Fall Turkey Season in PA
11-08-2021, 05:04 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 114
Fall Turkey Season in PA
For me the biggest change in the fall PA turkey season is that rifles are no longer legal. I have mixed feelings about that.
On my property I usually have birds roosting on the hillsides right up until the leaves come down and then the big birds just seem to disappear for a couple of weeks. I have no idea where they go but I assume it is to more remote areas (no houses nearby) just because they feel less threatened when roosting where they are far more visible but have less human activity nearby, if that makes any sense. And, there's probably a big connection with the amount of leaves on the ground and their ability to find food in all the new ground clutter as well although that condition exists everywhere. But, sooner or later they come back. Right now, they ain't here.
Anyway, back on the subject of rifles for fall turkey hunting. I get it that the Game Commission is trying to reduce the number of hens killed in the fall. That's definitely a good thing. However, have you ever tried to call a mature gobbler into shotgun range in the fall? Good luck with that. Which means that without the option of using a rifle, there's a real good chance that more hunters will be targeting hens and poults because you have now made a nearly impossible task even harder.
Years ago I bought a Savage model 24F Predator in .223 over 3" 12GA just for fall turkey hunting. With that gun I have probably killed nearly as many birds with the shotgun barrel as with the rifle but almost all of the birds that fell to the shotgun were hens and vice versa.
Anyone want to buy that gun because it's basically useless to me now? Just kidding on that part because with the increase in the numbers coyotes around here I should probably start using it for what Savage originally intended which IMO would do more to help the turkey population than eliminating rifles in the fall.
On my property I usually have birds roosting on the hillsides right up until the leaves come down and then the big birds just seem to disappear for a couple of weeks. I have no idea where they go but I assume it is to more remote areas (no houses nearby) just because they feel less threatened when roosting where they are far more visible but have less human activity nearby, if that makes any sense. And, there's probably a big connection with the amount of leaves on the ground and their ability to find food in all the new ground clutter as well although that condition exists everywhere. But, sooner or later they come back. Right now, they ain't here.
Anyway, back on the subject of rifles for fall turkey hunting. I get it that the Game Commission is trying to reduce the number of hens killed in the fall. That's definitely a good thing. However, have you ever tried to call a mature gobbler into shotgun range in the fall? Good luck with that. Which means that without the option of using a rifle, there's a real good chance that more hunters will be targeting hens and poults because you have now made a nearly impossible task even harder.
Years ago I bought a Savage model 24F Predator in .223 over 3" 12GA just for fall turkey hunting. With that gun I have probably killed nearly as many birds with the shotgun barrel as with the rifle but almost all of the birds that fell to the shotgun were hens and vice versa.
Anyone want to buy that gun because it's basically useless to me now? Just kidding on that part because with the increase in the numbers coyotes around here I should probably start using it for what Savage originally intended which IMO would do more to help the turkey population than eliminating rifles in the fall.
Last edited by blksn8k; 11-08-2021 at 05:10 AM.
11-15-2021, 05:52 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
I too have mixed feelings about this. I purchased a 17 HMR just for fall turkey hunting and now its basically a over powered squirrel rifle! But I hate to part with it because its so darn accurate. When I did use it for squirrels I would try only for head shots and made them out to 75+ yards.
Oh yeah I did manage to take about 5 or 6 thunder chickens with it too. I may just use it for yotes but it may be a tad light unless I try head shots - again!
Oh yeah I did manage to take about 5 or 6 thunder chickens with it too. I may just use it for yotes but it may be a tad light unless I try head shots - again!
