By Vic Attardo

While recent spring turkey harvests have showed significant declines, biologist Mary Jo Casalena of the Pennsylvania Game Commission doesn't believe the turkey population has reached its peak. With good weather and strong mast crops, Casalena said that the state's turkey flock and the hunter harvest could increase.

"From 1999 to 2002, we saw an incredible jump in the harvest," Casalena said. "And then last year it declined. The long-term jump was because we had easy winters and a great mast crop. But in 2003, we had spotty mast and bad weather, particularly for brood rearing.

"Together these conditions will result in a drop in the turkey population for a couple of years, but I don't believe harvests or the population have reached a peak yet."

Casalena cited one unchanged factor for her optimism.

"The reason we have the potential for an increasing population is our great habitat," she noted.

Photo by D. Toby Thompson

The turkey population throughout Pennsylvania has fluctuated between 360,000 to 400,000 birds over the last two years. According to Casalena, this represents a flock that is doing exceptionally well because research has shown that turkey populations can fluctuate up to 50 percent from one year to another and still return a high harvest.

While some turkey hunters are already calling for a cutback in the harvest, Casalena said she sees no need for this at present. But if any season would be cut back, it would be the fall season, not the spring gobbler season, she said.

"We have established some liberal fall hunting seasons," Caselena noted. "If we do have a drastic drop in the population, a cutback in the fall either-sex season is an easy way to respond."

Spring 2002 records, the latest complete figures available as of press time, showed a statewide harvest of 41,147 birds. Preliminary figures indicated a harvest of 44,500 bearded turkeys, proving that the numbers do change as the PGC researches each hunt. The final 2001 spring harvest was logged at 49,186 birds, which verifies a marked decline over the two seasons, yet 2002 was the second time the spring turkey harvest has been greater than 40,000 birds.

Statewide, spring turkey hunters are averaging a harvest of 1.9 gobblers per forested square mile. As in the past, harvest figures continue to be highest in the western and eastern turkey management areas.

TMA 9-B on the southeastern side of the state recorded a spring 2002 harvest of 2,880 birds, down from 3,084 gobblers the year before. TMA 5, which includes the Pocono Mountains, had a harvest of 3,841 birds, which was up from 2,227 birds in 2001. Coincidentally, TMA 7-A, which includes the southcentral and parts of the midcentral area of the state, also had a spring harvest of 3,841 birds. However, this represents a significant drop from the 7,703 birds killed the previous year.

Hunters in the southwest and mid-western part of the state recorded the highest kill figures in 2002. TMA 1-A produced more than double the harvest of its nearest competitor with a spring harvest of 10,559 birds. However, the year before, the same area produced 17,296 bearded birds.

In case you're wondering, the popular areas of the Endless Mountains and northcentral part of the state, home to Potter and Tioga counties, actually recorded a substantial increase between the 2001 and 2002 spring harvests. In TMA 4, the harvest jumped from 2,572 bearded birds to 4,441, and in TMA 3 the spring harvest increased from 2,742 to 3,361 gobblers.

There is one other figure that should give Pennsylvania turkey hunters reason to go into the woods this spring, and that is the hunter success rate. Nearly 20 percent of Pennsylvania's spring turkey hunters have been taking home gobblers since 1999.

Here's a closer look at what's in store for spring turkey hunters in your region in 2004:

TMA 1-A is a huge region stretching from Mercer and Lawrence counties in the north to Greene and a portion of Fayette County in the south. In terms of hunter interest, the southern areas of TMA 1-A probably get the most attention from hunters.

Within the southern section of TMA 1-A, a host of moderate size state game lands offer hunters a great chance at bagging a bird.

SGL 245 is south of Claysville in Washington County. Its 3,653 wooded and pastured acres are below Route 70. SGL 245 is easily accessible from Pittsburgh, Canonsburg and Washington. Follow Route 70 toward Claysville and then take Route 231 south.

In Washington County, try 4,000- acre SGL 117 near Burgettstown. The area is south of Route 22, and Route 18 bisects the area.

SGL 296 along Jacobs Creek in Fayette and Westmoreland counties provides turkey hunters with over 2,000 acres of prime habitat. North of the Youghiogheny River, SGL 296 is a rugged, hilly area where turkey hunting is both productive and challenging. From Connellsville, take Route 201 to Perryopolis and Layton. State Route 1002 runs along the game lands south of Jacobs Creek.

SGL 285, northwest of Beaver Falls in Beaver County, provides 2,149 acres of water and wood habitat. Little Beaver Creek is the centerpiece of this varied terrain near Cannelton. SGL 285 is accessible from Route 51 north of New Brighton and Beaver Falls. From Route 51, take Cannelton Road to the heart of the game lands.

In Mercer County, a good place to start your turkey hunt is SGL 130 east of Lake Wilhelm. SGL 130 contains 2,356 acres north of Route 965. Also, try SGL 284 west of Leesburg. The varied habitat of SGL 284 offers 1,373 acres near Interstate Route 79.

Also in TMA 1-A, try 1,100-acre SGL 302 in Greene County. This land is mostly wooded hills and borders Enlow Fork Creek. SGL 302 is southwest of Burdette near Route 231.

To reach this public ground, take Route 21 west from Waynesburg to Graysville. Follow the Graysville-West Finley Road to the bridge at Burdette, cross the bridge and turn left into the game lands.

For more information on TMA 1-A, contact the PGC's Southwest Region office at (877) 877-7137. For accommodations in the region, contact the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau, Four Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; or call (800) 366-0093.