Spring Turkey Hunting License Information, by Don Heckman, PA Chapter Oversight Chairman Wild Turkey Management Plan, and Bob Eriksen, NWTF Regional Wild Turkey Biologist
The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Chapter - National Wild Turkey Federation has given its support to a Legislative initiative creating a spring turkey hunting license. This initiative begins in September 2003 with the introduction of a bill creating a turkey hunting license. Establishing a turkey hunting license will enable the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to more effectively and accurately manage the wild turkey resource using scientifically-based management decisions.
Turkey
hunting in Pennsylvania probably has never been better than it is today. Trap
and transfer operations, maturing forests, agriculture and conservative hunting
seasons have combined to produce stable or growing turkey flocks in much of the
state. In view of all this good news about wild turkeys in the Commonwealth,
you might think; “Why do we need a turkey hunting license?” Indeed, things have
gone well for wild turkeys and turkey hunters in Pennsylvania in the past forty
years. What about the next twenty years? There are issues affecting wild turkey
management and turkey hunting that the Game Commission must address in the near
future. The strategies for addressing these issues are outlined in the PGC Wild
Turkey Management Plan. A turkey hunting license would provide both the
information and the finances to begin work on more of the strategies of the
management plan.
For
instance, we turkey hunters know that our sport is safer than many other sports
but turkey hunting still has the unfortunate distinction of having the poorest
safety record of all types of hunting. Previous attempts to resolve this issue
have met with some success, but more needs to be done. Requiring a turkey
hunting license would provide the PGC with a mailing list for the distribution
of turkey hunting safety education materials directly to turkey hunters. The
Game Commission currently does not have the capability to specifically contact
turkey hunters. The mailing list also has the potential to help determine ways
to improve the collection of harvest information. Funds generated by the
license would help pay for the materials and mailing costs.
Another
example of the potential benefits of this license is the need for more data to
effectively manage turkey populations and design hunting seasons. PGC is
planning to increase their investment in wild turkey research. The reason for
this increase in expenditures on wild turkey research is to provide, for the
first time, reliable population and harvest estimates for wild turkeys in the
Commonwealth. Of the four species of wildlife whose populations are regulated
by hunting (deer, black bear, Canada geese and wild turkeys), basic harvest
management information is missing only for wild turkeys.
PGC
turkey managers need good data to make scientifically defendable harvest
management decisions. The wild turkey resource is too valuable to manage by
trial and error. The PGC Wild Turkey Management Plan calls for statewide
banding and telemetry studies designed to generate this essential information.
Such studies are expensive, but are vital to the future of sound management of
the wild turkey resource. A turkey hunting license would help provide the
financial basis for conducting this much-needed research. In the future,
hunters could benefit from larger turkey populations, better management and
increased hunting opportunity.
The PGC Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania outlines objectives and strategies for enhancing wild turkey populations in all suitable habitat in the Commonwealth. Wild turkeys have remarkable but limited ability to adapt and survive through difficult times. Continued development and improvement of management tools are necessary to assure that the wild turkey will continue to cope with its ever-changing environment in Pennsylvania. The PGC has limited resources insufficient to implement all the strategies in the Wild Turkey Management Plan. Benefits from a turkey hunting license will be realized in the areas of wild turkey population management, habitat improvement, land acquisition, hunting safety, turkey hunter information, law enforcement, and wild turkey information and education.
The history of the wild turkey in Pennsylvania is an outstanding success story. Since the 1930’s turkey populations have rebounded and expanded to every county in the state from just the few small flocks that remained in the south-central counties. By the early 1960’s, with an active law enforcement presence and aggressive management techniques, the birds had made their way into many new areas. Continued progress was made in the last five decades.
·
PGC
wildlife managers implemented a wild turkey management strategy in the 1960’s
and 1970’s
·
Spring
gobbler season was added in 1968 as wild turkey populations increase state-wide
·
Seasons
and bag limits were changed and broadened for spring and fall hunting as wild
turkey populations continued to improved
·
The
Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation began to take an
active role in supporting and encouraging the efforts of the PGC
·
Wild
turkey trap and transfer operations were accelerated in the early 1980’s, and with recent efforts to reestablish
populations into suitable habitats in southeastern PA
·
Wild
turkey management areas (TMA’s) were developed to manage the wild turkey
resource on an ecological basis, rather than by county, allowing the birds to
continue to expand their range
·
Habitat
was acquired and habitat improvements were made through the State Game Lands
system, and other state and federal land open to public hunting
·
The
Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and its Local
Chapters take an active role in habitat improvement, land acquisition, turkey
hunter safety education, and informational material for turkey hunters
·
In
April 1999 a formal Wild Turkey Management Plan was approved and enacted by the
PGC with the support of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey
Federation
There
is much to be learned about wild turkeys and turkey hunters. With the
ever-changing environment of the Commonwealth, which impacts all wildlife,
additional data must be gathered and compiled and used for scientific
management decisions. Improved data on the wild turkey resource will allow
wildlife managers to address future issues and resolve problems before there
are major impacts on the resource.
Funds generated by the proposed turkey hunting license will be utilized
by wildlife biologists, land managers, wildlife conservation officers, and
education specialists to benefit the conservation of wild turkeys throughout
Pennsylvania. These funds will assist
with the Game Commission’s duty to manage wild turkey populations and harvests
in a manner to ensure sustainable wild turkey populations for the future.
Potential Benefits to the
Wild Turkey Resource and Turkey Hunters and Other Wild Turkey Enthusiasts
The Pennsylvania Game Commission will utilize the revenues generated by this proposal to continue and expand programs designed to guarantee a secure future for wild turkeys and all wildlife in Pennsylvania. The projects and activities listed below will benefit the wild turkey resource and the citizens of Pennsylvania who care for the future of this magnificent game bird.
·
Continued
research in all TMA’s to determine optimum turkey population densities, and
develop an estimate of the statewide population
·
Fund
research to decide how best to increase populations in turkey management areas
where numbers are low
·
Maintain
or exceed 1995 spring and fall statewide turkey hunter success
·
Optimize
life requirements in and minimize loss of suitable wild turkey habitat
·
Collect
data on sex and age composition of the population, harvest and mortality rates
by sex and age class, recruitment rates, and factors affecting turkey survival
within each TMA
·
Enhance
turkey habitat through the use of accepted timber management practices,
protecting and improving important habitat features, and improving sub-optimal
habitat
·
Collect
accurate data on hunter numbers and wild turkey harvests by TMA
·
Improve
the general publics’ knowledge and appreciation of the wild turkey and its
management
·
Evaluate
hunter satisfaction, hunter habits, hunter demographics, hunter
expenditures, number of recreation days realized, spring or fall hunting
preferences, and how best to manage the wild turkey resource
·
Increase ability to contact turkey hunters, to provide
hunter safety materials
·
Enable managers to solicit input from the turkey hunter
on management information and practices, education issues and regulation
proposals, allowing for more stakeholder participation
·
Augment law enforcement efforts to improve hunter compliance
with laws and regulations regarding the wild turkey resource
·
Continued trap and transfer efforts to achieve suitable
range expansion in other states and within the Commonwealth
·
Enhanced ability to identify and address hunter
behaviors, possibly leading to reduced turkey hunting incidents, and improve
hunter safety
·
Strengthen existing programs and develop new programs
explaining scientifically-based wildlife management to license buyers,
conservation organizations, public officials and the general public
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