Public comment wanted to help guide wild turkey management over the next 10 years.

Management of the wild turkey in Pennsylvania has made great strides over the last two decades, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking public input on the agency’s third turkey management plan, which strives to effectively manage this popular big-game species through 2027.

During the first wild turkey management plan from 1999 to 2005, the Game Commission completed wild turkey restoration and built partnerships with other groups, agencies and organizations.

The 2006-2017 plan focused on acquiring more-detailed harvest data; minimizing and abating human-turkey conflicts; quantifying, enhancing and acquiring turkey habitat throughout the Commonwealth; developing a habitat suitability model; assisting and educating landowners about turkey populations and habitat management; and improving hunter safety through increased education, said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission turkey biologist.

“The new plan uses the information gained during the two previous plans and focuses on developing turkey population models for each wildlife management unit (WMU) in the Commonwealth,” Casalena said.

The models will predict turkey population responses to changes in harvest regulations, and will help the Game Commission identify optimal harvest regulations that maximize both turkey populations and hunting opportunities for Pennsylvania’s 200,000 fall turkey hunters and nearly 230,000 spring turkey hunters. Once finalized, the models will be appended into this plan.

Other strategies under the population objective include beginning turkey harvest rate monitoring for each WMU, and assessing turkey diseases and how they may relate to population management. The Game Commission also will determine priority areas for habitat management/improvements at the WMU and state game lands levels, update the habitat suitability model for each WMU to integrate strategies for management of habitat and harvest, and increase habitat management acreages through prescribed burns.

Additionally, the agency will develop a more precise method of annually determining participation rates of the various age segments of turkey hunters to recommend ways to increase hunter participation, retention, recruitment and reactivation; maintain or improve turkey hunter safety and compliance with regulations; increase public awareness of wild turkeys and their management; and enhance important partnerships.

“This new wild turkey management plan comprehensively involves all aspects of wild turkey management,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “Implementation of its strategies involves the entire agency and is a team effort. Before finalizing the plan, we are seeking public comment to ensure that it considers the thoughts and concerns of Pennsylvanians about this species.”

The draft plan can be viewed on the agency’s website at www.pgc.pa.gov on the wild turkey page. Hover over the Hunt & Trap tab in the top menu, select Hunting. Scroll down to click the Wild Turkey link in the Big Game section.   

Comments from the public will be accepted through Aug. 31, 2018, and can be emailed to [email protected], or sent by mail to: Turkey Management Plan, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg PA.

A summary of public comments received, and any changes made in response to the comments, will be included in the final version of the draft 2018-2027 Wild Turkey Management Plan, which will be presented to the Game Commission Board of Commissioners for approval at the Board’s meeting on Sept. 25, 2018.

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is scheduled to meet Monday, July 30 and Tuesday, July 31 at the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.

Both meetings begin at 8:30 a.m., with doors opening at 7:45 a.m.

Individuals interested in offering public testimony – limited to five minutes – can do so at the July 30 meeting, and may register on a first-come, first-to-speak basis. PowerPoint presentations are not permitted during public comment periods.

On Tuesday, July 31, the board will take up its prepared agenda.

The Game Commission’s headquarters is located at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

Those unable to attend the meeting can watch much of it from home.

The meeting is scheduled to be live-streamed beginning Monday morning, immediately following the conclusion of public comments. The livestream can be accessed through the agency’s website, www.pgc.pa.gov, though viewers may need to log in to a free account to access the stream. In addition, the full board meeting on Tuesday is to be live-streamed beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Two vacancies on the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners were filled recently by Scott H. Foradora, of DuBois, and Dennis R. Fredericks, of Amity, to bring the board to its full complement of eight.

Foradora was selected from Region 3, which includes Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties. This position was left vacant when former Game Commissioner David Putnam’s term expired.

Fredericks was selected from Region 2, which includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties. This position was left vacant when former Game Commissioner Robert Schlemmer’s term expired. Learn more about the new commissioners in this recent news release.

Courtesy PA Game Commission  www.pgc.pa.gov