It was a fun and sometimes frustrating spring gobbler season.

On days where you’d expect the birds to sound off, they remained silent. Other times the birds seemed be gobbling everywhere. That’s turkey hunting.

At the end of a day’s hunt, while retrieving my turkey decoys, I couldn’t help thinking how fortunate we are as turkey hunters. Today turkeys are widely distributed across the state.

The PA Game Commission was established in 1895. Two years later bag limits were placed on a number of wildlife species. This was also when selling turkeys and other game birds came to an end.

That year the limit for turkeys was set at two birds. However in 1915 the limit was reduced to one.

The year of ’26 became a turning point. Turkey season was closed and with good reason. Harvest numbers of the year before came in at 3,241 birds. Game managers could see turkeys were in trouble.

In 1927, turkey season was re-opened for only two weeks.

The following year turkey season opened on Oct. 15 through Nov. 30. As a management tool, hunting was permitted only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week. That year harvest numbers increased to 4,070 birds.

In the 1920s, the trap and transfer of wild turkeys took place. However the effort was not continued. It would not be until the 1960s when trapping techniques of wild birds would be refined and moving wild stock would take place in a defined manner.

From 1929 through 1953, turkey hunting experienced boom and bust years. Some years over this period entire counties were placed off limits to turkey hunters. The restrictions were designed to allow turkey numbers to rebound in specific counties. Things were looking up.

Game managers observed that a portion of the remaining population of wild birds were slowly migrating from what many considered to be their last stronghold areas of the ridge and valley areas of southcentral PA and a small portion of northern tier counties. One reason given for the movement was related to a change in the available habitat.

Now the forested lands that once stood tall and were cut during the logging era of the late 1800s and into the next century were beginning to recover. As a result suitable habitat for wild turkeys was coming back.

Even with success occurring within areas of recovering habitat, in some sections the numbers were low. Pen raised turkeys reared at Game Commission farms were released within areas where turkey populations were low or declining. The stocking was and is continued by the demands of license buyers.

From 1954 through ’58, turkeys could be hunted statewide. Turkey harvests ranged from 16,202 in the fall of ’54 to 15,228 in 1958. However, in 1959 hunting turkeys was restricted in a number of counties. This time a moratorium took place in the southcentral portion of the state. Yet in other portions of the state things were looking up. The reason for the success was trap and transfer.

The trap and transfer program of wild turkeys began to flourish in the 1960’s. Turkeys were captured using pen traps. Later the use of cannon netting proved to be the most effective method of capturing birds for relocation.

State Lands situated throughout the state and specific game lands provided ideal control areas in which to release the wild birds. The restocking of wild birds was proving to be successful and a management plan was developed to expand the program.

Wild turkey numbers were on the rise. The turkey restoration program was so successful that in 1960 the fall turkey season was increased in length in northern tier counties. By 1966, the number of birds harvested set a benchmark of 20,000 that, with the exception of one year, continued to climb.

In 1968, Pennsylvania’s first spring gobbler season was established. Hunters were permitted to harvest one bird during the six-day season with 1,600 gobblers harvested.

The PGC was still rearing pen raised turkeys for release into the wild.  The practice was quickly viewed as counterproductive because the pen raised birds posed health risks to the wild birds.

In 1980, the PGC’s Board of Commissioners voted to curtail raising turkeys. The Commission also prohibited the release of game farm birds where wild birds existed. The PGC’s turkey farm raised 200,000 over a span of 50 years.

The closing of the PGC’s turkey farm was controversial. After all, in many cases change comes hard. However the decision was put in perspective by PGC Biologist Gerry Wentz. When addressing the situation Wentz said, “Even though in recent years the birds were being raided mostly for put-and-take shooting, they were siphoning efforts and funds away from other management measures that could help turkey populations and improve their habitat. They also gave a false sense of security by creating the impression that habitat, range deficiencies, and even overshooting could be rectified by the annual release of game farm turkeys.”

Five years prior to the closing of the PGC’s turkey rearing facilities Gerry Wentz partnered sportsmen, outdoor publications, and outdoor writers to inform the public about the issues surrounding the wild turkey resource.

In 1975, Wentz also formed a partnership between himself and the PGC with a new organization called the PA Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Wentz provided sound information regarding the plight of pen raised turkeys. At the same time he offered detailed data on the progress of the trap and transfer program. Wentz also had the knowledge of the various habitat types required under which wild turkeys would prosper.

From that basic understanding, habitat projects were developed. They encouraged sportsmen to become partners to work with the PGC and on their own developing wildlife habitat that benefits wild turkeys in particular and also a wide variety of game and non-game species.

Today the National Wild Turkey Federation’s program supports a wide variety of programs that benefit wildlife. However it is the NWTF’s, “Save The Habitat, Save The Hunt” initiative that the early pioneers of wildlife turkey management should be proud to be a part of.

What began as a cause, coupled with a fledgling organization, then developed into a movement, has become a basis for a turkey management program that has spread nationwide.

While the battle may seem to be won, there remains a lot to do. Dollars raised at Hunting Heritage Banquets are needed, and when generated are put to good use. However most often overlooked is the need for the human resources.  

While storing your turkey hunting gear for next season, consider becoming a partner for wildlife.

What began as a relatively small group of wild turkey enthusiasts came together. Combined with the knowledge of a dedicated wildlife biologist Gerry Wentz and others within the PGC they worked in the best interest of the wild turkey resource. And it worked. Today PA has some of the best turkey hunting in the nation.

Today a partnership that developed in the mid 70s continues to grow, prosper, and to this day produces results. The PA NWTF 86 chapters and 12,500 members continue to work for the benefit of the wild turkey and other wildlife.

The PA NWTF Super Fund program has spent in excess of 5,703,959 million dollars on a variety of projects here in the Keystone state.

Where have the funds been invested? More than three million is in habitat enhancement, along with over a quarter of a million spent on equipment to accomplish the work.

While places to hunt are important, in excess of $340,650 were used to help the PGC purchase 27,940 acres of land or provide conservation easements.

Additional funding includes Turkey Restoration; Hunter Safety; Education that includes teacher workshops, education boxes, and scholarships; Education projects for volunteers and professionals; Hunting Heritage projects; Rewards that sponsor reward programs; Research that has included radio telemetry equipment; and additional expense related projects and chapter rebates.

Additional funding supports The Jakes Youth Programs, Women’s Programs, and Wheelin’ Sportsmen.

Not too bad for a partnership that was forged to benefit wild turkeys over four decades ago.

Do you want to become part of the program that has and continues to be part of PA’s wild turkey success story? You can. Contact a local chapter near you. When doing so you can make a positive difference. Gerry Wentz did, now it’s your turn.

Charlie Burchfield is an active member and past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, an active member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers. Gateway Outdoors e-mail is GWOutdoors@comcast.net