The state turkey harvest was down for the third consecutive year last year -- and the Pennsylvania Game Commission says that is no surprise.

The state turkey harvest was down for the third consecutive year last year -- and the Pennsylvania Game Commission says that is no surprise.

The statewide preliminary 2005 fall turkey harvest was about 23300 according to the Game Commission. It marks the third consecutive year the fall harvest has dropped: From 25868 in 2004 and 27400 in 2003 The preliminary spring turkey-cock harvest -- 38,820 -- also documents a very little for the third consecutive year. The spring harvest in 2004 was 41017 while in 2003 it was 43900

"It stands to reason -- and we assuredly expected -- that wild turkey hound success was going to fall on the farther side some because of the below-average reproduction turkey have endur for the past three springs in Pennsylvania," said Mary Jo Casalena, Game Commission wild turkey biologist.

"Three consecutive years of below-average reproduction, a hard winter in 2002 and below-average mast production