GOBBLERS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN PENN’S WOODS

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April 20, 2026

HARRISBURG — History provides context on just how good Pennsylvania spring turkey hunters have had it lately.

During the state’s first spring turkey season in 1968, the total take was 1,636.

Compare that to last year, when hunters harvested an estimated 42,543 birds. Not only was that the largest spring turkey harvest in the last five years, it wasn’t far off the all-time record of 44,639, set in 2009.

This year is shaping up to be another good one, too.

The 2026 spring gobbler season starts with a one-day hunt for junior license holders and mentored hunters 16 and younger on Saturday, April 25. The statewide spring turkey season opens a week later, running from May 2-16, when hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon, and May 18-30, when hunting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.

Hunters are allowed one gobbler with their general license. Those who purchase a second spring gobbler tag by May 1 can take a second bird, as well, though no more than one per day.

Hunters should be aware there is no Sunday hunting for spring gobblers this year. That will change in 2027 – the Pennsylvania Game Commission earlier this month approved the 2026-27 hunting seasons – but spring turkey hunting this season is open only Monday through Saturday.

Still, much opportunity awaits hunters.

Pennsylvania’s statewide turkey population has been on the upswing in recent years and harvests have climbed accordingly. That’s not just a result of there being lots of hunters either. Pennsylvania had an estimated 170,265 spring gobbler hunters in 2025, 10,701 of them juniors.

But in monitoring turkey population trends, the Game Commission examines the number of birds harvested per 100 days of hunter effort, which accounts for changes in hunter participation, said Reina Tyl, the agency’s turkey biologist. And in 2025, the statewide average of 5.46 gobblers taken per 100 days was higher than both the latest three-year (5.21) and five-year (4.72) averages.

The future looks bright, too.

The Game Commission tracks turkey productivity – how many new young birds are produced – through a summer sighting survey. It allows agency staff to calculate the number of poults observed per hen, to get a poults-to-hen ratio. In 2024, every Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) across the state saw a poult-to-hen ratio higher than 2.0. The statewide average was 3.22.

That “indicates relatively good productivity statewide,” Tyl said.

It also translates – right now, this season – to opportunities to go head-to-head with plenty of fun, vocal toms.

“Those males that hatched in 2024 will be 2-year-old gobblers this spring turkey season, which should make for some great turkey hunting,” Tyl noted.

Nearly one in four hunters – 23% – harvested at least one gobbler last year. Tyl said hunters up their odds through scouting. Gobblers can’t help but give clues to their whereabouts, she added. They want to be seen and heard by hens, so they often choose roost sites that maximize how far their gobbling will carry. They’ll often display near field edges and forest openings like logging roads that increase their odds of being seen, too.

“Looking at topographic maps, land cover maps and satellite imagery can be a great way to identify possible roost locations and fly-down areas,” Tyl added. “But putting in the work on the ground to confirm where gobblers are roosting and to locate their preferred displaying areas will take the guesswork out and increase your odds of success.”

Regulations and licensing

The April 25 spring turkey youth hunt is open to junior license holders and mentored hunters 16 and under. Junior license holders who are 16 or older can hunt alone. All other participants must, by law, be accompanied by an adult.

An adult mentor accompanying a mentored youth may supervise no more than three hunters total, and must carry the sporting arm at all times while moving. Hunting hours during the youth hunt end at noon.

Throughout the spring turkey season, hunters may use manually operated or semiautomatic shotguns limited to a three-shell capacity in the chamber and magazine combined. Muzzleloading shotguns, crossbows and long, recurve and compound bows also are permitted.

Only bearded birds may be harvested during the spring season. Hunters are encouraged to refrain from knowingly harvesting bearded hens because they do nest and raise broods.

There is no requirement for hunters to wear fluorescent orange during the spring turkey season, though wearing it is recommended while moving.

Blinds used while turkey hunting must be manufactured with manmade materials of sufficient density to block movement within the blind from an observer outside the blind. Blinds must completely enclose the hunter on all four sides and from above. It is unlawful to hunt turkeys from blinds made of natural materials such as logs, tree branches and piled rocks.

Blinds that represent the fanned tail of a gobbler do not hide all hunter movement and are unsafe, and therefore are unlawful to use in Pennsylvania.

Hunters may pursue spring gobblers only by calling birds. It is unlawful, as well as unsafe, to stalk turkeys or turkey sounds. When in a stationary position, a hunter should sit with their back against a large tree, rock or other barrier that shields movement and offers protection from others who might approach from the rear. All hunters are to wait and properly identify their targets prior to pulling the trigger.

A spring turkey tag comes with a Pennsylvania general hunting license, and spring turkey harvest tags are issued to mentored hunters 7 and older.

Pennsylvania hunters also may purchase a license to harvest a second gobbler in the spring season, with a limit of one gobbler harvested per day. Sales of this license end May 1, one day before the regular statewide season begins.

The $21.97 license ($41.97 for nonresidents) contains a harvest tag. The license can be purchased online, but cannot be printed at home or used before it arrives, so purchasing it directly from an issuing agent might be the best option.

Mentored hunters under 7 who harvest a spring turkey must receive a tag by transfer from their mentor. A recent change by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to provide turkey and antlered deer tags to mentored hunters under 7 will take effect in the 2026-27 license year.

For more information on spring turkey hunting rules and regulations, pertaining to the youth or regular hunts, check the 2025-26 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest, which is available online at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc/huntingandtrapping/regulations/hunting-trapping-digest.

Turkey hunting safety

Hunting is safer in Pennsylvania now than it’s ever been. That applies to spring turkey hunting, too.

But even one accident is one too many. So when you go into the turkey woods this spring, remember these safety tips:

  • For safety, turkey hunters should not wear clothing that contains black, like the color found on a turkey’s body, or red, white or blue, like those on a turkey’s head.
  • Sit against a large stump, tree trunk or boulder that is wider than your shoulders and higher than your head. This hides your movement from turkeys and offers protection from other hunters who might approach from the rear.
  • Positively identify your target. Be certain it’s a legal turkey and that there’s nothing in your line of fire, between you and the target or beyond it, before pulling the trigger.
  • If you shoot a bird, put your gun’s safety on and approach the downed bird with your firearm pointed in a safe direction. Never run with it.
  • If you see another hunter, never move, wave or make turkey sounds. Rather, remain still and speak in a loud, clear voice to announce your presence.
  • Leave an area if you suspect there’s another hunter already working the same bird.
  • Finally, while there is no requirement to wear fluorescent orange while turkey hunting, it is recommended to wear it while moving.

Reporting harvests

Successful turkey hunters must immediately tag their bird before moving it from the harvest site and are required by law to report the harvest to the Game Commission within 10 days. Those reports are key to managing turkeys, as they allow the Game Commission to estimate harvest and population trends.

Hunters can report turkeys in three ways: by visiting https://HuntFish.PA.gov and clicking the blue “Report a Harvest” button near the top of the home page; by calling 1-800-838-4431; or by filling out and mailing the harvest report card in the digest hunters get when they buy a license.

Have your harvest tag in front of you when reporting to be sure you can provide all the requested information.

The public also is asked to report any turkeys harvested or found with leg bands or radio transmitters. Not only does the reporter learn when and approximately where the bird was trapped, but the information received about those birds – which are legal to take – helps estimate spring harvest rate and annual survival rate by Wildlife Management Unit. Those are critical pieces of data for the state’s turkey population model. What’s more, the radioed turkeys are part of ongoing research studies.

Leg bands feature a toll-free number, website and email address for reporting.

Handling turkeys

Though their habits and comparatively smaller flock sizes put turkeys at less risk for contracting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) compared to some other bird species, avian flu can affect turkeys.

When handling or dressing harvested birds, hunters should follow precautions to protect themselves and reduce the risk of spreading this extremely contagious disease. These include:

  • Have dedicated footwear, clothing and tools used only for that purpose.
  • Wear gloves.
  • Do not eat, drink or smoke.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately after.
  • Wash all tools and work surfaces with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10% household bleach solution. Allow to air dry or rinse after 10 minutes of contact time.
  • Change footwear and clothing before coming in contact with any domestic poultry or pet birds.
  • Dress harvested wild birds in the field.
  • Double-bag any offal and feathers that will be removed from the field.
  • Do not handle or harvest wild birds that appear sick or are found dead.

While influenza viruses can infect humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the viruses circulating in the United States currently “are believed to pose a low risk to the general public.”

Anyone finding sick or dead wild birds, though, should report those to the Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD or online using the Wildlife Health Survey tool at www.pgcapps.pa.gov/WHS. Sick or dead domestic birds should be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at 717-772-2852.

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