Pa. Game Commission explains why you should report sightings of wild turkeys this summer

Brian Whipkey, Pennsylvania Outdoors Columnist
·2 min read

If you see a turkey, you should report a turkey. That’s the request being made this summer by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The agency is seeking input from the public about wild turkey sightings. The annual Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey runs July 1 through Aug. 31.

The agency uses information from the survey to help determine total wild turkey productivity and compare long-term reproductive success within Pennsylvania and across states, as this is a standard methodology used across the country. The agency also reports the information is used in the turkey population model to track population trends.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys this summer. The information will be used as a part of an ongoing research project.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking the public to report sightings of wild turkeys this summer. The information will be used as a part of an ongoing research project.

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Turkey sightings can be reported through the Game Commission’s website at https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/TurkeyBroodSurvey. Outdoor enthusiasts can save this link to their favorites for quick access to report turkey sightings. The mobile app no longer is available.

Participants will be asked to report the number of wild turkeys they see, along with the county, township, wildlife management unit (WMU), date and contact information if agency biologists have any questions. Participants may also simply drop a “pin” on the map for the location data to automatically populate. The agency reports locations are used only for the survey, not for law enforcement, and are not shared. Viewers can also access the raw data and reports from previous years.

“The turkey survey enhances our agency’s internal survey, which serves as a long-term index of turkey reproduction and is used in our turkey population model,” Game Commission turkey biologist Mary Jo Casalena said in a news release. “Participants should report all turkeys seen, whether gobblers, hens with broods, hens without broods, or turkeys of unknown sex and age.”

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at [email protected] and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Where are turkeys found in Pennsylvania?

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