They'll be some hootin' and hollerin going on in Penn's Woods as the spring turkey hunting season is about to get underway.

Kicking off the season is the youth spring turkey hunt that gives youngsters ages 16 and younger an early start to bag a gobbler. The season opens Saturday, 25 and is for properly accompanied junior hunters and mentored youth hunters. As such, all youths participating in this special early hunt must be accompanied by an adult and possess a spring turkey harvest tag that was issued with their youth hunting permits. Youth hunting hours do not differ from regular season hours.

As for what is to be expected this season numbers wise when the regular season opens May 2 (runs until May 30), Mary Jo Casalena, Pennsylvania Game Commission's wild turkey biologist, says turkey numbers vary from one area of the state to the next, but the population appears to be in the upswing.

According to the PGC, the statewide turkey population was estimated at almost 235,000 birds, which is up from a previous five-year average of 169,000.

Casalena admits that because of the harsh winter we just had in many parts of the state, she is often asked how the turkey's survived it. Says Casalena, "Despite the long, cold winter, the state's turkeys escaped without any known, winter caused mortality. In fact over the last five years the PGC has monitored satellite-transmitted turkeys, and none of the 288 birds monitored ever died due to winter conditions, and turkey survivability actually is highest in winter."

Casalena goes on to say that hunters often believe that when turkeys in a given area don't gobble much, it's because of the bad winter.

She explains, "The amount of gobbling depends largely on the age structure of the local population. If there's a high population of younger males, known as jakes, they might not call much. The same is true of the more seasoned gobblers."

"Just because you're not hearing much gobbling doesn't mean they're not there. 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. And prior to the season, gobblers might be quiet because hens are still with them. Once the hens go off to incubate their eggs, gobblers intensify their calling to attract other hens.

It's at this time that some expert turkey hunters suggest sticking to hen instead of gobbler calls. This trick may work.

Casalena added that, "We time the season to begin, on average, when the majority of hens are incubating and gobbling intensifies."

Every year Pennsylvania ranks near the top for turkey harvests says the PGC. In 2014, for example, hunters took more than 41,000 turkeys during the spring season.

Less you forget, hunting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until noon for the first two weeks of the season (May 2-16). During that time hunters are asked to be out of the woods by 1 p.m. when hunting hours end at noon. This, the PGC points out, is to minimize disturbance of nesting hens.

Then from May 19 through May 30, hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise until one-half hour after sunset. The all-day season allows more opportunity at the point in the season when hunting pressure is lower and nesting hens are less likely to abandon nests says the PGC.

Another reminder is the reporting of your harvest, which must be done within 10 days (five for mentored youth hunters). To make it easier to report, the PGC offers hunters three ways. Hunters can report online through the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click the blue "Report a Harvest" button on the right side of the home page. Or, hunters can fill out and mail in the tear-out harvest report card that is inserted into the Hunting/Trapping Digest. Or, report by phone at 1-855-PAHUNT1) (1-855-8681).

And, if you harvest one of the remaining leg-banded turkeys that were banded for the completed study, the PGC would appreciate a phone call to report it. The toll-free number is on the tag.

An interesting turkey sighting happened during the trout opener here in Lehigh County. As my son, grandson and I stood on the banks of the Little Lehigh about 70 yards downstream of the covered bridge, a gobbler sporting a six-inch beard came strutting down the bank from 24th Street and meandered about 10 yards away from two anglers awaiting the opener. When it came up to the bank it flew over the creek and landed on the steep hill on the other side. After that it nonchalantly walked up the hill and disappeared onto the property of Allentown's recycling center. A neat sight for adults, kids and joggers who saw it.