History:

The history of the Pennsylvania State Chapter is rich in the achievement of its goals and objectives, commitment to improving wild turkey management principles, and dedicated to educating the hunting and non-hunting public on the wild turkey and its environment. The eastern wild turkey in Pennsylvania is a fascinating success story and clearly shows the benefits of a well-operated wildlife management program. Throughout the latter years of the 20th century the wild turkey has increased its population through an improved habitat structure and conservative seasons and bag limits. During the early years of the 20th century, chiefly because of careless timbering practices and a rapidly-expanding human population, wild turkey population numbers were reduced drastically.

Fortunately, through public interest in the wild turkey, and the trap and transfer program instituted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, this awakened concern was responsible for reestablishing wild turkeys in every corner of the state.

The modern history of the Pennsylvania wild turkey starts in 1873 when a law was passed to establish a closed season for the period of January 1 to October 1. A daily bag limit of 2 was designated in 1887, and a season limit was set in 1905. In 1915 bag limits of 1 per day, 1 per week and 2 per season were fixed. In 1917, the season limit was set at 1 bird. In 1967 the spring gobbler season was established with a bag limit of 1 bird. Today the bag limit is 1 bird in the fall and 1 bird in the spring.

These regulatory efforts combined with better logging practices and the releasing of farm-raised turkeys resulted in substantial population increases in the early decades of the 1900’s. But these pen-raised turkeys grown and released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission were not consistent with sound wildlife management practices. It was discovered that the birds were subject to disease, frequently quite tame, locally concentrated, and expensive to raise.

The introduction of the wild turkey trap and transfer program, with the elimination of the per-raised turkeys, during the 1970’s and 1980’s has resulted in a healthy and growing population of wild turkeys in the state.