Why doesn the spring season start earlier?
Although a large portion of hens may be bred by April 15, the peak of incubation does not occur until about May 1. Pennsylvania’s spring season is timed to begin around the peak of incubation; it generally opens on the Saturday closest to May 1. Hens, on average lay one egg per 1.5 days. With a 12-egg clutch, it takes almost three weeks to lay a full clutch and begin incubating. Once hens have begun incubating, they are less likely to come to a hunter’s call or abandon their nest. Opening the season earlier would create additional breeding and nesting disturbance, and could lead to an increase in illegal hen mortality. The amount of additional illegal hen mortality and reproductive disturbance caused by an earlier spring season has not been studied. However, timing the first week of hunting during the pre-incubation season, with about 230,000 spring turkey hunters, could have substantial impact. Pennsylvania has more turkey hunters than most other states, and does not regulate hunting
