Pennsylvania’s fall turkey hunting season got underway this past Saturday 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. WMUs 1A, 2G, in 4A and 4D the season runs Nov. 2 - Nov. 16. The season in WMUs 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.

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.