WILD TURKEY RESTORATION EFFORTS CONTINUE IN SOUTHEAST REGION
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Game Comission's wild turkey
restoration
efforts will continue this winter in Turkey Management Area (TMA) 9A
in
southeast Pennsylvania, as the agency and members of the state and
local
chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation plan to release up to
260
wild turkeys at more than a dozen sites.

Last winter, the Game Commission and NWTF transferred 230 wild
turkeys (168
females, 62 males) to ten release sites in Berks, Chester, Lancaster
and
York counties.

"We release turkeys at an approximate sex ratio of three females for
each
male because turkeys are polygamous (one male breeds several
females)," said
Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist. "We
identified up
to 13 release sites for this winter in TMA 9A. Each release site will
receive 15-20 turkeys, which means we will release up to 260 turkeys."

Casalena noted that all turkeys will be transferred from in-state
trappings.
Wildlife Conservation Officers and Deputy WCOs, working with NWTF
volunteers, will trap turkeys on private and public lands throughout
the
state (except TMAs 7B and 9A) where landowners desire to have turkeys
trapped or where turkey-hunting opportunities are limited. If
releases are
successful, this year's releases will complete restoration efforts in
TMA
9A.

"The closed fall season in TMA 9A, which was put in place by the
Board of
Game Commissioners last year, will benefit our turkey restoration
effort,"
Casalena said.

For more information on the wild turkey in Pennsylvania, or on the
turkey
trap and transfer program, visit the Game Commission's website
(www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on "Wildlife," then choose "Wild Turkey
in
Pennsylvania."