Muzzle Loading Afield 

Al Raychard 

May 2007

Wild turkeys have come a long way since the 1930s when only about 30,000 existed in scattered pockets in parts of the United States and hunting the birds was  practically non-existent. Today, there are about seven million wild tur­keys with abundant popula­tions in every  state and parts of Canada and Mexico. Of  the six subspecies of wild turkey, the eastern  vari­ety is the largest population and distribution. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation  based in Edgefield, South Carolina  (1-800-THE­ NWTF www.nwtf.org), the eastern  variety numbers be­ tween 5.1and 5.3million birds, and  is found  in  every  state from  Maine west to Minne­sota, south along the Missis­sippi River  to Louisiana and back eastward across  north­ern Florida. The subspecies is also found in parts of Canada. That is a great deal of terri­tory, nearly half the continent. And  with generous spring hunting seasons lasting at least two months in most states plus Ontario, liberal two-bird limits in some, and generally  prime hunting opportunities just about every­ where, hunters thinking about where to go might prove challenging . Considering state­ wide populations, season  length, suc­cess rates, license availability and cost, available public land to hunt and so on, here are some places to consider.

Maine

I will  start with  my home state, not because the turkey  hunting here needs publicity, but  because  the hunting  is some of the best in the northeast. Since reintroduction efforts commenced back in the late-1970s Maine's turkey popu­lation has mushroomed to an estimated 50-60,000 birds, more than any other state in New England. Birds are basi­cally found statewide, with the largest concentrations found in the southern, central, and western regions and along the immediate coast east to about Belfast. Turkeys are also present in the far north, but generally in lower number. Other than the number of birds available, what makes Maine a hotspot in my mind is that the birds are still somewhat uneducated to high hunting pressure, unlike other states where birds can be extremely challenging and unforgiving with traditional calling and hunting tech­niques. Although 24-25,000 hunters take to the woods each spring, that figure is rather low compared to other noted tur­key hunting states, and success rates have run as high as forty­ four percent in 2000 and better than thirty-five percent during the 2006 spring season, which is un­usually high.

Maine also has lots of public land, and hunting on private land is generally allowed, unless spe­cifically posted. Spring turkey permits are now available over the counter, unlike a few years ago when permits were issued by lot­tery, and although the spring limit is one bearded bird, and Maine is still archaic in not allowing Sun­day hunting, it should be no prob­lem to fill your tag.

The spring season is split into two sections, and hunters are al­lowed to hunt based upon birth year. Hunters with odd birth years will hunt during Season A, running April 30-May 5 and May 21-26; hunters with even birth years will bunt Season B, which runs May 7-12 and May 14-19. From May 28-June 2 the season is open to all hunters. There is also a Youth Spring Season hunt­ing day, April 28, for hunters under the age of sixteen. For more information contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 207-287-8000 or visit their web site at www.mefishwildlife.com.

New York

With an estimated 250,000 birds, New York has one of the largest turkey popu­lations in the northeast. Spring calcu­lated harvest figures have traditionally been high, totaling nearly 25,000 in 2005. The harvest reached a high of nearly 45,000 in 1999. The spring runs f om May l through 31, and hunters can take one bearded bird a day for a total of two birds during the spring season. The youth hunt­ing days are April 21 and 22. Sunday hunting is allowed.

Hunting New York is somewhat surprising. Despite the fact the state is home to New York City and several other large cities, much of the state remains rural and there are large tracts of public land, including the million- plus-acre Adirondack Preserve and Catskill Preserve. Both offer good turkey hunting prospects, especially the latter. There are also 200,000 acres of wildlife management areas (WMA), and sev­eral hundred thousand acres of state forest, state parks (SP), national forests (NF), wildlife refuges, and cooperative ar­eas, all open to public hunting.

While a great deal of hunting takes place on private land, New York offers plenty of public space to chase birds. The Allegheny State Park in Cattaraugus County covers 60,000 acres, and many of the wildlife management areas (such as Rattlesnake Hill in Allegheny County, Lake Shore Marshes WMA in Wayne County, the Whitney Pond WMA in Broome County, and the Bear Spring Mountain WMA in Otsego and Delaware Counties) cover over 4,000 acres each. New York is also home to Finger Lake National Forest. It is the smallest national forest in the country, but it offers more than 16,000acres of public land, most of which can be hunted.

For more information contact the New York Department of Conservation at 1-518-402-8919, or visit the department's web site at www.dec.state.ny.us.

Pennsylvania

The Keystone State has always been known for it topnotch turkey hunting opportunities. With an estimated 285,000 birds, the turkey population is one of the largest east of the Missis­sippi, and with the annual spring harvest running better than 40,000 in recent years, success rates are quite high.

The spring season runs from April 28 through May 26. There is no Sunday hunting. Hunters are allowed one bearded bird, although a second can be taken with a special permit. The youth hunting day is April 21.

Some 225,000 hunters pursue spring turkey in Pennsylvania each year, and although the woods can sometimes seem crowded there is plenty of room to hunt. The Pennsylvania Game Com­mission manages 1.4 million acres of state game lands (SGL). This includes 50,000-acre SGL 13 in Sullivan County and 13,200- acre SGL 37 i.n Tioga, Potter, and Bradford Counties, two of the largest in the state. There are also over 285,000 acres of state park (SP) and 2.1 million acres of state forests (SF) such as Tobyhanna SP in Monroe County (5,000 acres), Tioga SF in Tioga SF in Tioga and Bradford Counties (161,600 acres) and Tuscarora SF (45,000 acres). In addition, 230,000 acres of farm­land are protected by the Dept of Agriculture. All is open to hunting and is home to wild turkey. Hunting is also allowed on the Allegheny National Forest that covers 513,000 acres, and with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area.

Fore more information, contact the Pennsylvania Game Com­mission at 1-717-787-4250, or visit their web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us.