PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION RECOGNIZES CONTRIBUTIONS OF PANWTF

HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania hunters will benefit again from the generosity of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), which approved spending more than $164,000 on wild turkey habitat projects within the Commonwealth during 2005, said Game Commission officials. This is the 30th anniversary of the Pennsylvania NWTF's (PANWTF) contributions.

From 1985 to 2003, PANWTF spent more than $3.5 million in Pennsylvania on wild turkey programs, not just habitat projects. These programs include safety and education, programs for youth, women and handicapped; land acquisition; and research.

The 2005 habitat projects will be conducted not only on State Game Lands (SGLs), but also on state forests, state parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers properties, the Allegheny National Forest, local municipality properties and private properties open to public hunting. However, of the 66 approved habitat projects, 46 will be on SGLs.

These projects include creating turkey brood habitat and feeding areas; planting fruit- and nut-producing trees and shrubs; planting conifers for winter habitat; renting equipment and purchasing lime, seed, and fertilizer for maintaining existing wildlife openings; fencing orchards and trees from deer; and the NWTF's Seed Subsidy Program. This strong partnership between the Game Commission and PANWTF helps improve habitat not only for the wild turkey, but also for a wide variety of wildlife species.

"As the Game Commission continues to look for ways to cut costs during the current fiscal situation, support from organizations such as the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, are greatly appreciated," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director. "All Pennsylvanians should be thankful that the NWTF has remained committed for decades to help support the Game Commission's wild turkey management program, turkey hunting safety and land acquisitions that have strengthened the wild turkey's presence in the Commonwealth."

In the 1970s, a few dedicated turkey hunters gathered at State College, and formed the state's first chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation to promote wild turkey hunting and management. At the time, Pennsylvania's wild turkey trap and transfer effort was just getting off the ground, partly because of improvements in forest maturation, partly because of a changing philosophy within the Game Commission that recognized the agency was wasting its time trying to augment its wild turkey population with pen-raised turkeys, because they lacked the survival instincts of wild birds and few survived.

The 1970s became a pivotal decade in the restoration of wild turkeys in the Commonwealth. Many hunters had become quite fond of the stocked turkeys the Game Commission annually released throughout the state. They really weren't interested in protecting hens in fall seasons to help trap-and-transfer efforts build local populations, particularly in the northeastern counties. But the Game Commission had already decided to stay the course with the trap-and-transfer work it started in the early 1960s under agency biologist Gerry Wunz.

"Many of Pennsylvania hunters, and particularly NWTF members were interested in more than hunter success," said Rob Keck, NWTF CEO. "They wanted wild turkeys to thrive and expand across the state, and they recognized that trap-and-transfer work was the best way to accomplish that."

The new NWTF chapter provided funding and manpower for, and helped to champion and promote the ongoing wild turkey trap-and-transfer program, which quickly gained momentum and provided results that made turkey hunters everywhere take notice. In fact, by 1980 the technique had become successful in restoring the Commonwealth's wild turkey population, and many states were looking to the Game Commission to provide details on how to get restorations started in their states.

The NWTF was very instrumental in helping the Game Commission expand its trap-and-transfer program and in helping the agency garner public support to stop stocking pen-raised wild turkeys and to close its Wild Turkey Farms. Today, Pennsylvania's wild turkey population numbers more than 340,000 and the NWTF continues to assist the Game Commission in the management of this important resource and educating the hunters who pursue wild turkeys.

"The Pennsylvania chapter worked hand-in-hand with the Game Commission to carry out a turkey trap-and-transfer program that would eventually garner national attention," Keck noted. "It was a partnership that helped make Pennsylvania one of the nation's premiere turkey hunting states and serves as a shining example of how the NWTF helps to make a difference in the many states with which it partners."

Today, Pennsylvania has 79 chapters representing 22,000 volunteers. In fact, Pennsylvania has the seventh largest membership base in the NWTF. The chapters routinely partner with state and federal agencies to enhance wildlife habitat and improve hunting opportunities in the Keystone State. The NWTF Pennsylvania chapters' support has never wavered. Since 1985, they have spent more than $3.5 million through the state's Hunting Heritage Super Fund. The funds were spent on habitat enhancement, outreach, education, research and hunter and firearm safety.

"Pennsylvania is a major asset to the NWTF," said Carl Brown NWTF chief operations officer. "Few volunteers are as dedicated to conservation and the wild turkey as they are in Pennsylvania."

GAME COMMISSION WEBSITE PROMOTES TURKEY HABITAT EFFORTS
Landowners looking to make habitat improvement to benefit wild turkeys and other wildlife are encouraged to visit a new section on the Pennsylvania Game Commission's website ( www.pgc.state.pa.us ) that provides tips on what they can do at various times of the year. The information can be found by clicking on " Wildlife ," then choosing " Wild Turkey ," and then selecting " Wild Turkey Habitat Improvement " under the "Research" section.

Adapted from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the section was prepared by Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. The website contains information on how to improve turkey habitat for nesting activities; brood habitat; late summer and fall food supplies; and late winter needs.

"Many people throughout the Northeastern United States over the last several decades have come to love the wild turkey," Casalena said. "While many are happy just to see or hunt turkeys on someone else's land, others want to manage their land to benefit turkeys. However, for someone who owns 50 to 100 acres, there several things that they can do for the wild turkey.

"One of the first things you need to consider is how much area a turkey uses normally, also known as its home range. A turkey can and does cover a lot of ground in its daily travels. Wild turkeys can travel up to 2 miles per hour while feeding. Their home range varies by season and can range from 400 to 2,000 acres or more. Therefore, unless you own a large tract of land (at least several hundred acres), you do not need to provide for all of a turkey's annual needs on your land."

Casalena suggested landowners should look at their land and the surrounding area and determine what habitat component is in the shortest supply, and then try to provide that habitat type on your land. For instance, if a property is forested and surrounded by active agriculture, creating a small field will probably not be an effective method of attracting turkeys.

Instead, maintaining it as a woodlot and managing for mature mast-producing trees would be a better choice.
"When turkey management first began, biologists thought that turkeys required very large stands of mature timber to survive," Casalena said. "It now is recognized that turkeys do best in areas with a wide variety of habitat types and plant species. One recent researcher has described the ideal turkey habitat as one-half wooded, one quarter abandoned fields and one-quarter active agriculture."

In reality, Casalena noted that turkeys in the Northeastern states have three critical habitat needs that may be in short supply: good nesting habitat; good brood-rearing habitat; and a good winter food source. If those three needs are met, interspersed with mature woodland, landowners have greatly increased the probability of having wild turkeys in the area.

"The only other component that might be needed is a late summer/fall food source," said Casalena. "The primary benefit of this would be to hold the birds for your enjoyment, as fall food is seldom lacking in the Northeast.

"Before deciding on a method of enhancing the value of your land for wild turkeys, landowners should think about their objectives. Do they want to be able to observe the birds year-round or are there certain times of the year when they are more interested in having turkeys use the land?"

She noted that wild turkeys respond well to habitat enhancement techniques, such as food plots. But because of their mobility and tendency to roam, landowners shouldn't expect to see turkeys every day.

"If landowners do decide to manage their land for wild turkeys, they will have the enjoyment of knowing they have a few more turkeys on their land," Casalena said. "In many cases, turkeys will be visible so landowners and their family can enjoy watching the birds.

"But, even if turkeys are not visible from the landowner's house, they will have the enjoyment of knowing that their property is being used by wild turkeys and that they have improved their habitat. Remember, too, that you will be benefiting other wildlife species as well, such as deer, rabbits, and numerous songbirds, to name a few."