No doubt about it.
It’s tough to be a turkey this Thanksgiving.
The farm-bred birds end up in the supermarket.
And in parts of Allegheny County and Southwest Pennsylvania, there’s a Thanksgiving wild turkey hunting season from Nov. 22 to 24, said Travis Lau, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
“There is a robust turkey population right now in Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Wildlife Commission Officer Philip Ferry, who manages areas in Westmoreland County and Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“They’re very well populated at this moment. I’ve seen so many turkeys this year so far. It’s unbelievable,” Ferry said.
North Park and other wooded areas of Allegheny County are popular with wild turkeys, thanks to a variety of mixed fruits, nuts and berries there, said Braden Meiter, lead supervisory park ranger for the Allegheny County Department of Parks. No hunting is allowed in county parks, he cautions. But the wild turkeys there are surely a sight to see.
“I think they’re really cool. They’re a big bird, and they’re really fast. Turkeys make some really neat sounds,” said Meiter, referencing the gobbler call from a male bird.
Also, it’s exciting to watch their tail feathers fan out when two males are ready to battle it out, he said.
Some North Park hikers may have seen the tracks of the turkey’s big feet and areas where they were scratching for food.
Turkeys travel in harems consisting of about eight to 10 females, or hens, with one male, or gobbler. Young turkeys are called poults and young males are called jakes, Meiter said.
Meiter said it’s best to take photos from afar, because turkeys are “very fast” and will probably fly away if approached. It’s unlikely that a turkey will get aggressive but they do have big beaks and talons, so it’s not a good idea to get too close.
While their diet is mainly vegetarian, they will eat small reptiles, snails and insects. They nest in high grass in the spring.
Turkeys do fly, and at night they roost in trees, he said. They don’t migrate far, so any turkey in the area is probably a fellow Pittsburgh-area native.
The turkeys North Allegheny area residents see in their yards or North Park are likely the Eastern Wild Turkey, a species native to this region, Meiter said.
A domesticated version of a south Mexican subspecies of the turkey is what most stores sell this time of year, he said. These birds are bred with more meat than their wild relatives, Meiter said.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission does track turkeys and will relocate turkeys to balance populations, according Lau.
The dates of the fall wild turkey hunting season in Pennsylvania vary by region in the state, according Lau.
Pennsylvania has various Wildlife Management Units. These units allow hunting on different dates, which can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission website, www.pgc.pa.gov.
Overall, male and female wild turkey hunting season began Oct. 28. Females cannot be hunted in the spring.
Hunting and trapping is key to controlling the wildlife population, Ferry said. But there’s not many issues with the turkey population.
“It can be easily be managed and controlled,” Ferry said.
And Lau said hunting seasons change with turkey populations.
“Turkey numbers can fluctuate pretty rapidly from one year to the next,” Lau said.
Lau said only shotguns and archery are allowed to hunt turkey. Also, proper turkey hunting licensing is required. Each license provides for one fall turkey tag and one spring turkey tag. Visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission for rules and tagging information.
Natalie Beneviat is a Trib Total Media contributing writer.