PA Outdoor Forums

CHOLERA CANCELS SOME PHEASANT RELEASES
Quarantined birds will not be released.

 

The 2,400 pheasants placed under quarantine following detection of avian cholera at a Pennsylvania game farm will not be released for late-season hunting.

Arrangements are being made to humanely depopulate and dispose of the affected flock at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Loyalsock Game Farm.

Avian cholera is an infectious bacterial disease affecting domestic and wild birds, and is the most significant infectious disease of wild waterfowl in North America.

As noted in the Wildlife Disease Reference Library available at the Game Commission’s website, an avian cholera outbreak in Pennsylvania’s wild bird populations has never been documented. Avian cholera is diagnosed annually at about a dozen poultry and game-bird production facilities in the commonwealth, but this is the first occurrence at a Game Commission game farm in nearly a decade.

The strain diagnosed at Loyalsock Game Farm last week is considered by veterinarians to be a mild strain with relatively low levels of daily mortality. Following detection, Game Commission staff consulted animal and wildlife health experts at Penn State and elsewhere, who advised treating the infected flock with antibiotics prior to a subsequent release.     

The antibiotic treatments have proven effective and daily mortality of birds has decreased to baseline levels in the flock, but given the risk that some surviving birds could remain carriers of the bacteria causing the disease, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has reconsidered its earlier decision and chosen to abandon plans to release the pheasants.

Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the decision was not made lightly.

The commission raises pheasants for the sole purpose of releasing them, and providing a valued small-game hunting opportunity for hunters, Roe said.

Propagation is a significant investment, funded in large part by revenues from the sale of hunting and furtaker licenses, he said. And it’s frustrating when that end product can’t be given back to hunters, he said.

“In this case, however, we felt we had to cut our losses and minimize the risk to wildlife populations,” Roe said.

Roe said even the slight chance a released bird could continue to carry the disease is a risk Game Commission staff currently is unwilling to take.

The quarantined flock will be euthanized using carbon-dioxide chambers and disposed of by deep burial on the farm.

“As always, we will be taking the appropriate biosecurity steps to ensure a clean facility,” he said.

Rodents and mammalian predators are suspected bacterium sources in this outbreak and we will be reviewing and upgrading our disease vector control protocols, as well as our other biosecurity protocols and standards. 

Located northeast of Williamsport, the Loyalsock Game Farm provides pheasants for release in Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) open to either-sex pheasant hunting. The 2,400 birds placed under quarantine had been slated for release Dec. 20 in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Clearfield, Cumberland, Franklin, Lehigh, Monroe and Montgomery counties.

Even without those pheasants, the Game Commission has surpassed its goal of releasing 200,000 pheasants statewide this year. About 218,000 birds have been released this year.

Late-season pheasant hunting opened statewide Dec. 16. Only males may be harvested in some WMUs, while other WMUs are open to hunting of male or female pheasants. For local regulations, consult the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Pheasant season is closed Christmas Day, but otherwise runs until Feb. 22.

For more information on wildlife diseases, visit the Wildlife Disease Reference Library at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us.

 

PRELIMINARY THREE-DAY BEAR HARVEST RESULTS

Hunters check 264 bears in sloppy conditions; 600-pounder added to top 10 list.

 

Despite nasty weather throughout much of the state, Pennsylvania bear hunters added to statewide harvest totals on Tuesday, the third day of the statewide bear season, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced today.

An additional 264 bears were checked on Tuesday, based on preliminary numbers, bringing the harvest during the statewide season to 2,308.

That number could nudge further upward considering inclement weather left a handful of check stations unable to transmit data from bears checked Tuesday.

Archery and other early bear season harvest data still is being entered into the Game Commission’s database, and is not available at this time.

Bears have been harvested in 51 counties during the statewide season so far.

The top 10 bears processed at check stations by Monday were either estimated or confirmed to have live weights of 557 pounds or more. The largest bear checked Tuesday weighed an estimated 601 pounds.

The largest bear overall – a male estimated at 772 pounds – was taken in Covington Township, Lackawanna County by Daniel J. Beavers, of Covington Township.

Other large bears include: a 632-pound male taken by Michael L. Truax, of Everett, Pa. in East Providence Township, Bedford County; a 627-pound male taken by Wayne A. Gehers, of Mohnton, Pa., in Tioga County’s Bloss Township; a 616-pounder taken by Bradley S. Rohrer of Lancaster, Pa., in Tioga County’s Union Township; a 601-pound male taken by Jeffrey C. Kratz, of Collegeville, Pa., in Shrewsbury Township, Sullivan County; a 597-pounder taken by Jenna L. Schoenagel of Greentown, Pa., in Pike County’s Greene Township; a 595-pounder taken by Maurice C. Younker of Mercersburg, Pa., in Fulton County’s Thompson Township; a 586-pounder taken by Jalynn N. Macnelley of Laceyville, Pa., in Bradford County’s Wilmot Township; a 560-pounder taken by Ernest W. Lucrezi of Beachlake, Pa., in Wayne County’s Berlin Township; and a 557-pounder taken by Ronald P. Fitzgerald of Forksville, Pa., in Sullivan County’s Elkland Township. 

This year’s three-day preliminary harvest compares with 2,442 in 2012, when hunters harvested 3,632 bears – the third-largest harvest in state history. The largest harvest – 4,350 bears – happened in 2011, when preliminary three-day totals numbered 3,023.

The preliminary three-day bear harvest by Wildlife Management Unit was as follows: WMU 1A, 15; WMU 1B, 79; WMU 2C, 218; WMU 2D, 143; WMU 2E, 76; WMU 2F, 269; WMU 2G, 490; WMU 2H, 72; WMU 3A, 155; WMU 3B, 161; WMU 3C, 59; WMU 3D, 193; WMU 4A, 71; WMU 4B, 55; WMU 4C, 54; WMU 4D, 176; and WMU 4E, 22.

The top bear harvest county in the state on the first two days of season was Tioga, with 163.

Two- day harvests by county and region are:

              Northwest: Warren, 130; Jefferson, 63; Venango, 60; Clarion, 46; Forest, 44; Crawford, 31; Butler, 24; and Erie, 4.

Southwest: Somerset, 97; Fayette, 63; Indiana, 38; Armstrong, 35; Westmoreland, 30; and Cambria, 22.

Northcentral: Tioga, 163; Lycoming, 155; Potter, 118; Clearfield, 107; Clinton, 101; Cameron, 96; Elk, 87; Centre, 72; McKean, 64; and Union, 23.

Southcentral: Bedford, 50; Huntingdon, 46; Mifflin, 23; Blair, 22; Juniata, 22; Fulton, 17; Perry, 12; Snyder, 11; and Franklin, 8.

Northeast: Pike, 82; Wayne, 52; Sullivan, 47; Luzerne, 46; Carbon, 31; Monroe, 30; Wyoming, 28; Lackawanna, 26; Bradford, 21; Susquehanna, 13; and Columbia, 10.

Southeast: Schuylkill,18; Dauphin, 9; Lebanon, 5; and Northampton, 1.

 

In addition to participating in the closing day of the four-day season on Nov. 27, hunters with an unfilled bear license may participate in extended bear seasons in specific WMUs that run concurrent with all or portions of the first week of the firearms deer season. For those deer hunters who didn’t purchase a bear license, but are headed to an area where the extended bear season is being held, bear license sales will reopen from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1.

For details about those areas open to extended bear hunting and the dates, please see pages 36 and 37 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest. Bear check stations opened during the extended bear seasons can be found on page 38 of the digest.

WAIT IS ON FOR LATE-STARTING 2013 PENNSYLVANIA DEER SEASON
Some big bucks await those heading afield for Dec. 2 opener.

Hunters are known for their great patience – and it’s a good thing, too.

Those eager to start the clock on yet another deer-hunting season are waiting out the latest-starting season opener in years.

Because of the way the calendar falls in 2013, and with the opening day of Pennsylvania’s general deer season traditionally held on the Monday following Thanksgiving, the state’s “unofficial holiday” kicks off a full week later than it does in some years.

But when that special day arrives, hunters statewide are likely to find the wait well worth it.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is tracking deer populations as stable or increasing in nearly all of the state’s 23 wildlife-management units. That means another good opportunity awaits the approximate 750,000 hunters expected to take to the deer woods on the Dec. 2 opener, and for those hunting during the remainder of the season.

“The opening day of the firearms deer season is something most hunters look forward to all year, and waiting out those few extra days when the season falls late like this can test one’s patience,” said Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe. “But by 7 a.m. that first Monday, the wait all across Pennsylvania will be over, and tens of thousands of lasting memories will be made in the hours, days and weeks that follow.”

 

Statewide season

The statewide general firearms season runs from Dec. 2 to Dec. 14. In many parts of the state, properly licensed hunters may take either antlered or antlerless deer at any time during the season. In other areas, hunters may take only antlered deer the season’s first five days, with the antlerless and antlered seasons then running concurrently from the first Saturday, Dec. 7 to the season’s close.

Rules regarding the number of points a harvested buck must have on one antler also are different in different parts of the state, and young hunters statewide follow separate guidelines.

For a complete breakdown of regulations, consult the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which is issued to hunters at the time they purchase their licenses. The digest also is available online at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us.

One very important regulation that applies statewide is the requirement for each hunters to wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on his or her head, chest and back combined. An orange hat and vest will satisfy the requirement. And for safety’s sake, nonhunters who might be in the outdoors during the deer season and other hunting seasons might also want to consider wearing orange at this time.

 

Deer forecast

While deer populations are being tracked as stable or increasing in most of the state, many other factors influence deer hunting, said Chris Rosenberry, who supervises the Game Commission’s deer and elk section.

The availability of food sources in an area plays a role in the deer harvest at a local level, he said.

This year has produced a spotty acorn crop statewide, said David Gustafson, the Game Commission’s chief forester. A late spring frost affected white oaks and chestnut oaks. And a cold and wet spring in 2012 affected red oaks, which take two years to produce. Those conditions have combined to limit acorn availability in many areas.

That’s not to say there aren’t acorns to be found, Gustafson said. In some cases, though, it can take some work to find them. Meanwhile, soft-mast and fruit crops have been good this year statewide, he said.

And Gustafson said he’s seen areas this year where food has appeared more plentiful in the low-hanging parts of valleys.

In any case, finding those food sources can be the key to hunting success.

While factors like food and weather can influence the deer harvest, Rosenberry said it’s unlikely the late start will play much of a role.

The timing of deer-hunting seasons in relation to the deer’s breeding season, commonly referred to as the rut, can impact the harvest, he said. But he said other factors typically are more important, as evidenced by deer harvests in different seasons with either early or late starts.

Those hunters taking part in the season have a sizeable chance of taking home a trophy. A good crop of adult bucks is produced each year statewide, and last year’s harvest resulted in about 200 new entries into Pennsylvania’s Big Game Records Program, which recognizes exceptional whitetails, bears and elk.

Meanwhile, hunting license sales also are slightly ahead of their 2012 pace.

All of it adds to the potential for an outstanding deer season, Roe said.

“Considering deer and hunter numbers both are good, the pieces are in place for a great season,” Roe said. “And for those hunters who harvest their ‘buck of a lifetime’ this year, it will be the best season ever.

“That chance lies in store for the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who will take part in our deer seasons,” he said. “I hope each of them soon discovers that, indeed, good things come to those who wait.”

 

 

Proper licensing

Hunters during the statewide firearms season can harvest antlered deer if they possess a valid general hunting license, which costs $20.70 for adult residents and $101.70 for adult nonresidents.

Each hunter between the ages of 12 and 17 must possess a junior license, which costs $6.70 for residents and $41.70 for nonresidents.

Hunters younger than 12 must possess a valid mentored youth hunting permit and be accompanied at all times by a properly licensed adult mentor, as well as follow other regulations.

In order to harvest antlerless deer, hunters must possess either a valid antlerless deer license or a valid DMAP permit.

Antlerless deer licenses can be used only within the wildlife management unit for which they’re issued. DMAP permits can be used only on the specific properties for which they’re issued.

For many areas, antlerless licenses or DMAP permits might already be sold out. License availability can be checked online through the Game Commission’s website.

Licenses can be purchased online, but as the season nears, hunters might find it better to purchase licenses in person. Deer licenses purchased online are mailed, meaning they might not arrive in time if purchased too close to the start of the season.

 

Tagging and reporting

A valid tag must be affixed to the ear of each deer harvested before that deer is moved. The tag must be filled out in ink by the hunter.

Within 10 days of a harvest, a successful hunter is required to make a report to the Game Commission. Harvests can be reported online at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us by clicking on the blue “Report a Harvest” button on the home page. Harvests can also be reported by mailing in the postage-paid cards inserted into the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, or successful hunters can call 1-855-PAHUNT1 (1-855-724-8681) to report by phone. Those reporting by phone are asked to have their license number and other information about the harvest ready at the time they call.

Mentored youth hunters are required to report deer harvests within five days.

Reporting deer harvests helps to better estimate deer populations in wildlife management units and statewide, and hunters are asked to do their parts in this important process.   

 

Chronic wasting disease

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in two areas of Pennsylvania, and special rules apply to hunters within each Disease Management Area (DMA).

There are two DMAs. DMA 1 encompasses parts of York and Adams counties. DMA 2 includes parts of Bedford, Blair, Huntingdon and Cambria counties.

For the specific boundary line of each DMA, check the Game Commission’s website or turn to the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Hunters may not remove from a DMA any deer parts deemed to have a high-risk of transmitting CWD. The head, backbone and spinal cord are among those high-risk parts, and successful hunters who live outside a DMA can remove and deposit high-risk parts in dumpsters that have been set up on state game lands within each DMA. They can then transport the meat and other low-risk parts outside the DMA.

Hunters can also take their harvests to a processor or taxidermist within the DMA, and the processor or taxidermist can properly dispose of the high-risk parts. In some cases, processors and taxidermists just beyond the border of a DMA have been approved as drop-off sites and those facilities appear on the list of cooperating processors and taxidermists available on the Game Commission’s website.

The Game Commission will be taking samples from about 1,000 deer in each DMA, but just because a hunter drops a deer off at a processor or taxidermist, or deposits high-risk parts in a dumpster on game lands, doesn’t mean the deer will be tested for CWD.

To ensure a harvested deer will be tested, hunters can make arrangements with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Laboratory. There is a fee associated with testing. More information about this process can be found online at www.agriculture.state.pa.us.

Transporting a deer head outside a DMA so the deer can be disease-tested at a lab is a permitted exception to the rule prohibiting the removal of high-risk parts from a DMA. Deer heads should be double-bagged in plastic garbage bags before they are removed from the DMA.

Chronic wasting disease is transmitted from deer to deer by direct and indirect contact. It is always fatal to deer that become infected, but it is not known to be transmitted to humans.

Out of an abundance of caution, people are advised not to consume meat from deer that test positive for CWD.

For more information on CWD and rules applying within DMAs, visit the Game Commission’s website.   

WILL IMPRESSIVE BEAR HARVEST TREND CONTINUE?
Expert says Pennsylvania’s 2013 seasons hold promise, but hunters might need to up their efforts.

 

Recent years have been some of the best on record for Pennsylvania bear hunting, and the annual statewide bear seasons again are about to kick off.

Leading the way is the statewide archery bear season, which opens Monday, Nov. 18. And after that five-day season comes to a close on Nov. 22, properly licensed hunters who still are in pursuit of a bear can participate in the four-day general season that opens Saturday, Nov. 23, then runs from Monday, Nov. 25 to Wednesday, Nov. 27.

There’s been plenty of reason to get excited about bear hunting in recent years.

The 2012 harvest of 3,632 bears statewide represents the third-largest in state history. And last year’s take follows an all-time record harvest of 4,350 bears set in 2011.

A growing bear population, which now numbers 16,000 to 18,000, and expanded hunting opportunities in recent years have contributed to the large harvests. And the combination has helped to create a sweet spot in time for in-state bear hunting, said Mark Ternent, bear biologist for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

“In Pennsylvania’s history, there’s never been a better time to hunt bears,” Ternent said. “Nowadays it’s getting increasingly harder to identify our so-called best bear hunting counties, because opportunities are becoming increasingly better throughout so much of the state.”

In 2012, for example, hunters harvested bears in 56 of the state’s 67 counties, and Pennsylvania routinely has been seeing harvests in 50 counties or more. Bear-hunting success across the state is something Ternent said simply wasn’t possible 30 years ago, when bear populations were more concentrated in core areas of northcentral and northeastern Pennsylvania.

And this expanded range has many Pennsylvanians reclassifying what they consider “bear country” and where they might choose to hunt.

“It’s not a case where there are only a few areas where a hunter might get close to a bear,” Ternent said. “That opportunity exists throughout much of the state, and in areas some might not expect.”

To suppress conflicts that might arise from bear populations expanding into more inhabited parts of the state, an extended bear season exists in a handful of Wildlife Management Units. In WMUs 2B, 5B, 5C and 5D, bear season is open concurrent to the archery, early muzzleloader and firearms deer seasons. And hunters in other WMUs also have a limited opportunity to harvest a bear during portions of the upcoming firearms deer season. Those areas include WMUs 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4C, 4D, and 4E.

A complete list of opening and closing days can be found on Page 36 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest issued to hunters when they purchase their licenses, or at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us.

All bear harvests must be reported to the Game Commission.

Hunters who harvest a bear during the four-day general season must take it to one of the Game Commission’s check stations within 24 hours. Taking bears to a check station also might be required in WMUs where bear hunting is permitted during all or a portion of the firearms deer season.

A complete list of requirements, check stations and their dates and hours of operation can be found on pages 37 and 38 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Hunters who harvest a bear during the bear archery season – or in any other period where check stations are closed – must within 24 hours contact the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which the bear was harvested for checking instructions.

Ternent said bear hunters up their chances of success by hunting near available food sources, and with a spotty acorn crop this year, preseason scouting might make the difference. Locating acorns might result in finding a bear nearby, he said.

“Hunters might need to do more homework than usual this year,” Ternent said. “Bears will shift around to find food, and those hunters who scout for areas with better foods, whether it’s acorns, beechnuts, black cherry, or agricultural fields, will have an advantage. That doesn’t mean the hunter who heads to his usual spot won’t find bear sign; he just might see more or less of it depending on the local food conditions.”

Still, Ternent said there’s no reason to believe 2013 doesn’t hold the potential for another record harvest.

Among other factors, the bear harvest is driven by the number of bears and the number of bear hunters, and both appear to be up this year, he said. The weather during the season will play a crucial role in determining the harvest.

For those taking part in the bear seasons, the opportunity exists to harvest a truly large bear. Last year’s harvest included 45 bears weighing 500 pounds or more, five that surpassed the 600-pound mark, and the heaviest bear overall – harvested in Monroe County – weighed 709 pounds.

Ternent confirmed also that bears weighing in excess of 800 pounds continue to roam Pennsylvania’s wilds.

“There’s a lot of rich tradition tied to bear hunting in Pennsylvania, and the upcoming seasons hold a lot of promise,” Ternent said. “While predicting the harvest is tricky business, it’s always a safe bet to say that a number of hunters will experience the thrill of a lifetime in the coming weeks.”

 

Bear seasons

 

To participate in bear hunting in Pennsylvania, a hunter needs a general hunting license, as well as a bear license. Bear licenses can be purchased until the day before the statewide general bear season – for example, through Nov. 22 – but not during the season. After the general bear season, bear licenses can again be purchased until the day before the extended bear season – for example, from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1.

Bear hunters also must observe fluorescent orange requirements. In the bear archery season, hunters are required at all times while moving to wear a hat containing a minimum of 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange material if hunting in an area also open to fall turkey hunting. The hat may be removed once the archer has settled in a stationary position.

During the firearms seasons for bear, hunters must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back combined. The orange must be visible from 360 degrees and must be worn at all times while hunting.

Hunting licenses can be purchased online from The Outdoor Shop at the Game Commission’s website, but buyers should be advised that because bear licenses contain harvest ear tags, they are sent by mail rather than printed at home.

Buyers waiting to the last minute to purchase a bear license might be better off making a trip to an authorized licensing agent and picking up a license there.

Licensing agents can be searched by county at the Game Commission’s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us, under the “Hunt/Trap” tab.

All bear harvests must be reported to the Game Commission and checked.

 

PENNSYLVANIA TURKEY HUNTERS ADVISED OF SEASON CHANGES
Fall season begins Nov. 2 in most parts of state, season lengths vary by WMU.

 
Turkey hunters preparing to head afield during Pennsylvania’s annual fall season are urged to review the opening and closing dates that apply within the Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) they hunt.

The fall season has been lengthened by a week in some WMUs, and shortened by a week in others. Additionally, a WMU might have a later opening date, a weeklong or shorter season, or could be closed to fall turkey hunting altogether.

“Different sets of rules apply to different areas, and in a lot of areas, season lengths have changed this year,” said Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe. “Now is the time for hunters to check and make sure the season lengths in areas they hunt haven’t changed.”

In most of the state, the fall turkey season opens Saturday, Nov. 2. There are exceptions, however.

In WMU 5A, a three-day season begins Tuesday, Nov. 5.  Meanwhile, WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D remain closed to fall turkey hunting.

The fall turkey season dates are outlined on page 35 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest that is issued at the time hunters by their licenses. Those seasons are as follows: WMU 1B – Nov. 2 to 9, and Nov. 28 to 30; WMU 2B (shotgun and archery only) – Nov. 2 to 22, and Nov. 28 to 30; WMUs 1A, 2A, 2D, 2F, 2G and 2H – Nov. 2 to 16, and Nov. 28 to 30; WMUs 2C, 2E, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E – Nov. 2 to 22, and Nov. 28 to 30; and WMU 5A – Nov. 5 to 7.

In all, the season length is changing in nine WMUs this year.

The changes in eight of those WMUs are due to an ongoing study to determine how the length of the fall season affects the female turkey harvest. The Game Commission in the past two years has monitored two separate study areas, and with that data now collected, the study requires the season length in both study areas be changed.

In WMUs 2F, 2G and 2H, that means shortening the season from three weeks to two weeks. Meanwhile, the season will be lengthened from two weeks to three weeks in WMUs 2C, 2E, 4A, 4B and 4D.

Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena explained the changes.

“By switching season lengths between study areas, we can attempt to answer the question of whether the harvest gained by adding an extra week to a two-week season exceeds a sustainable level of harvest,” Casalena said. “Ultimately, results from this study will allow us to provide the longest fall seasons without overharvesting hen wild turkeys.”

           This season marks the third year of the four-year study, and hunters can expect season length within the study areas this year to remain the same during the study’s final year in 2014.

Aside from the changes within study areas, the fall turkey season also is being shortened from two weeks to one week in WMU 1B due to a precipitous decline in the turkey population locally. The three-day Thanksgiving season remains in place there, as it does in most other parts of the state.

 

Fall turkey forecast

Casalena said turkey hunters are likely to see more turkeys afield this fall due to two factors.

There was above-average nest success this summer, which produced more young turkeys statewide, Casalena said. Additionally, acorn crops are spotty this year, and turkey flocks tend to concentrate around available food sources, she said.

The above-average summer reproduction mainly was due to dry and warm weather conditions during the peak of hatching in early June. Casalena said this nest success was a welcome relief for wild turkey populations, since summer reproduction had been below-average for the previous four years.

Still, summer populations varied considerably by WMU, as is typical for wild turkey reproduction.

Although springtime wild turkey populations were still lower than their record highs in 2001, when the state population was about 280,000 turkeys, this spring’s population of about 186,000 birds was similar to the last two years, rebounding from its low in 2010 of 182,000.

Casalena said locating a flock is only part of the hunt. Properly setting up and bringing a turkey within range is another challenge that makes turkey hunting both tricky and enjoyable.

Overall, Casalena said she anticipates turkey hunters to enjoy success rates similar to or even higher than last year, when 12 percent of fall turkey hunters harvested turkeys. That success rate was a slight improvement from the previous three years, when the success rate was 11 percent.

The final 2012 fall harvest was 14,704, similar to 2011 but 5 percent lower than the previous three-year average.

Hunter success has been as high as 21 percent (2001, a year with excellent recruitment), and as low as 4 percent (1979).

Casalena said spring season harvests (not including harvests from the special turkey license that allows hunters to harvest a second bird) totaled 32,602, slightly down from 33,597 in 2012, but 12 percent lower than the previous 10-year average (37,229). Hunter success, 15 percent, was similar to last year due to a small decrease in the number of spring turkey hunters, and was slightly lower than the previous 10-year average, 16 percent.

            Even though spring harvests were down from the record 49,200 in 2001, Pennsylvania hunters have consistently maintained spring harvests above 30,000 bearded turkeys since 1995, exceeding most other states in the nation.

 

Leg-banded turkeys

Casalena also reminds hunters to report any leg-banded or radio-transmittered turkeys they harvest or find.

Leg bands and transmitters are stamped with a toll-free number to call, and provide important information for the research project being conducted in partnership with the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Penn State University, with funding from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Pennsylvania Chapter of NWTF, she said.

“These turkeys are legal to harvest and the information provided will help determine turkey survival and harvest rates, Casalena said.

Rewards for reporting marked turkeys are made possible by donations from the National Wild Turkey Federation, she said.

 

Fluorescent orange requirements

In most parts of the state, hunters participating in the fall turkey season are required, while moving, to wear at least 250 inches of fluorescent orange on the head, chest and back combined. Orange must be visible from 360 degrees.

Hunters may remove their orange once in a stationary location, providing that a minimum of 100 square inches of fluorescent orange is posted within 15 feet of the location and is visible from 360 degrees.

In WMU 2B, which is open to shotgun and archery hunting only during the fall turkey season, turkey hunters, while moving, must wear a hat containing at least 100 square inches of solid fluorescent orange material, visible from 360 degrees. While fluorescent orange is not required at stationary locations in WMU 2B, it is strongly recommended.

Archery hunters who are hunting either deer or bear during the overlap with fall turkey season also must wear a fluorescent orange hat at all times when moving. The hat must contain at least 100 square inches of solid, fluorescent orange, visible from 360 degrees, and may be removed once in a stationary location.

Illustrations and a chart listing fluorescent orange requirements for different hunting seasons can be found on pages 68 to 70 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

 

Mentored Youth

Pennsylvania’s fall turkey season is among those open to Mentored Youth hunters.

The Mentored Youth Hunting Program sets out to introduce those under the age of 12 to hunting. Mentored Youth must obtain a $2.70 permit, and must be accompanied at all times by a licensed mentor over the age of 21.

A full description of the Mentored Youth Hunting Program can be found on page 15 of the 2013-14 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest.

During the fall turkey season, an adult mentor may transfer their fall turkey tag to a Mentored Youth hunter.

 

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