Environment DEC
From the April 2003 issue
2002 Turkey Harvest Figures Down from Previous Year
Reflecting last spring's wet weather and resulting lower summer turkey production, the fall 2002 turkey take in New York State was nearly 45 percent below the previous year's take of 7,183 turkeys. The 2002 turkey harvest--4,049--is the lowest reported take since 1990 but close to the 4,145 turkeys reportedly harvested in 2000 when chick survival also was poor.
Weather Factors
The size of the fall turkey population is greatly affected by the production of chicks, or "poults" in the spring. Weather has a tremendous effect on both nesting success and poult survival. Damp weather in May and June increases the ability of predators to locate and prey on turkey nests because scent trails are easier to follow. Cold, rainy weather during spring and early summer also reduces survival of the young poults when they are most susceptible to chilling. Weather conditions during the spring of 2002 were very wet in many areas of New York State, and surveys conducted during August indicated that poult production was at least as poor as 2000, which had been the worst year on record.
Food Factors
Food supplies also can have a significant effect on fall harvests. Acorns, beech nuts, and berries such as wild grapes are important fall and winter food sources for many species of wildlife, including wild turkeys. When these natural foods (also known as "mast") are scarce, turkeys tend to concentrate near agricultural crops and can be more vulnerable to hunters. When mast is plentiful, turkeys spread out more, are less visible, and can be difficult to locate. A spotty but generally good mast crop in 2002 kept turkeys in the woods and made them somewhat harder for hunters to find. The combination of a lower turkey population and good food availability resulted in the statewide decrease in the fall turkey harvest.
New Reporting System
The fall of 2002 was also the first season when hunters were required to report their kills by telephone rather than mail-in report cards, and turkeys were the first species to be reported using the new system. Because of this change, it is difficult to make direct comparisons between the reported take this year and those of previous years.
