Pennsylvania Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation
Press Release on the Spring
Turkey Hunting License
January 11, 2002
Contact
information:
Don
Heckman Bob
Eriksen
Executive
Officer, PA Chapter NWTF NWTF
Northeast Regional Wild Turkey Biologist
14
Slate Hill Road 27
Canterbury Road
Camp
Hill, PA 17011 Phillispburg,
NJ 08865
717-761-5925 908-454-1882
email:
dheckman@ezonline.net boberiksen@juno.com
Legislation has been introduced on October 1, 2003 for a spring turkey hunting license and assigned to the House Game and Fisheries Committee, HB 1979. The legislation, as written, calls for a spring turkey hunting license fee for $5 for adult residents, $25 for adult non-residents. Youth hunters and Senior hunters will be excluded from the license fee. All moneys collected by or for the Commission for the sale of spring turkey hunting licenses may be used to implement the turkey management plan. The legislation would take effect on July 1, 2003, if signed into law by the Governor.
The Pennsylvania Chapter NWTF supports the concept of a turkey hunting license, and the need and benefits for a turkey hunting license to fund wild turkey management. Our goal is to get the dollars needed to fund research and data collection necessary to better manage wild turkeys with sound biological data for the future of the wild turkey resource and turkey hunting. Legislative language defining that funding will need to be agreed and coordinated by the Legislators and Pennsylvania Game Commission.
It is the goal of the PA Chapter NWTF to provide information on current wild turkey management objectives, the benefits of a turkey hunting license, and the needs to manage the wild turkey resource in the future. The interested turkey hunter can read the benefits outlining future management objectives and make up his or her mind as to whether the license is something of value to the future of wild turkey management.
Establishing a turkey hunting license will enable the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to more effectively and accurately manage the wild turkey resource. The wild turkey management plan may be funded to create timely and accurate management decisions impacting turkey management in the future. "The funding to support future wild turkey management initiatives and strategies will be provided through this Legislative initiative. The PGC Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania provides the long term management objectives and criteria to continue monitoring and acquiring better management data as wild turkey populations continue to increase in Pennsylvania." said Don Heckman, Executive Officer, PA Chapter NWTF.
Turkey
hunting in Pennsylvania has never been better than it is today. Trap and
transfer operations, maturing forests, agriculture diversity, and conservative
hunting seasons have combined to provide stable or growing turkey flocks over
much of the TMA’s in 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 Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania. A turkey
hunting license would provide both the information and the finances to begin
work on more of the strategies outlined in the management plan and provide
better management data.
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.
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. 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 and
better data to effectively manage turkey populations and design hunting
seasons. By increasing their investment
in wild turkey research, the PGC will be able to provide, for the first time,
reliable population and harvest estimates for wild turkeys in the Commonwealth.
The wild turkey resource is too valuable to manage by trial and error, better data is required to make scientific defendable harvest management decisions. The PGC Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania 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. Continued radio telemetry studies, such as just completed in TMA7B research study, and partially funded for over $62,000 by the PA Chapter NWTF, will provide valuable management data on population densities.
Heckman states, "Turkey Management Areas [TMA] have
provided PGC wild turkey biologist the ability to manage the wild turkey
resource on a population basis. TMA7B research project is an example of
identifying a problem, defining a research initiative, and collecting data to
make management decisions for the wild turkey resource on this TMA. After the Wild Turkey Task Force was formed,
the problem was diagnosed, and PGC started the 2 1/2 year research project. A turkey hunting license would have helped provide additional funding
for conducting this much-needed research".
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. The PGC has limited resources insufficient to implement all the strategies in the Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania. Benefits from a turkey hunting license will be realized for all strategies of wild turkey management.
The PGC management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania is located on the PGC web site at:
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/PGC/turkey/99tukPlan.pdf
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 in Pennsylvania. 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. 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.
The projects and activities listed below will benefit the wild turkey resource and wild turkey hunters.
·
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 of the turkey population, harvest and mortality rates by
sex and age, recruitment rates, and factors affecting turkey survival within
each TMA
·
Enhance
turkey habitat through the use of accepted timber management practices, improving important habitat features, and
improving sub-optimal habitat
·
Collect
accurate data on hunter numbers and wild turkey harvests by TMA
·
Evaluate
hunter satisfaction, habits, demographics, expenditures, recreation days
realized, hunting season preferences, how best to manage the wild turkey
resource
·
Increase ability to contact turkey hunters, to provide
hunter safety materials
·
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
"Current population estimates of wild turkeys exceed 300,000 birds. Defining additional research projects and collecting research data will provide the answers to managing the wild turkey resource when the population reaches and exceeds 400,000 birds. Needed funding for vital research data across Pennsylvania will be provided through this legislation. As carrying capacity figures are defined for each TMA, the PGC will be able to better manage a growing population. Wild turkey seasons and bag limits are recommended by the PGC Bureau of Wildlife Management each January. As the wild turkey population in TMA's continues to grow, and for future changes to be recommended, population densities, harvest data, and mortality rates must be collected and reviewed. Changes to seasons and bag limits must be based on research data to enact scientific based management decisions." commented Don Heckman, Executive Officer, PA Chapter NWTF.
Interested turkey hunters can contact members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee to express their opinions and comments. House Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman is Rep. Bruce Smith, c/o House Box 202020, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020, phone number in Harrisburg is 717-783-8783.
For additional spring turkey hunting license information check the PA Chapter NWTF web site: www.go2pa.com/panwtf/
Send mail to panwtf@go2pa.com
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Pennsylvania Chapter- National Wild Turkey Federation
Last modified: November 20, 2003