PA spring gobbler season-2025

[bamaranger]

Since my AL narratives seem popular and are tolerated by the moderators, here's commentary on my PA hunt this spring. I traveled north to PA for Mothers Day (honest) and it so happens that their spring gobbler season runs at the same time, beginning 3May. I arrived in the state on 11May, celebrated with my 93 yr old Mom (who is as sharp as a tack!) and began my PA season on Monday the 13th.

PA hunt #1, 13May
As there is a one hour time difference between 'Bama and PA, I figured I could get up somewhat later in PA than I had been awaking in AL. WRONG!!!
I failed to consider that PA is a good bit further east than AL, and it was also 2 weeks further into spring. When I stepped out of Mom's front door it was breaking dawn in the east and I was late, late, late. Nuts.

I blasted through the little town she lives in, slapped the 4-Runner into 4WD (yes, I have hunting vehicles that are not 30-40 yrs old!!!) and hammered up the mountain side on the gravel road to the State Game Lands, fortunately only 5 miles from her door. Fearing the worst, (hunting pressure) I rounded the bend to the parking area to find..........nobody! Let me explain the "parking area". PA created (and is still occasionally acquiring) public lands for hunting. There is usually limited vehicle access to the interiors of such lands, but often there will be level, decent parking spots created by the state to access gated fire lanes, trails and so forth. I felt certain with my late start somebody would beat me in to this area, but here I was, alone, at least for the present. There were old tire tracks in the mud, it had been hunted some of course, the season was a week old, but this morning....nobody. I geared up as fast as possible, ducked under the fire lane gate and hoofed it 100 yds or so and stopped. Decision time.
As the day brightened, I had to decide whether to cover ground and try and strike a turkey, or slip out on one of the points jutting from the side of the ridge and sit tight. A week in, I figured there had been a lot of calling and cruising done already, so I decided the sit and listen approach was for me. Too, I was simply burned down from hunting hard a month back home in 'Bama. I'd go to a gobbling turkey certainly, but this morning I was not going to wander about the mountain side hoping to provoke a gobble.
For about 20 minutes I simply stayed put, listening from the fire road. The morning was perfect, no wind, clear skies....c'mon, gobble!!!!! But nothing did. OK, for grins and because that's what you do, I gave it my best barred owl call...twice in fact. Notta. Arrrggh! Time to find a spot.
I drifted a little further out on the lane, then dropped off on the downhill side, working out to a bench/point on the mountain. This was the same area where I'd taken gobblers on previous PA hunts. Easing along slowly I came to the old broken down remains of a wooden, permanent treestand nailed up in the crotch of a chestnut oak. This was just where I was last year and killed the jake. And sure enough, out across the flat to my front I could see some turkey scratching. We'll sit here.
And sit I did, for 5 hours, calling every 20-30 minutes with my slate, only standing once to get the kinks out. No answers and no gobbles in the distance either. PA law requires no hunting at this point in the season after 12:00, and out of the woods by 1:00PM. I was back at the 'Runner by 12:30. My stroll out located more scratching and some soggy dust bowls up on the fire lane as well. There are birds here at least!

[eastbank]

i filled one tag last sat. ,and was going out this morning but it was raining and only stopped this afternoon. i,ll be out tomorrow morning. good luck to all who go out.

[bamaranger]

-hunt #2 (sort of) 14 May
Up in good time this morning, it was raining steadily when I left the house. I drove up the access road none the less and 1/4 mi or so from the top of the mountain, it was fogged in.....like solid. I'd forgotten that feature of hunting at elevation. Drove back down the mountain and back to bed. Slept a couple of hours and called my brother-in-law.
We met and made our usual multi county gun shop loop and I think it rained all day. Mike bought a Savage 24V chambered in 12ga/.222 at a fair price in a big shop up in Clearfield. I rooted thru their junk boxes and came up with two Bianchi holsters, ... a lined model for an N-frame needing a thumb snap repair, and an inside the waistband holster for a 1911. Real leather, quality stuff, for a fraction of what they were worth and I was happy with my purchases. Later, a stop at the Mennonite tack shop down the road from Mom's place and the young man at the bench fixed me up with a new snap on the N-frame model....for $1.00!!!!
No feathers, but Mike and I were both happy on this "hunt" and the results.

[bamaranger]

-hunt #3, 15May
When I stuck my head out the door Weds. morning at 4:15AM, it was raining (again). I reset the alarm and slept for 2 more hours. At 6:00AM the rain had eased into a tolerable drizzle. I figured I could set up a blind and decoy and hunt comfortably if it got no worse. As turkeys like to come to fields in the rain, I had some fields in mind, ,if I could just get to the right spot.
Up on the mountain there is what seems an old farmstead that the state keeps mowed out for wildlife openings. I knew what field I wanted to get to for my set up, problem was, I wasn't sure how to get to it. The fields are arranged somewhat like a golf course. Walk them in the right order and you can move one to another on tractor trails. Get the progression wrong and you can dead end into a field and have to retrace your steps and try again. It had been 3-4 years since I'd been into the field side of the mountain and the way to the "back field" was a bit cloudy in my memory.
My plan was to park and walk the fields till I got the route worked out in my head. Then I would return to the 4-Runner, collect my blind, chair and dekes, and set up on the elusive back field. In that manner, I would not end up toting all that gear about the mountain side unnecessarily till I got my steps worked out.
When I left the 'Runner, it was still drizzling. A moderate breeze swept the moutain top, driving wisps of fog across the fields. Visibility was only so-so. It only took a brief while to find my way to the back field where I intended to set up. I went all the way back, ..to make sure the field was mowed and the dekes would be visible and the hunt there a viable option. When I reached the back, I paused in the woodline. The field looked low enough to hunt, but ....wait....what is that. About 200 yds out there was a suspicious shape. I cranked the 'scope on the Remington up to 5x and glassed. Is that a turkey? As I watched, the "turkey spun on its axis, 360 degrees. THAT is a dog gone decoy!
As if on que, a guy wearing jeans and a camo shirt stepped from the woodline, walked out and collected the decoy, and started heading my way. Geez, I had no idea there was anybody back here on this miserable day, there sure weren't any vehicles. I stepped out and waved, the guy waved back, crossed the field and we spoke quietly in the woodline.
"Did I spoil your hunt? " I inquired. "Nope, worked last night, only intended to stay if I heard one " he answered. Turned out he was Mennonite, did not drive, and his work buddy had dropped him off way early and was hunting elsewhere. They were to meet at 8:00 AM and this fellow was done. We parted amiably and I continued on my way.
I retraced my steps back towards the 'Runner, intending to gather my gear and return. About half way, 1/2 mile or so from the rig, a slight side path split off that I was unsure where it went. Might as well reacquaint myself with this leg of the area as well. I veered off the main path and ascended a mild slope. It was apparent within a hundred yards or so that this short path led to the back side of another field of which I was unaware. As I reached a spot where I could see a short distance out into this field. I heard turkey noise!!
The noise repeated, that didn't seem like warning putts, more like a deep cluck, a gobbler cluck and close!! I ditched my walking stick and got the gun unslung, took a step or two, increasing my field of view into the field. I made my best semblance of two soft yelps with my voice and a turkey head popped up. I snapped the gun up and got it in the 'scope. At 5x it looked well in range and that is a GOBBLER head. I centered the wattles and shot.
Pulled the gun down from recoil and pumped up another shell, but it was unneeded. A wing waved feebly above the grass, he was down. I hustled over, it was longer than I'd thought, not terribly far, but farther than I care to shoot. A jake, soaked clear through, not a dry feather on him. I was soaked clear through as well as the rain recommenced on my way back to the runner with the young unfortunate gobbler over my shoulder.

How lucky can a guy be?

[stagpanther]

Sounds a bit like love.

Congrats.

[sako2]

The weather here in PA has sucked for turkey hunting. Rain or wind every day.