Outdoors: Wild turkeys in Game Commission's sights
Throughout its native range from coast to coast, wild turkey populations are down. Wildlife agencies have identified several factors as possible causes for the decline.
And while numbers are down here in Pennsylvania, they are not nearly as bad as in some areas of the country. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is working on managing the wild turkey population and needs your help in understanding population dynamics.
Once again the Game Commission is seeking input from the public in surveying wild turkeys this summer. The Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey opens July 1 and runs through Aug. 31.
Participation is important for turkey population management. Survey data allow the agency to determine total wild turkey productivity and compare long-term reproductive success within Pennsylvania and across states, as this is a standard methodology used across the country.
Turkey sightings can be reported through the Game Commission’s website using the Turkey Brood Survey link.
Participants are requested to record the number of wild turkeys they see, along with the location and date. Contact information is also requester if agency biologists have any questions.
“The turkey survey enhances our agency’s internal survey, which serves as a long-term index of turkey reproduction and is used in our turkey population model,” said Game Commission Turkey Biologist Mary Jo Casalena. “Participants should report all turkeys seen, whether gobblers, hens with broods, or hens without broods.”
Many factors, including spring weather, habitat, food abundance, predation, and last fall’s harvest affect wild turkey productivity. Dry weather across Pennsylvania during the late spring and summer months of 2021 as well as the 17-year cicada hatch tended to result in excellent recruitment.
This above-average reproductive success last summer (3.1 poults per hen), coupled with more conservative fall 2021 turkey hunting seasons (shorter seasons in most WMUs and elimination of rifles) allowed for higher turkey survival into the 2022 spring breeding season. Reproductive success in surrounding states for 2021 was less than 3.0 poults per hen in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, but 3.0 or higher in New Jersey and New York.
“Thanks to the popularity of this survey in Pennsylvania, we have high confidence in our estimates,” Casalena emphasized. “Let’s maintain these results in 2022 and even increase participation.”
Additionally, the Game Commission is proposing at is upcoming quarterly meeting to eliminate the use of single-projectile ammunition from shotguns and muzzleloaders during the fall turkey seasons. While this restriction is not seen as having a large effect on the fall turkey harvest, it will allow the length of the fall seasons to remain the same across the state.
Though either male or female turkeys are legal quarry during the fall seasons, turkey hunters can go above and beyond in helping turkey populations by harvesting only jakes and toms during the fall season.
Mike Barcaskey can be reached at mikebarcaskey@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Outdoors: Wild turkeys in Game Commission's sights
