The fall turkey hunting season is underway in most WMUs in Pennsylvania

​Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season got underway today in 22 Wildlife Management Units. Unfortunately  for us here in 5C, the fall season remains closed as it does in 5D since the turkey population is low but stable according to the PGC. But it’s open for the spring gobbler hunt. 

The fall season in WMUs 1B, 3D and 4E is open from Nov. 2 -Nov. 9. WMU’s 1A, 2G, in 4A and 4D the season runs Nov. 2 – Nov. 16. The season in WMU’s 2A, 2F, 3B and 3C runs Nov. 2 – Nov. 16 and Nov. 27 – Nov. 29. In WMUs 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E it’s Nov. 2 – Nov. 22 and again Nov. 22 and Nov 27-Nov. 29; and WMUs 5A and 5B it’s Nov. 2 – Nov. 5. 

The PGC  reminds hunters that the three-day Thanksgiving season will run Wednesday, Thursday and Friday only in applicable WMUs. 

As for the season outlook, the PGC says that female turkeys account for more than 50 percent of the fall harvest. But when turkey populations are below goals in a WMU, the fall season structure is reduced to allow more female turkeys to survive for  nesting. 

However, and according to Mary Jo Casalena, PGC wild turkey biologist, “Fall seasons were lengthened in several units this year and the 2024 summer sighting survey results showed above-average poult recruitment in general, with all WMUs showing good numbers.” Casalena expects this fall season should be a good one. 

More specifically, Casalena cites that the annual turkey sighting survey was conducted July and August and the number of turkey sightings nearly doubled from last year – 30,286 compared to 15,431 in 2023. The reproductive rate index for 2024 came in art 3.2 poults per all hens observed, which is above the previous five-year average of 2.9 poults her hen. This is the first year since the national standardized survey began in 2019 that all WMUs reported indices above the general threshold of 2.0 poults per hen. 

Reproductive success, she goes in to say, vary annually due to many factors particularly spring and summer rainfall, temperature, habitat conditions, predation, insect abundance and hen condition. 

Turkey hunters who shoot a leg-banded bird or if it has a transmitter attached for research purposes, the PGC advises to follow the reporting instructions on the band or transmitter. Last winter the PGC leg-banded more than 600 turkeys including placing backpack style transmitters om 234 turkeys in their effort to track turkey populations. 

The PGC puts out a warning that wild turkeys are highly susceptible to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza although their behavior and habitat use place them at less risk of contracting the disease compared to waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and avian scavengers. Regardless, the agency advises hunters who harvest or encounter sick appearing birds to cleanse your hands and clothing and report these sick or dead birds to the PA Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852 and to the PGC at 833-PGC-WILD or online at www.pgcapos.pa.gov/WHS. 

BEAR HARVEST

So far this season, hunters have had checked more than 900 bears including one that weighed 678 pounds. It was shot, according to the PGC with an inline muzzleloader in Bradford County during the muzzleloader season. We’ll report a full harvest when it becomes available.  

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