Walt Young

For outdoor enthusiasts, is there anything in Pennsylvania that beats the month of May?

For my purposes, May could be three months long and that wouldn’t be long enough to suit me. And all that May has to offer isn’t just linked to hunting or fishing opportunities either. Photography, hiking and birding are just a few of my other interests that hit primetime during May, all gift-wrapped with some of the most pleasant weather we have in Pennsylvania.

The spring turkey season opens this weekend and continues until May 30. Since the first experimental six-day spring season held in 1968 when hunters took an estimated 1,636 birds, the spring turkey season has become an important rite of spring for Pennsylvania hunters. Last year, more than 170.000 Pennsylvania hunters participated in the spring turkey season, with. an estimated harvest of 42,543 birds. The all-time record harvest for the spring turkey season of 44,639 was set in 2009.

While several Sundays were included in some of the turkey seasons last fall, hunters need to be aware that there is no Sunday hunting during the spring season this year. That situation will change next year as the Game Commission has already approved Sunday hunting for the entire spring turkey season in 2027. Also changing next year will be the elimination of the opportunity for hunters to buy a second spring turkey tag to adjust for the extra Sunday hunting days. This year, a hunter could purchase a second turkey tag until May 1.

The statewide wild turkey population has been increasing somewhat in recent years. Wild turkey productivity was very good in 2024 when summer sighting surveys showed every Wildlife Management Unit across the state had a poult-to-hen ratio higher than 2.0 and a statewide average at 3.22. According to Reina Tyl, the Game Commission’s turkey biologist, “Those males that hatched in 2024 will be 2-year-old gobblers this spring turkey season, which should make for some great turkey hunting.”

Safety is always a prime concern for anyone involved in spring turkey hunting. Spring turkeys can only be hunted by calling, and it is unlawful to stalk turkeys or turkey sounds. It can’t be stated often enough that the No. 1 rule of hunting safety is to positively identify your target and what is beyond it before pulling the trigger. There is no longer any requirement to wear fluorescent orange while turkey hunting, but it is a good idea to wear it while moving as an extra measure of safety. Blinds are legal for spring turkey hunting, but they must be made from manmade materials. It is not legal to hunt from a blind constructed of logs, rocks, branches or other natural materials.

Hunters who bag a spring turkey are reminded the bird must be tagged before it is moved and the harvest must be reported to the Game Commission within 10 days. Hunters can report turkeys in three ways: by going online to HuntFish.PA.gov and clicking the blue “Report a Harvest” button near the top of the home page; by calling 800-838-4431; or by filling out and mailing the harvest report card in the 2025-26 Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest. For more information on all the spring turkey hunting rules and regulations, check the, which comes with your hunting license.

With the exception of groundhogs and coyotes, turkeys are the only game for hunters during May, although not a bad game at all for those who like to play it. For anglers, however, it’s a different matter. There are almost too many great opportunities to choose from. Just about every kind of fish in Pennsylvania wants to bite and bite well this time of year. It’s difficult to find enough time to be on the water somewhere.

Catch-and-release fishing for pre-spawn largemouths can produce some impressive catches as big bass move shallow for a last feeding binge before spawning time. Casting spinnerbaits to is a favorite way to tempt bass from shoreline cover like logs, fallen trees and brush piles. Crankbaits are a great way to cover lots of water around shallow structure like drop-offs, rock piles and sunken ledges to find staging largemouths.

Big bluegills and crappies will also be invading the shallows in pre-spawn mode. Not only will this provide lots of enjoyable fishing action from these feisty panfish but also the makings for a grand fish fry. Small minnows are a surefire bait for crappies, while redworms or mealworms will always take bluegills. Small jigs and flies will take both species. If you locate a good spot for springtime panfish, it will also be an excellent opportunity to introduce a youngster or a novice angler to some memorable fishing.

Of course, trout fishing is at its best during May. That is especially true for fly-fishing, especially dry-fly fishing. Many of the most popular and productive fly hatches occur this month. From March Browns to Sulphurs to Green Drakes and then sprinkle in a few species of caddisflies, and you have the stuff fly-fishing dreams are made of.

At its quarterly business meeting last week, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission gave preliminary approval to regulations that would raise the minimum size limit on trout from seven inches to nine inches. The last time the size limit for trout was changed occurred back in 1983 when the size limit was raised from six inches to seven inches.

This change would help to protect most wild brook trout in Pennsylvania. Biological surveys have shown that 99 percent of the wild brook trout in Pennsylvania are less than 9 inches long. The regulation would also have little effect on anglers wishing to harvest stocked trout because the average size of the trout stocked by the PFBC is 11 inches. The proposal will need to receive final approval at a PFBC meeting later this year and would then go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.