May 7, 2016 3 min read

The spring turkey season is in full swing, with a lot of reports of some nice gobblers being taken this year.

That’s good news because, regardless of what some believe, the turkey numbers in the area aren’t what they used to be. Or at least they hadn’t been in recent years.

But a couple of pretty mild winters in the row have helped change that and we’re seeing a nice rebound.

The spring trout stocking schedules are pretty much wrapping up at this point, but with a solid turkey season under way and the boating season just around the corner, all is well in the world again.

• The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has its two annual statewide Fish-for-Free Days coming up soon.

The first will be Memorial Day, May 29. The second will be July 4.

In addition, the commission will hold several family fishing festivals across the state this year.

The closest to our area will take place May 21 at North Park in Allegheny County from 2 to 6 p.m.

Like the fish-for-free days, the family fishing days waive license requirements at the venue. The commission also provides equipment, bait and tackle. Commission staff also will be on hand to present and teach skills and assist those who need it.

Registration is required for the family fishing event. To do so, visit www.gonefishingpa.com.

• For those thinking of venturing the two hours or so up I-79 to Lake Erie to fish for yellow perch or walleye, the Fish and Boat Commission has set the daily creel limits at 30 and six per day, respectively.

Walleye populations in the lake are rebounding after some down years. According to the Lake Erie Committee, which consists of fisheries managers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Ontario, Canada, a good walleye hatch in 2015 has resulted in an abundance estimate of 33 million walleye in Lake Erie aged two or older.

That number is expected to be even higher in 2017.

• On the subject of being right, there were 23 hunting-related shooting incidents in Pennsylvania in 2015. One is still too many, but that number is an all-time low.

We’re getting closer.

“There still is work to do, because even one incident is too many,” Game Commission president Matt Hough, a Trinity High School graduate, said. “But if you look back at the hundreds of incidents that occurred year after year in Pennsylvania decades ago, it really is remarkable how far hunter safety has come – and it’s been accomplished largely through a team of hard-working volunteers dedicated to making hunting continually safer.”

Two of the 15 accidents resulted in fatalities, one of which was self-inflicted. The other was a line-of-fire incident.

Pennsylvania has compiled data on hunting-related shooting incidents since 1915. Incidents have declined nearly 80 percent since hunter-education training began in 1959. The previous record-low was 27 incidents in 2013. Prior to 2013, there never had been fewer than 33 incidents reported in a year, and 2015 marks the third straight year in which fewer than 30 incidents were reported.

So give yourself a hand. But let’s work even harder next year to set a new record.

Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.