sroc112
Member
Anyone familiar with population numbers throughout PA to consider when planning a Fall turkey trip? Any counties of preference or any to avoid?
PA Fall Turkey
- Thread starter sroc112
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std7mag
Well-Known Member
Are you out of state looking for a place to go?
Attached is a link to PGC harvest maps. Looks like 2020 was the last year showing fall numbers. Be sure to check the seasons as some units only have a three day seasons.
www.pgc.pa.gov
Harvest Data and Maps
www.pgc.pa.gov
twooly
Well-Known Member
Turkeys seem to be everywhere, but yet they're no where too. Weird birds.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Its a question of being in the right place at the right time.
Turkeys are constantly on the move, so the signs you see are where they were. In another week they might be back.
Ive had my best luck by driving slowly along the many back roads in places like Quehanna. Its best to try to scatter them.
Especially now that rifles are illegal.
Turkeys are constantly on the move, so the signs you see are where they were. In another week they might be back.
Ive had my best luck by driving slowly along the many back roads in places like Quehanna. Its best to try to scatter them.
Especially now that rifles are illegal.
Frank in the Laurels
Well-Known Member
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- Jul 15, 2007
- Messages
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...overall the population is much improved over the last two years buy still recovering from the disasters of 3-4-5 years ago. The hatch this year was fine but the renest was even better, lots of flocks visible in just about all of the normal range but still not like it was 6 years ago.....a few rides early in the morning or late afternoon on game lands and state forests will certainly turn up something...
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birddog 68
Well-Known Member
If you look at the harvest maps that justjon posted you can see where the numbers were high 4 years ago. As Frank mentioned numbers were down at that time 4 years ago but have rebounded since.
Areas that had high harvest 4 years ago will have better numbers this year.
The numbers of birds throughout the state are good but not 10 years ago good.
Areas that had high harvest 4 years ago will have better numbers this year.
The numbers of birds throughout the state are good but not 10 years ago good.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Everything is sacred according to the game commission.
Untill that opinion changes, nesting species like turkeys and pheasants will always struggle to survive.
Hunters can have some degree of control over that.
sroc112
Member
Yes, NJ
std7mag
Well-Known Member
Gotcha...
I've got a couple of places that the odds of seeing turkey is almost 50%.
But fall turkey is more of a target of opportunity.
Right place at the right time.
yobuck
Well-Known Member
Like most other things, the more time you have the better the odds of seeing them.
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
Not sure about the rest of the state but here on the western side the acorn crop is huge this year. It's great for all wildlife but it does make it difficult to pattern the birds since the acorns are everywhere.
Good crop here in SC PA as well. This brings up a question I've often wondered about. Do turkeys prefer one variety of acorn over another? It has been my experience that deer prefer acorns from the swamp white oak above all others. I've been able to take some nice buck during archery season by targeting isolated stands of this oak variety. If something similar is true about turkeys, it could help target them during times when acorns are in abundance.
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
I'm going to take a guess on this and say that turkey's don't have a preference.
The reason for my guess is that turkey don't break them open but actually eat them shell and all so probably don't taste a difference. Of course this is only a guess.
