National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet Coming January 20th, 2023!

 Tickets are on sale now.  Click on the images below for information and to print. 

Wild Turkey Federation banquet coming January 28th!

 Wild Turkey Federation banquet coming January 28th! Click on this picture to print and fill out or

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National Wild Turkey Federation Hunting Heritage Banquet

Register now for the annual National Wild Turkey Federation Hunting Heritage Banquet on January 24th, 2020. The banquet will be at the Springdale Veterans Association at 1151 Pittsburgh St., Springdale, PA 15144. Save the date! A great time is had by all!! For more information or to RSVP call Mike Zourellas at 724-265-0903 or email zfball@consolidated.net

Western PA National Wild Turkey Federation Annual Banquet Coming January 25th!

Get your tickets now for a great evening and a great cause!

Click on images and print!

Women In The Outdoors Event At Bull Creek June 2nd, 2018!

A GREAT ADVENTURE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Women ages 14 and over are discovering a world all of their own; the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors program was created just for them. Today millions of women enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, shooting, hiking, and more. 

By becoming a member of Women in the Outdoors, you'll join a network of women who share the same hobbies and interests. You'll learn new skills, tune up existing ones, and make memories that last a lifetime in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. 

Spread the word to your mom, sister, friend or co-worker. Bring them all to the Allegheny Valley Chapter event for a fun and exciting day of learning and fellowship. Ages 14-17 must be accompanied with an adult. Pre-registration is required

What Will Be Provided: 
* Choice of 4 expertly instructed classes 
* Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages 
* Equipment & materials needed for classes 
* A 1-year $35 membership in the NWTF 
* 1-year subscription to Turkey Country magazine and Turkey Talk 

If you are unable to attend our event, please visit WWW.WOMENINTHEOUTDOORS.ORG to find other events in the state of PA throughout the year! 

Please print the following form and mail, click on the images to enlarge: 

2018 National Wild Turkey Federation 19th Annual Hunting Heritage Banquet

Women In The Outdoors Event At Bull Creek June 3rd 2017!

A GREAT ADVENTURE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Women ages 14 and over are discovering a world all of their own; the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors program was created just for them. Today millions of women enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fIShing, shooting, hiking, and more. 

By becoming a member of Women in the Outdoors, you'll join a network of women who share the same hobbies and interests. You'll learn new skills, tune up existing ones, and make memories that last a lifetime in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. 

Spread the word to your mom, sister, friend or co-worker. Bring them all to the Allegheny Valley Chapter event for a fun and exciting day of learning and fellowship. Ages 14-17 must be accompanied with an adult. Pre-registration is required

What Will Be Provided: 
* Choice of 4 expertly instructed classes 
* Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages 
* Equipment & materials needed for classes 
* A 1-year $35 membership in the NWTF 
* 1-year subscription to Turkey Country magazine and Turkey Talk 

Please print the following 2 forms and mail, click on the images to enlarge:

National Wild Turkey Federation Annual Banquet January 27th, 2017

Frye: More Women Headed Outdoors

BY BOB FRYE

There was a time when this kind of event might have been considered a novelty.

Madison Shoemaker, 14, harvested this 9-point buck while

hunting on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 in Dunbar.

No more.

Today, the demand is real, and it's growing. Women want to be a part of the outdoors.

That's why the Allegheny Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is hosting a “women in the outdoors” event Saturday at Bull Creek Rod and Gun Club in Tarentum.

It's a day for girls and women 14 and older — and them alone — to learn to shoot a bow, fire a gun, explore hunting and otherwise get a hands-on taste of outdoor sports.

Registration is open through Friday and can be done by contacting Sandi Hazlett atHazlett7@consolidated.net or 724-777-5039.

Organizers are promoting the day by saying women are heading outside like never before.

“Hunting, hiking and fishing are no longer just for men. Women are taking to lakes and tree stands all over Western Pennsylvania to take advantage of its vast wildlife and majestic landscapes,” Hazlett said.

Indeed they are.

According to information released this past week by Southwick Associates, an outdoor research firm, women make up 27 percent of anglers and 11 percent of hunters nationally.

That trend is reflected here in Pennsylvania.

In the 2009-10 hunting license year — the first trackable under the automated licensing system — 67,165 women purchased a hunting license, Game Commission executive director Matt Hough said. That represented about 7 percent of all license buyers.

As of Dec. 31 of this past year, 93,210 women had done the same. That was a little more than 10 percent of all license buyers.

The figure assuredly went up because of spring turkey season, which annually accounts for a little bump in sales.

That trend is sure to continue, too.

Hough said it's not uncommon for half or more of the students in some hunter education classes to be female.

We'll be seeing more girls on the water, too. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is trying to figure out ways to recruit more women into the angling ranks.

It's hard to see that not working to at least some degree.

All those women share some things with male hunters and anglers.

According to Southwick, 44 percent of women anglers say they fish primarily for bass. They're also the most popular game fish with men.

Women, like men, hunt white-tailed deer more than anything else.

But women are different, too.

Compared to men, more women hunt with shotguns than with rifles, and a higher percentage bowhunt.

Manufacturers and retailers would be wise to make decisions with women in mind, Rob Southwick said.

“Women are a huge part of the outdoor market and even influence spending decisions by others in their households. Smart companies need to reach out to the female segment,” he said.

Here's guessing they will. Their customers — their new customers — are waiting.

Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobfryeoutdoors.

Women In The Outdoors Event At Bull Creek June 4th 2016!

A GREAT ADVENTURE IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Women ages 14 and over are discovering a world all of their own; the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors program was created just for them. Today millions of women enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fIShing, shooting, hiking, and more. 

By becoming a member of Women in the Outdoors, you'll join a network of women who share the same hobbies and interests. You'll learn new skills, tune up existing ones, and make memories that last a lifetime in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. 

Spread the word to your mom, sister, friend or co-worker. Bring them all to the Allegheny Valley Chapter event for a fun and exciting day of learning and fellowship. Ages 14-17 must be accompanied with an adult. Pre-registration is required

What Will Be Provided: 
* Choice of 4 expertly instructed classes 
* Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages 
* Equipment & materials needed for classes 
* A 1-year $35 membership in the NWTF 
* 1-year subscription to Turkey Country magazine and Turkey Talk 

If you are unable to attend our event, please visit WWW.WOMENINTHEOUTDOORS.ORG to find other events in the state of PA throughout the year! 

CANCELLATION POLICY: The cancellation deadline is May 24, 2014. If you cancel after the deadline, you will be responsible for the full program fee. You may send a substitute if you cannot attend.

Please print the following 2 forms and mail, click on the images to enlarge:

Lots Of Places To Find Gobblers This Spring Turkey Season

BY BOB FRYE 

It would be a stretch to say Pennsylvania's turkey hunters have suffered greatly in recent years.

It's true the number of birds is down. At its peak in 2001, the statewide flock numbered 288,000, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates. Last year it was thought to be 234,500.

But that's still a lot of turkeys.

Last year's spring gobbler harvest was 41,180, for example. That's the second highest of the last five years.

Western Pennsylvania in particular has plenty of birds.

“Every one of my game lands is a good one for turkeys,” said Art Hamley, the commission's land management group supervisor for Armstrong and southern Indiana counties. “They're literally everywhere.”

The recent weather may make it a bit easier for hunters to call them in during the season that runs from April 30-May 31, too.

Mary Jo Casalena, the commission's turkey biologist, said “early springs” like this one coax hens into nesting ahead of schedule. They're on eggs one to two weeks earlier than is typical.

“That's great news for hunters, because those lonely toms will be gobbling more and coming in easier to calling hunters,” Casalena said.

That doesn't guarantee success, of course. But, Casalena added, gobblers' vulnerability to hunters increases as their “go-to harem hens” drop out of circulation and the competition for those remaining becomes greater.

As for where to find birds, a poll of commission land management group supervisors reveals some game lands offer potentially better hunting than others.

Travis Anderson has authority for almost all of the game lands in Somerset County, as well as those in eastern Westmoreland. Two stand out, he said.

One is game land 82 in southern Somerset.

“It has a lot of fields, a lot of herbaceous openings, a lot of food plots, a lot of sharecropping fields. It's also got some nice high ridges so guys can sit up high and call,” Anderson said.

The other is game land 42 in eastern Westmoreland, he said. It's big, mountainous and wooded. Hunters can access it at many points, though, with one of the most popular an 8-mile road located off Route 271 north of Ligonier.

Typically gated, it's open for spring gobbler season and offers access to the interior of the game lands.

“I've seen a lot of turkeys up there, a lot of gobblers,” Anderson said.

Elsewhere, land manager Steve Leiendecker recommended game lands 296, near Smithton in Westmoreland County, and 51, near Dunbar in Fayette.

At the former, typically gated administrative roads — one off Mt. Etna Road, another off Banning Road — will be open for hunters. As for the latter, the area around an unnamed commission road that intersects with Dunbar-Ohiopyle Road, near an enormous PennDOT gravel pile, is promising.

“Extensive border edge cuts performed by the food and cover crew have really benefited the turkeys there,” Leiendecker said.

In northern Indiana County, land manager Dan Yahner suggested trying game land 262 and in Cambria County, game lands 108 and 158. All feature reverting strip mines.

“The birds seem to do well on them,” Yahner said. “As soon as the grasshoppers come out, you'll see an awful lot of birds feeing in those areas.”

In Butler County, land manager Jeff Kendall suggested game land 95, most specifically the portion of it closest to Parker and Bruin. Habitat is the reason. In addition to having food plots, he said, it's home to aspen cuts and other cover where birds can hatch and raise young.

“Those are two of the main two things for turkeys, brood-rearing habitat and nesting cover,” Kendall said.

In Armstrong County, game land 105 is worth a try, Hamley said. That's as much because of the country and lack of competition as the birds. It's rugged in spots, with steep hills bordering the Allegheny River.

“For a quality hunt, that's a real pretty area. It's got a lot of birds,” Hamley said. “And you can escape the crowds, so to speak.”

Game land 332 in Indiana, in what's known locally as the Coon Hollow area of Route 286 near Aultman Run, is also good, he said. The 3,000-acre property recently became a state game land. It hasn't been surveyed yet, but there are signs up to identify it, he added.

As for Beaver and Washington counties, land manager Doug Dunkerly said he couldn't really pick any game lands as being better than another.

He did say, though, that hunters visiting those in Washington County could increase their odds of finding birds by focusing on gas pipeline right-of-ways — the newer the better.

“They usually have a lot of forbs, so they have a lot of insects, a lot of bugs. Of course, the male turkeys aren't doing a lot of feeding right now. But the females are. And where the ladies are, that's where the gobblers are going to be,” Dunkerly said.

“They're pretty open so a guy can see a ways. And there's usually enough vegetation right on the edges so that a guy can tuck himself back in and not be seen.”

Everywhere, patience can pay off, Casalena said.

Some areas likely have a lot of jakes, or younger gobblers, she said. Kendall said he has noticed that in his area, for example.

They typically gobble the least, Casalena said.

“Just because you're not hearing much gobbling doesn't mean they're not there, and hunters anywhere might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome of a hunt, even if there's not a lot of calling activity leading up to it,” Casalena said.

Bob Frye is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter@bobfryeoutdoors.