PA Fall Turkey Season Opens With Avian Flu Protocols

Fall wild turkey season in Pennsylvania opened Nov. 1 across most Wildlife Management Units (WMUs) in the state, except for WMUs 5C and 5D.

According to a Pennsylvania Game Commission news release, the season lengths for the remaining WMUs are as follows:

Hunters are advised that the three-day Thanksgiving season will again run only on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in designated WMUs.

Fall season rules allow shotguns with fine shot or archery gear. No single-projectile firearms are permitted. Wearing fluorescent orange is recommended, though not required, for fall turkey hunters.

According to the Game Commission, each licensed hunter receives one fall harvest tag and one spring harvest tag. Harvests must be tagged immediately and reported to the Game Commission within 10 days. 

Individuals can go online to www.HuntFish.PA.gov, call 800-838-4431, or mail a prepaid postcard found within the 2025-26 Hunting & Trapping Digest.

Game Commission wild turkey biologist Reina Tyl stated that turkey hunters this year could find more challenging conditions. The 2025 summer turkey sighting survey showed below-average turkey poult recruitment this year, likely due in part to wet spring conditions, which can affect nest success.

The Game Commission also cautions hunters that wild turkeys are highly susceptible to pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). With this in mind, hunters should adopt enhanced precautions, including wearing dedicated field gear and gloves, dressing harvested wild birds in the field, double-bagging offal and feathers, washing hands and tools, and disinfecting surfaces. Hunters should report signs of sick or dead birds to the Game Commission at 833-PGC-WILD (742-9453).