Turkeys plentiful in region
Abundant mast has birds spread out

Wild turkeys are plentiful, but spread out across the region, as hunters head out for the season opener on Saturday. Turkeys are legal game in all of northcentral Pennsylvania through Nov. 17.

Turkey populations in Management Area 2G, covering all of Cameron County and the southern half of Potter County, are much higher than last year. Flocks are widely dispersed due to a scattered mast crop on which the birds feed.

Management Area 3A, which covers the territory north of Rt. 6 in Potter, McKean and Tioga counties, also has a healthy turkey population.

Turkey hunters must wear a minimum of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange material on the head, chest and back, visible in all directions, while moving. They may remove the orange at a stationary calling location, if they place a 100-square-inch orange alert band within 15 feet of their location.

Shot size is limited to No. 4 lead, bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron or No. 2 steel. Turkey hunters also are required to tag their bird before moving it and to mail the postage-paid harvest report card.

Legal hunting hours are onehalf hour before sunrise to onehalf hour after sunset.