PGC Wild Turkey Management Plan

Don Heckman, PA Chapter NWTF - Chairman Wild Turkey Management Committee

February 28, 2006

PGC revised Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania for 2006-2015 is being completed and is expected to be signed before spring gobbler season starts. The revised draft of the management plan was on the PGC web site for public comment as posted in their news release. PA Chapter NWTF provided recommendations and feedback to Bureau of Wildlife Management that was included in the revised management plan. Final review by PGC Staff will be completed by March and a scheduled signing will be held.

Wildlife species management plans need to be created and followed for wildlife management to be successful. PGC Staff, NWTF volunteers, and all those turkey hunters must work together to support and fund objectives and strategies outlined in the revised 2006 wild turkey management plan. We successfully accomplished many strategies outlined in the April 1999 plan, while leaving several strategies in "work in progress" or not started. PA NWTF will work with and help PGC BWM accomplish the new management plan objectives and strategies.

Sufficient funding is the essential catalysis for results and completion of strategies. Measurements reviewed and followed are crucial to wild turkey management plan decisions and future management plan possibilities. Reference comments on hunting license increase legislation elsewhere in this spring issue, a turkey hunting license will certainly help support and fund wild turkey management plan objectives and strategies.

From the PGC web site, Wild Turkey site link, Wild Turkey Management Plan, and PA Chapter NWTF web site. By 1900, it is presumed only a few thousand wild turkeys remained in the state's 45,333 square miles, not even tracks were easy to find. Estimated populations range from 3000 to 5000 birds left in early 1900's.

Wild turkey restoration and management keys from the early 1900's through 2005 have been documented. Wildlife managers with a vision on wild turkey restoration and improving habitat worked to bring the wild turkey back. <

PGC closed fall turkey season in 1914-1915 and in 1926 - back in those days there was no spring gobbler season. 1929 to mid 1950's closing certain counties to turkey hunting [that practice continues today with WMU 5A - WMU 5B]. 1958 began full-scale wild turkey trap and transfers to repopulate turkeys within Pennsylvania. 1960's, 70's, 80's wild turkey biologists designed research projects to collect field data and define new methods to collect field data and indices data.

Wild turkey biologists improved trap and transfer methods [trap and transfer has been used as late as 2003]. 1968 first spring gobbler hunting season - 1 week long. 1972 spring gobbler expanded to 2 weeks. 1975 spring gobbler season expanded to 3 weeks. 1984 spring gobbler season expanded to current 4 week season.

1980-1981 PGC begin shutting down game farm production of turkeys. 1985 wild turkey biologists creating 9 turkey management areas. 1985-2005 biologists recommended continued use of conservative seasons and bag limits while monitoring winter and spring weather conditions, and management indices. 1996-2002 TMA 7B Wild Turkey Task Force was coordinated between PGC, DCNR, PANWTF to research causes and make recommend for a dramatic reduction in wild turkey populations.

1999-2001 PGC completed TMA 7B [now WMU 5A] hen radio telemetry research project to determine causes of a suppressed turkey population. 1999 PGC Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania was written by wild turkey biologists and signed. 1999-2005 wild turkey management plan objectives and strategies being followed - strategies being completed, lack of funding wild turkey management plan objectives and strategies impacting further completion.

2001 record wild turkey population due to several consecutive mild winters with abundant fall food supplies. 2000-2003 wild turkey transfers into southeast Pennsylvania where habitat existed but population were lacking. 2003 PGC changed 9 TMAs to 22 WMUs - wildlife management units. 2003-2004-2005 reducing several WMU fall season lengths due to back to back harsh winters - extremely wet springs. 2005 approved the increase of a two-bird spring gobbler bag limit, with appropriate license, to begin state-wide in spring 2006.

Throughout 1975 to 2005 Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation recommended, supported, funded, aided, and in some cases helped develop management decisions and resolutions to turkey management problems and issues.

During 2006, PGC state-wide gobbler leg band research project was started with a 4 year goal of trapping, banding, and releasing 1,200 gobblers. Revised PGC Management Plan For Wild Turkeys In Pennsylvania will be signed. Wild turkey population model will be created and results released. Estimated 2001 state-wide turkey population 410,000, estimated 2005 state-wide turkey population 375,000.

And a lot of hard work, in the ground on the ground work, by PGC staff, other public and private land owners state-wide, turkey hunters, sportsmen and conservation organizations, and the PA Chapter NWTF dedicated to wild turkey conservation and our turkey hunting tradition, working together have successfully restored and improved wild turkey habitat, turkey hunting safety, implemented a successful wild turkey management plan, and increased state-wide wild turkey populations.

Wild turkey restoration and management in Pennsylvania these past 105 years has been a successful model for all wildlife management to follow. Successful wild turkey management can trace its roots and accomplishments to PGC biologists, executive staff, and commissioners making the correct management decisions throughout the program, supporting "Resource First" wild turkey management principles.

"Resource First" is the primary reason why Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in June 1975, and will always be our number one goal. NWTF mission statement is "Conservation of the Wild Turkey and Preservation of our Hunting Heritage".

NWTF members work with state and federal wildlife agencies, land owners, local communities and the business industry, and conservation and sportsmen organizations to increase wild turkey populations and support turkey hunting traditions in Pennsylvania. NWTF, PA Chapter, Local Chapters for the past 30 years have made significant contributions to wild turkey management and habitat improvement in Pennsylvania.

As NWTF CEO Rob Keck often says, NWTF is the driver and enabler in spreading the model of wildlife conservation and our hunting heritage across our great country, "You have answered the call.