Pennsylvania Fall Turkey Season Changes Move Forward

Pennsylvania -(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to fall turkey seasons for 2016 and spring gobbler dates for 2017.

The slate of turkey seasons tentatively approved represents a reduction in the length of the fall seasons in four Wildlife Management Units – WMUs 1A, 1B, 2A and 4C.

Those four WMUs all have shown indications of declining turkey population trends. The recommendation to reduce season lengths in those WMUs is in accordance with guidelines in the Game Commission’s Wild Turkey Management Plan.

If the preliminary vote is given final approval, the fall season in WMUs 1A and 2A would be reduced to one week (Oct. 29-Nov. 5), plus a three-day Thanksgiving season (Nov. 24-26). In WMU 1B, the season would be remain one week (Oct. 29-Nov.5), but the Thanksgiving season would be eliminated. And in WMU 4C, the season would be reduced to two weeks (Oct. 29-Nov. 12), plus the three-day Thanksgiving season (Nov.24-26).

The tentative fall season dates for 2016, as approved by the board today, are:

• WMU 1B, Oct. 29-Nov.5
• WMU 2B (shotgun and bow only), Oct. 29-Nov. 18 and Nov. 24-26
• WMUs 1A and 2A, Oct. 29-Nov. 5 and Nov. 24-26
• WMUs 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D; Oct. 29-Nov. 12 and Nov. 24-26
• WMUs 2C and 4E, Oct. 29-Nov. 18, and Nov. 24-26

WMU 5A, Nov. 3-5. WMUs 5B, 5C and 5D will remain closed for the fall seasons.

For the 2017 spring gobbler season, which is proposed to run from April 29-May 31, the board continued with legal hunting hours to reflect the following: from April 29-May 13, legal shooting hours will be one-half hour before sunrise until noon timeframe; and from May 15-31, hunters may hunt all day, from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.

The board proposed holding the one-day Spring Gobbler Youth Hunt on April 22, 2017, which will run from one-half hour before sunrise until noon. All junior license holders and Mentored Youth Hunting Program permit holders can participate in this special half-day hunt, as well as the other spring season dates.