Setting the Spring Season

By: Bob Eriksen, NWTF Regional Biologist

May 14, 2006

Ask ten spring gobbler hunters what they think about the current spring season and six of them will probably tell you that they think the season opens too late. Send a survey out to turkey hunters asking for comments and the most common response will be that the spring season starts a week or two weeks too late. Why do hunters often believe that the season opener should be earlier? My theory is that spring hunters spend a great deal more time out listening to gobblers before the season than they do after the season closes. That makes sense because turkey hunters eagerly anticipate the season and spend time scouting because they are so excited about the approach of the season. After the season everyone is tired and thinking about summer vacation plans. Therefore many turkey hunters are not aware of how much gobbling can be heard on some days after the season closes.

The reality is that many spring hunters hear lots of gobbling long before the season opens. There is some pretty intense gobbling activity through the middle of April. Understandably, turkey hunters want to be out in the woods when they believe that the birds are gobbling best. But just when does that happen? When is the best gobbling going to take place each year and how should spring gobbler hunting seasons be timed? Wildlife biologists have devoted much energy to studying the breeding cycle of wild turkeys and determining the best time to open the spring gobbler hunting season. There are many factors to consider and turkey biologists in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region have looked at this puzzle extensively and will continue to explore it.

Spring gobbler hunting provides a tremendous amount of recreational opportunity to hunters with minimal risk to turkey populations. In general, the season should be open when hen turkeys are apt to be laying or incubating clutches of eggs. On average, there is a six week window of opportunity for spring seasons during April and May in this part of the country. Breeding and nest initiation are largely stimulated by photoperiod (the length of daylight hours), but weather factors also play a role. When light conditions are right for breeding, cold or unseasonably warm weather can speed up or delay the process by as much as two weeks.

There are a number of methods used by biologists to determine when the spring season should occur. According to the scientific literature, two peaks of gobbling activity occur if gobbling frequency is plotted over time. The first peak is associated with the break-up of winter flocks; the second with the onset of incubation among hens. Some seven to ten days after many of the hens are incubating, gobbling frequency increases as toms seek the few remaining available hens. Gobbling tom surveys in New Jersey , New York , Virginia and West Virginia indicated that the second peak occurred from late April through mid-May. The timing of peak gobbling may vary from year to year based on weather and other factors, but it seldom moves more than ten days in either direction.

A second method enables biologists to ascertain peak hatch dates. The capture of poults in late summer allows biologists to age the young birds (in days) with a fair degree of accuracy. Then the researcher counts backwards from the hatch date to the incubation date for that brood. This procedure provides a cross-reference for the gobbling frequency observations. Perhaps the best way to determine the timing of peak nest initiation, the onset of incubation and hatch dates is through the use of radio-telemetry. Radio-marked hens may be closely monitored if personnel are available, allowing researchers to accurately obtain and assess nesting data.

When the first spring gobbler seasons were designed in New Jersey , gobbling frequency and hatch date data were used to establish season dates. Follow-up studies conducted later further documented what biologists had determined earlier. In general, nests were initiated in the third week of April and incubation began in early May. Peak hatch dates were in the first week of June, though a few broods hatched as early as May 18 th. Check out the graph accompanying this article to see a representation of the gobbling activity through the months of March, April and May. The graph was developed using data from West Virginia . Peak breeding, egg-laying and incubation probably occur ten days to two weeks later in most areas of Pennsylvania .

Spring gobbler hunting season dates are established according to the reproductive cycle of the wild turkey. Setting the season using these parameters is the primary reason we can hunt gobblers during the spring and not affect long-term population levels or disrupt the breeding behavior of the birds. The goal is to provide hunting opportunity without affecting the success or survival of hens which generally means that hunting seasons open around the same time hens begin nesting.

At this point, hunting occurs when most of the breeding has been completed and when most of the hens are on the nest. Most state wildlife agencies set spring season dates after the first peak in gobbling and breeding. Bill Drake, a retired Game Commission biologist looked at the data available from surrounding states in response to requests for an earlier spring season. His report recommended that the spring season in the Commonwealth open at or near May 1 each year. This recommendation can also be found in the Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania .

Quiet gobblers, “henned-up” gobblers, warm days and hunting after full leaf-out are often cited as reasons the local spring gobbler season should start earlier. Interestingly enough, interference from hens may actually suggest that the season is as early as it can be. Gobbling activity is affected by hunting pressure so the woods may be silent, not because the birds are “gobbled out” but because they have been pressured.  An earlier opening day might allow hunters to take advantage of cooler weather, fewer insects, fewer leaves and a time period in which some gobblers might be more susceptible to being called. However, biologists must weigh more than just dates and hunter success when setting spring season dates.

A later opening day provides a measure of protection for turkey nests, hens and even jakes. Hens that are in the process of laying eggs are prone to abandon their nests if disturbed. Nest abandonment may be reduced by starting the season close to May 1 st. Hens that are not yet incubating are often found in association with gobblers early in the season. Lone hens in the process of laying are also apt to be moving around the woods during hunting hours if the season occurs too early. The later the season opener, the fewer hens will be available for accidental or illegal shooting. Later opening days may therefore enhance the survival of hens.

Illegal spring harvest of hens accounted 34 percent of all the hen mortality in the spring in Virginia and 13 percent in West Virginia (where the season opened later). Jakes tend to be more vulnerable to harvest earlier in the season. As May progresses, hormone levels and testes size decreases in jakes more quickly than in adult gobblers. Therefore a later season may protect some jakes and allow them to mature. Appreciable harvest of males before the bulk of the breeding has occurred could affect nesting success and reduce populations in subsequent years. Setting the season to occur after most of the breeding is complete assures that the population will continue to expand.

Wildlife managers try to establish season dates and other regulations that satisfy the needs and desires of the hunting public, but they cannot violate basic biological principles. There are trade-offs when setting spring season dates. The managing agency must decide which compromise is in the best interest of the wild turkey resource as a whole and which one is most suitable for turkey hunters.

A later season may make hunting a bit more difficult because full leaf-out limits visibility and hearing. Hot weather may suppress gobbling activity and hunter participation. As the season progresses, gobblers change their behavior. They vocalize less, and spend more time on the prowl seeking solitary hens. Hunters will see gobblers strutting more often without hearing any gobbling at all. The same old tom that gobbled a hundred times from the roost on April 30th may not gobble at all on May 24 th. Believe me, though, he is still interested in the ladies. As a hunter, it is time to adjust your strategy. Instead of expecting to get in close to that vocal roosted gobbler, you might find it more productive later in the season to go to the field edge he frequents late in the morning set up and call quietly and infrequently. Adjust to the changes in season and wild turkey behavior.

Pennsylvania has a large turkey hunter population and an expanding turkey population. Tradition and demand for fall hunting opportunity remain high. Given the large number of hunters and the desire to provide good hunting opportunities in both spring and fall, Game Commission biologists have recommended a later season opener than some hunters would like to see. In order to insure that the turkey flock continues to grow, the later opening day is a wise decision.

Commission biologists are examining other options for expanding spring hunting opportunity. Since the first spring season in 1968, the season length has grown from six days to four weeks as biologists determined that the conservative approach could be modified safely. Hunting hours have expanded from a 10 AM closing to the present noon closing time. Hours might be expanded further or bag limits increased at some point in the future. These options would provide additional opportunity to hunters.

Spring gobbler hunting is good in the Commonwealth right now. The Game Commission has done an outstanding job restoring and managing wild turkey populations. Wildlife agencies listen to their constituents, even if they cannot accommodate all their suggestions. So I encourage you to continue to dialogue with Commission biologists. It’s hard to say when it is best to hunt.

The long season provides a variety of weather and seasonal changes. My advice is, hunt whenever you can. Some of the best hunting can be had late in the season when the old gobblers are seriously looking for hens. You may not hear as many birds gobbling at first light as you did in April, but there is some exciting hunting to be had. I have had the pleasure of working gobblers in the Keystone State right up to legal time on the last day. And to be honest, I have often heard gobbling on into June.

When you are out there this spring, think about the responsibility biologists have to the wild turkey resource. Remember that most turkey biologists are also turkey hunters. Realize that wildlife biologists do their best to provide you with good hunting opportunities, but their decisions involve compromise and the good of the wild turkey flock. Enjoy the spring season and the chance to be out there experiencing the gobbler of a tom and the thrill of his approach to your call. Above all, hunt safely.