Pennsylvania Game News - May 2019 - 6

regional turkey populations. That's the
take-home message for anyone thinking
about going afield for spring gobblers.
Weather-permitting, it'll be a memorable
season.

SCOUT NOW

Finding gobblers is the key to taking
a spring bird and weather often dictates
where they'll be. Wintering turkeys
always hang with or follow food sources.
But once spring breaks and vegetation
begins to grow in mid-March, flocks break
up and gobblers head to their traditional
breeding areas, Casalena said.
So, knowing where gobblers usually
hang out in spring can be a big advantage,
but only if it's a location that doesn't draw
a lot of hunters. Turkeys often become
harder to hunt when they bump into
hunters, or they hear a disproportionate
amount of turkey chatter.
"The idea is to sort out where gobblers
are before hunting pressure and hen activity compel them to change their routine,"
Casalena emphasized. "If you learn the
general gobbler age structure in an area,
become familiar with what trails gobblers
take, figure out what direction they enter
their strutting places, you'll be way ahead
of everyone else when the season opens."
Places where you've scored before in
the spring season are always worth checking. Gobblers typically are predisposed
to go where they've bred in previous seasons, Casalena said. And if a hunter can
learn how many gobblers are around and
identify them by their gobbling intensity,
it'll be a big help.
"An old gobbler won't gobble as much
as a 2-year-old, and if there are several
2-year-olds, they'll likely gobble intensively," Casalena said. "Jakes might not
gobble at all, assuming the subordinate
role they typically do."
6

WHERE
TO GO?
It's always good to have several hunting places
lined up as spring gobbler season approaches. But
sometimes life gets in the way of your seasonal
preparation.
If you find yourself short of what you need with
the season a week away, or if you are unwilling
to go where you've been spending past seasons,
Game Commission turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena has some general guidance that should help
you sort out which Wildlife Management Unit
might be your best bet to try.
Her data can direct you to WMUs with the
best turkey populations, best hunter success rates
and, if you prefer, the fewest hunters. So, consider
your preferences and shop for a WMU that seems
likeliest to provide the kind of hunt for which
you're looking.
It might be close to home, require a trip to your
upstate camp, or a two-hour ride. But if it gets you
closer to vocal gobblers, it'll all be worth it.
Harvest density, shown in the top map, is the
number of spring turkeys harvested per square
mile over the past three years.
The statewide average is 0.8 turkeys per square
mile, and all WMUs with harvest densities at least
that high are shown in green.
Hunter density, shown in the middle map,
similarly provides the number of hunters per
square mile.
The more-heavily hunted WMUs are shown in
red and those with lower densities are shown in
blue. The statewide average is four hunters per
square mile.
In the bottom map, Casalena established turkey
population rates by comparing 2018 population
statistics to the previous 10-year average population.
Increases are in shades of red or purple,
decreases are in blue.
These statistics might help you plot some of
your upcoming spring turkey hunts. Remember,
though, these figures serve only to point you in
the right direction. Fieldwork is still necessary to
get closer to birds and seal the deal. Good luck
out there!

Pennsylvania Game News - May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - May 2019