They reason that they heard a turkey and see movement, and prematurely conclude that they must shoot quickly or they'll lose the opportunity. It's an attention-grabber. The Game Commission this year is again participating with the State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation in a poster campaign that aims to remind hunters to make informed shooting decisions. If you plan to turkey hunt for the first time this fall, take a moment and read the turkey hunting safety tips on page 17 in the Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest , and talk to a few turkey hunters about hunting in your area. The extra effort may save your life and lead to a turkey.
Drake believes hunters are heading into a season of tremendous opportunity.
If everything comes together, we could see a record fall turkey harvest. Pennsylvania's record fall turkey harvest was set in 1995 when 49,748 were taken. The second-best harvest occurred in 1994, when 39,094 were killed. The fall turkey harvest has annually averaged 38,500 over the past five years. A map of turkey management areas can be found on page 14 of the Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest .