Every spring turkey hunter wants to attach their tag to the leg of a big gobbler, so hunters in every season must carry their valid general licenses and proper identification. Harvest tags must be carried in any season during which harvested game must be tagged.
A recently change to be enacted next license year will allow hunters to carry digital licenses as an alternative to carrying certain paper licenses. Even when the change takes effect, hunters need to carry paper harvest tags, and fill them out and securely attach them to the harvested animal. Turkeys must be tagged before they are moved from the site where they are harvested.
Hunters are required to report their harvests within 10 days. Mentored hunters must report turkey harvests within five days.
Harvest may be reported by phone, mail and online. Click here for HuntFishPA.
Call (800) 838-4431, the new number activated when the new hunting and fishing licensing system was put in place in January. The previous number is no longer valid.
Hunters can report a harvest by mail using a postage-paid report card provided with the Hunting & Trapping Digest. When reporting all harvests, it is helpful to have your license as well as the tag used in the field with information such as beard and spur length.
“Gobblers challenge hunters in every way, and that’s some of the reason why hunting gobblers is so much fun,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans.
Spring gobbler season (bearded bird only) opened May 1 and closes May 31, 2021. Daily limit is 1, season limit 2. A second spring gobbler may be only taken by persons who possess a valid special wild turkey license. From May 1-15, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon; from May 17-31, legal hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset.