Turkey season has finally arrived!
The statewide wild turkey season kicks off this weekend on Saturday, November 1. While the season opens across the board on this date, its duration varies by Wildlife Management Unit (WMU), ranging from four days to three weeks. Additionally, eight WMUs will feature an extended three-day Thanksgiving season from November 26-28. In our area, WMUs 4A, 4B, and 4D will have their turkey season from November 1-15, without a Thanksgiving extension. Conversely, WMUs 2C and 2E will run from November 1-21 and include the extra three days around Thanksgiving. Sundays that fall on the first and last days of the season will be open for hunting. For turkey season dates in other WMUs, refer to the 2025-26 Hunting and Trapping Digest or visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission website at PGC.pa.gov.
Both male and female turkeys are considered legal game during the fall season. In Pennsylvania, wild turkeys are classified as big game animals and must be tagged immediately after harvest and before being moved. Successful turkey hunters are also required to report their harvests to the Game Commission within 10 days. This can be done online at www.HuntFish.PA.gov, by calling toll-free at 800-838-4431, or by mailing a prepaid postcard found in the 2025-26 Hunting & Trapping Digest.
While fall turkey hunters are not mandated to wear fluorescent orange, the Game Commission strongly encourages it, especially when moving. It’s also wise to place an orange band or flag near your stationary position when calling turkeys. Remember, if you’re not hunting turkeys in the coming weeks, you may still be sharing the woods with other hunters in camouflage. The top rule of hunting safety is to never shoot unless you can clearly identify your target and what lies beyond it.
Wild turkeys are now a common sight in nearly every forested area of Pennsylvania. This wasn’t always the case, and the current distribution of these magnificent birds is a remarkable conservation achievement. The Game Commission’s early efforts to manage wild turkeys began in 1897, when they set a daily bag limit of two turkeys and prohibited the sale of wild turkeys and other game birds.
Until the 1930s, wild turkeys in Pennsylvania were primarily found in the mountainous regions of the southcentral part of the state. These birds prefer mature forests, and extensive deforestation had significantly reduced their habitat. As Pennsylvania’s forests began to mature again, turkeys started to expand their range into northcentral counties. By the early 1950s, hunters were harvesting large numbers of wild turkeys in Cameron, McKean, and Elk counties, areas that had seen no turkeys just 15 years prior.
To assist nature, some well-intentioned wildlife managers established a turkey farm in Juniata County in 1930, which was later moved to Lycoming County in 1945. Although raising animals in captivity and releasing them sounds like a good idea, it rarely yields successful results and is often prohibitively expensive. Efforts to shut down the turkey farm faced resistance until it was finally closed in 1981.
Recognizing that stocking pen-raised turkeys was ineffective, wildlife managers shifted to a method known as trap-and-transfer to establish wild turkey populations in new areas. This involved relocating a few birds from existing wild flocks to suitable habitats devoid of turkeys, which proved to be a successful strategy. The 1960s marked a significant period for trap-and-transfer in Pennsylvania, with approximately 650 turkeys being trapped in the northcentral region and relocated to Bedford, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, and Perry counties. By 1967, wild turkeys were established in about 50 percent of Pennsylvania’s forest land. By 1984, they had been successfully introduced to most areas with suitable habitat, leading to the discontinuation of trap-and-transfer operations.
As the range of wild turkeys in Pennsylvania expanded, so did the hunting opportunities. In 1954, the state held its first turkey season in 25 years. However, in 1959, the season was closed again in several counties. By 1960, staggered seasons were introduced, lasting four weeks in counties with high turkey populations and two weeks elsewhere. The first spring turkey season in Pennsylvania took place in 1968, following strong support from hunters for such an opportunity.
Whether you prefer calling in a big gobbler in May or searching for a flock in the autumn woods, turkey hunting is a cherished sport that many Pennsylvania hunters can enjoy close to home.
Source: https://www.altoonamirror.com/sports/outdoors/2025/11/young-turkey-season-at-last-arrives/
