Pennsylvania State Chapter - NWTF
Turkey Hunting License Options
March 26, 1998
The Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is reviewing the options and recommendations for a turkey hunting license for spring gobbler season and fall turkey hunting season. For three years, since the hunting license increase issue was presented to the House Game and Fisheries Committee, the Pennsylvania State Chapter has been an advocate for a turkey hunting license.
An overall spring and fall turkey hunting license was our first choice. The spring turkey hunting license was our second choice.
The initial hunting license increase bill did not have a turkey hunting license
included in
the bill, because the Pennsylvania State Chapter was forced into supporting the bill, as
we were told there was no support in the Legislature, Conservation Organizations, and from
turkey hunters for a turkey hunting license.
When the initial hunting license increase bill died in committee, the Pennsylvania State Chapter was asked to support the current bill, H.B. 1200, when it was proposed to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Sportsmens Coalition, and Pennsylvania sportsmen and license buyers.
H.B. 1200 does not have a turkey hunting license incorporated of any kind in the current bill. As of April 1998, the bill is in the House Appropriations Committee, waiting for the lame duck session in November 1998, before it will be released for a vote in this committee and then, if passed, will be moved to the House floor for a vote. If passed in the House, then the bill goes to the Senate for consideration and vote. Only after an approval vote in the Senate, will the hunting license increase bill go to Governor Ridges desk for signature.
The Pennsylvania State Chapter is a member of the Pennsylvania Sportsmens
Coalition.
As a member of the Coalition, the Pennsylvania State Chapter has the opportunity to
educate other conservation organizations about the benefits of a turkey license.
We are now in the process of educating and informing Coalition members, Legislators, PGC Commissioners and PGC Staff, NWTF members, and turkey hunters about the objectives, benefits, and the value of having a turkey hunting license as part of the current Legislative bill to increase hunting licenses in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission introduced the 2 bird spring gobbler tag proposal at the recent January 1998 Board of Commissioners meeting. At the April 1998 Board of Commissioners meeting, the Commissioners will take a vote on that proposal.
The idea of a second bird tag and the increased hunting opportunities for turkey hunters was appealing, but the Pennsylvania State Chapter Board of Directors voted against supporting the proposal, "as written". Several options were considered beyond the initial proposal from the PGC, and these, also, were voted against. The Pennsylvania State Chapter wants to support a general spring gobbler hunting license or a spring and fall turkey hunting license.
The turkey hunting license is a topic the Pennsylvania State Chapter has been discussing with the PGC since 1985. It is a topic the PGC Bureau of Wildlife Management now recommends for consideration. A topic that the Pennsylvania State Chapter NWTF is on record as being in favor of in our meetings with the PGC, the Pennsylvania Sportsmens Coalition, and in the news releases we have written and articles that have been published our in "Turkey Talk" newsletter and the NWTF "Turkey Call" magazine.
The Pennsylvania State Chapter is asking the PGC Board of Commissioners to table the current two-bird proposal at the April 1998 meeting, at this time, due to a lack of support for the proposal state-wide by turkey hunters.
The Pennsylvania State Chapter has listed six options we are taking into consideration and have presented to our membership in our current newsletter, "Turkey Talk", April/May 1998 issue. We have not taken any "official position" as to what we would support. We do feel the turkey hunting license is the best and only objective. This option needs to be approved and passed by both the House and Senate in a legislative bill, and then signed into law by the Governor of the Commonwealth. This option must be supported by the PGC, state-wide conservation organizations, and turkey hunters.
The Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is a "resource first" conservation organization. The almost 14,000 volunteer members in Pennsylvania work hard toward wise management of Pennsylvanias wild turkey resource, stewardship of the land, forest and waters, and are number one in habitat improvement projects and conservation projects in Pennsylvania. We want to see the wild turkey resource flourishing in Pennsylvania as greatly "tomorrow" as it is today.
Through the NWTF mission statement, "The Conservation of the Wild Turkey.. and the Preservation of the Turkey Hunting Tradition.., The Pennsylvania State Chapter has a clear directive toward achieving our vision of the future.
Pennsylvania Game Commission 2 Bird Spring Gobbler Season Proposal.
PGC Board of Commissioners proposal from the January 1998 Commission meeting.
2 bird spring gobbler season starting in spring 1999, birds must be taken on separate hunting days.
Turkey Hunting License option presented by the Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Create a spring gobbler season turkey hunting license for $5.00.
or
Create a spring and fall season turkey hunting license for $10.00.
Pennsylvania State Chapter options and recommendations:
These are the options the Pennsylvania State Chapter NWTF is reviewing and seeking feedback from our members. We have asked the Pennsylvania Sportsmens Coalition Conservation Organizations to consider these options and give us feedback.
The Pennsylvania State Chapter has met with the PGC Staff and the House Game and Fisheries Committee on this topic. We have ask for there feedback and input into the hunting license increase options. The options presented below represent the current, March/April 1998, information and data available to the State Chapter. This information is being presented as educational and informational material leading towards the objective of achieving a turkey hunting license through the legislative process.
Option 1 Support the PGC 2 bird spring gobbler proposal as written and presented at
January 1998 Pennsylvania Game Commission meeting.
Option 2 Do not support the PGC 2 bird spring gobbler proposal as written and
presented at the January 1998 Pennsylvania Game Commission meeting.
Option 3 Do not support any proposal for a 2 Bird Spring Gobbler season.
Option 4 Support the 2 Bird Spring Gobbler Season with the following
recommendations:
(first three Saturdays inclusive, in this years hunting season)
1 spring gobbler during the last two weeks of the season
(last two Saturdays inclusive, in this years hunting season)
If the spring gobbler hunter does not harvest his first
spring gobbler during the first two weeks of the season,
he/she can only take one spring gobbler during the last
two weeks of the spring gobbler season, even though they
purchased the 2nd bird tag.
Supporting information for Option 4:
These recommendations to the 2 bird spring gobbler season are supported by the following information:
1. Support Wildlife Management Bureaus decision to adjust spring gobbler seasons and bag limits based upon spring gobbler harvest data.
2. Support no changes in the starting and ending dates for the spring gobbler season. If a hunter does not have a 2nd bird tag, he/she still can hunt the entire spring season, on their original hunting license, to take a spring gobbler. The 2nd bird tag will be valid only during the last two weeks of the spring gobbler season.
3. The Pennsylvania State Chapter believes the 2nd bird spring gobbler tag and split bag season will provide additional recreation time for the spring turkey hunter. The $10.00 tag will provide names and addresses to the Pennsylvania Game Commission so the Pennsylvania State Chapter can work with the PGC to publish and distribute hunter safety information, wild turkey resource information, and additional hunter education material.
4. Support the approval of the PGC Wild Turkey Management Plan to begin managing the wild turkey resource in Pennsylvania. Funds generated from the 2 bird tag can be put into the Game Fund to provide money to get the wild turkey management plan off to a good start.
5. Support the split bag season to allow the hunting pressure to be spread over the entire spring season allowing, for the 2nd bird tag to be used during the last two weeks, keeping the hunting pressure off the first two weeks.
Option 5 Spring turkey hunting license for $5.00 minimum or $10.00 maximum.
hunting license buyers.
names and addresses to the Pennsylvania Game Commission so the
Pennsylvania State Chapter can work with the PGC to publish and
distribute hunter safety information, wild turkey resource information,
and additional hunter education material.
begin managing the wild turkey resource in Pennsylvania. Funds
generated from the spring turkey hunting license will be put into the
Game Fund to be used by the PGC as budgeted. The wild turkey
management plan can be funded all or in part from the Game Fund.
addresses of spring turkey hunters that can be used to establish a
database of turkey hunters that will be invaluable in data collection of
information about the wild turkey, turkey hunting, and turkey hunters.
The PGC can distribute questionnaires to obtain information they can
only guess or estimate at this time.
one fall turkey.
Option 6 Turkey hunting license for $10.00, to include spring turkey hunting and
fall turkey hunting seasons.
Pennsylvania State Chapter.
seasons, will provide a complete list of turkey hunter names and
addresses to the Pennsylvania Game Commission so the Pennsylvania
State Chapter can work with the PGC to publish and distribute turkey
hunter safety information, wild turkey resource information, and
additional turkey hunter education material.
begin managing the wild turkey resource in Pennsylvania. Funds
generated from the spring turkey hunting license will be put into the
Game Fund to be used by the PGC as budgeted. The wild turkey
management plan can be funded all or in part from the Game Fund.
addresses of all turkey hunters, both spring turkey hunters and fall
turkey hunters, that can be used to establish a complete database of
turkey hunters that will be invaluable in data collection of information
about the wild turkey, turkey hunting, and turkey hunters. The PGC
can distribute questionnaires to obtain information they can only guess
or estimate at this time.
one fall turkey.
Copyright © 2000 Pennsylvania Chapter- National Wild Turkey Federation
Last modified: October 30, 2003