PANWTF PGC Commissioner Comments January 22, 2006

January 22, 2006

PGC Board of Commissioner’s.

Mr. Carl Roe, Executive Director
Pennsylvania Game Commission
2001 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg , Pennsylvania 17110-9797

Dear Commissioner’s:

The Pennsylvania Chapter Board of Directors speaking for our statewide membership would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Roe to the position of Executive Director. We have enjoyed working with you in your previous position with the Game Commission and look forward to continued cooperative efforts on behalf of the wildlife resources and the hunters of the Keystone State. Your support of our chapter projects and sound science in wild turkey management decisions is much appreciated.

Our membership supports the use of scientifically valid data collection methods and analysis in making decisions on wildlife population management and harvest strategies. For this reason we are particularly pleased to see the Management Plan for Wild Turkeys in Pennsylvania revisions recently available for public comment. The original document was the model for other species plans more recently prepared by commission biologists. We are anxious to see the revised plan completed, signed and integrated as a vital part of the agency’s strategic plan.

Recent spring gobbler harvest trends in Wildlife Management Units 2F and 2G suggest a declining turkey population. We realize that there has been a decline in statewide turkey numbers since 2001 because of weather-related productivity issues. However, we submit that harvest densities in these wildlife management units are rather low and the units might benefit from a reduction in fall season length from the present three week structure. Our members would prefer to see a two week fall season in these units.

Youth hunting programs have the potential to increase recruitment and retention of young hunters. It was quite gratifying to see Mentored Youth Hunting as part of the Families Afield legislation recently signed into law in Pennsylvania. As an extension of current opportunities for young hunters, our chapter recommends the expansion of hunting hours for the special early youth spring gobbler hunting day. Extending hunting hours until sundown for that day would provide additional hunting time to young people who have commitments to organized sports or simply wish to stay afield longer.

Though spring gobbler seasons have far less potential to impact turkey populations than fall either-sex seasons, some of our members have expressed concern about the implementation of the increased spring bag limit. At this point there is no cause for great concern about taking second gobblers. However, if a serious population decline occurs in a given wildlife management unit there appear to be no criteria set in current regulations for considering a restricted spring gobbler bag limit. Our members request that the commissioners give thought to developing decision-making criteria for this possibility.

We are very pleased with the initiation of the tri-state gobbler banding project designed to collect data on harvest rates and survival. This is exactly the type of intensive data collection needed to continue the commission’s progress in the field of wild turkey management. Our members are supporting the project with contributions for equipment purchases and pledge to assist the Game Commission in any way possible.

The Pennsylvania Chapter-NWTF has supported increased efforts in wild turkey research to improve our knowledge of this great game bird in the Commonwealth. The chapter has also favored increased educational efforts and outreach in the area of turkey hunting safety. Programs such as these are costly. Our membership therefore supports the creation of a general turkey hunting license as part of the hunting license increase package recommended to the legislature by the coalition of conservation groups.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on regulatory changes and other issues affecting the commission. This public comment period is a wonderful chance to communicate compliments for a job well done by the Game Commission and its employees. It is also a forum for hunter conservationists to express concerns about species management.

Sincerely,

David Burdge, President

Pennsylvania Chapter- National Wild Turkey Federation