Here in Pennsylvania, the statewide youth spring gobbler hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. The statewide spring gobbler season is slated to open on Saturday, May 2. That’s the good news — at least for the moment.

Meanwhile, Nebraska recently announced that they will no longer issue non-resident permits for their spring gobbler hunting. Their desire is to reduce travel into Nebraska from other states because of the current coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has cancelled their two day youth turkey season that was to be held on April 4 and 5. Further, their game management units that were scheduled to open April 1 for spring bear hunting have been closed, citing that most of the spring bear hunters travel from out of the area to where the bear hunting occurs. On Monday, April 6, the Washington Department of Fish and Game will meet to reassess reopening the spring bear season and reassess the opening of their upcoming spring turkey season, which is currently to open on April 15.

But, for the moment at least, the Pennsylvania seasons are still on, as we all hope they will be. We can still look forward to the youth spring gobbler day and the opening of the statewide season on May 2. We can still plan and daydream about chasing spring gobblers! And, for the next few weeks until the season opens, we can do some scouting to find out just where the birds are and what their current travel routes are. If you hunt on your own property or on property nearby, you are truly fortunate. You can walk out your door, get some great exercise in the fresh, clean air and scout the areas you plan to hunt. If you don’t have to travel too far to where you normally hunt — how about this idea? Since we are now on lockdown and supposed to stay in our homes, except for very limited travel, such as going to the grocery store for food and necessities, why not tie a trip to the grocery store in with a scouting trip. Meaning, that if you are going to the store, stop by your hunting area and do some scouting first! As long as you are not traveling too much further than the grocery store trip, and you are by yourself and not making any additional stops or contacts with other people along the way, why not? You will be getting some well needed exercise and fresh air. I am not asking you to bend the rules — after all we are allowed out to exercise and you won’t be near others as you hike and scout your favorite hunting spots.

Make sure you have a good pair of binoculars with you as you scout for turkeys or look for recent signs of their activities. If they are working through your area, they will be scratching for left over seeds and acorns. Just like deer and people, they often like to travel old logging roads, so be particularly alert on the sides of these pathways for tracks, dropped feathers or scratching.

Just yesterday, among 13 deer that I was watching, one was a buck that still had his left antler attached. Two others were bucks that had shed both of their antlers. It was a reminder to keep your eyes open for shed antlers as you scout for spring gobblers. Finding sheds is a good indication of what bucks made it through the hunting season and any harsh winter weather. Deer trails that run perpendicular to a fence are great locations to find sheds. As the deer jump the fence and land on the other side, sometimes a loose antler will drop where they land.

None of us can begin to imagine not having our traditional spring gobbler season, and in reality, I am confident that it will happen. Let’s stay optimistic and think positively as we count down the days until our spring gobbler season opens. Meanwhile, be safe, be smart and stay healthy!