auction, will be held on Wednesday May 1, at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre, and it is the regional conservation organization’s most important annual fundraiser.
Winners can pick up their prizes at the Westmoreland Club on May 1, or at the NBLT offices following the event.
Experiences and Gift Cards can be mailed upon request.
Happy Earth Day!
Join NBLT on Monday, April 22, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for an Earth Day Cleanup at Hanover Crossings Marsh, an important wetland home to a variety of plant and wild life that also helps to store stormwater and naturally filter pollution.
However, it is so close to roads and development, that it needs a little TLC. NBLT will provide rubber gloves, trash bags, safety vests, and the all important wet wipes. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, the work, and the wet!
Please also consider bringing work gloves and any tools that may assist in cleanup.
Registration is encouraged so that we can provide sufficient supplies.
PFBC sets 2024 daily creel limits for
Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) this week announced that the 2024 creel limit for Lake Erie Yellow Perch will remain at 30 per day and the creel limit for Walleye will remain at six per day.
The PFBC Lake Erie Research Unit evaluates the populations of Yellow Perch and Walleye in Lake Erie annually. If populations reach critically low levels, processes are in place to reduce harvest and rebuild the numbers of Yellow Perch and Walleye in the Lake. All jurisdictions on Lake Erie adhere to this system.
“The 2023 assessment showed that both Yellow Perch and Walleye populations in Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie remain at levels that don’t necessitate regulation changes,” said Mark Haffley, PFBC Lake Erie Research Unit Leader. “Based on this, the 2024 creel limits are being maintained at the standard limits.”
The Yellow Perch and Walleye populations in Lake Erie are maintained strictly by natural reproduction. Good “hatches” and survival of young fish are necessary to provide fish for sport and commercial fisheries.
The Lake Erie Walleye hatches have been record-setting over the last five years while the Yellow Perch hatches have been poor over the last five years. Both fisheries reflect these trends. Walleye fishing is excellent and Yellow Perch fishing remains below average. Sport fishing is very self-regulating. Anglers tend to fish for species based on the quality of the fishery.
In 2023, most people fishing on Lake Erie were aiming for Walleye, while only a small number targeted Yellow Perch.
According to a 2024 estimate, there are roughly 72.07 million Walleyes aged two or older, which is about 20% lower than in 2023. It usually takes three years for Lake Erie Walleye to grow to the minimum size limit of 15 inches.
The PFBC’s goal is to set fishing limits at cautious levels without being overly strict, but also to act quickly if Walleye or perch numbers become critically low.
