Pennsylvania Opens Fall Turkey Season October 31 in 20 of 22 Wildlife Management Units

The Pennsylvania Game Commission said in a release dated October 27 that fall turkey season opens October 31 in 20 of the state’s 22 Wildlife Management Units. Fall turkey hunting is closed in WMUs 5C and 5D.

Everyone who buys a hunting license gets one fall turkey tag and one spring tag, and any turkey may be taken in the fall. No single-projectile firearms may be used: shotguns with fine shot and archery gear only. Fluorescent orange is no longer required, but the Commission highly recommends it, especially while moving.

Season dates by unit are:

• Oct. 31-Nov. 15 in WMUs 1A, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B and 4D
• Oct. 31-Nov. 8 in WMUs 1B, 3D, 4C and 4E
• Oct. 31-Nov. 15 and Nov. 25-27 in WMUs 2A, 2F, 3B and 3C
• Oct. 31-Nov. 20 and Nov. 25-27 in WMUs 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E
• Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in WMUs 5A and 5B

The three-day Thanksgiving season runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, only in the units that have it. Season length in each unit follows its turkey population trend, and units with increasing trends can support more hunting.

Wild Turkey Biologist Reina Tyl said seasons that typically closed on a Saturday had their closing date pushed to the following Sunday. Female turkeys typically make up more than 50 percent of the fall harvest.

The summer sighting survey, run in July and August, logged 10,888 turkey sightings, up from 10,674 in 2025. The statewide reproductive index came in at 2.83 poults per hen, above 2.67 in 2025 but below the previous five-year average of 2.94. Only WMU 4D fell under 2.0, at 1.78.

A successful hunter must tag the bird immediately after harvest and before moving it, with the tag attached securely to a leg. The harvest must be reported within ten days, online at www.pgc.pa.gov, by calling 1-800-838-4431, or by mailing a prepaid postcard. Callers need their license and harvest tag in front of them and should record the confirmation number.

Mentored hunters under age 7 now receive their own fall turkey tag and no longer need one transferred from a mentor. The Commission leg-banded more than 450 turkeys last winter and more than 4,500 since 2020, and fitted more than 500 with backpack transmitters from 2022 to 2025. A hunter who takes a banded or transmitter-fitted bird should follow the instructions on the band or transmitter.