Environment DEC
From the May 2009 issue
Spring 2009 Turkey Season
The 2009 spring turkey season opens on May 1. Based on harvest data and brood surveys for the last two years, the spring 2009 season has the potential to be about the same as 2008 and close to the five-year average spring harvest (about 29,500 birds). An above-average 2007 hatch combined with a decent late-season hatch in 2008 should provide hunters with opportunities to harvest two-year-old birds as well as quite a few jakes.
A lot of variation exists among regions of the state and even within a region. Northern New York, in particular, received above-average spring rainfall in 2008, so production was worse there than in other parts of the state. Unfortunately, two straight seasons with poor production in DEC Region 6 will likely drive down spring harvest there. DEC regions 4 and 7 have had consistently good production in the past few years, so harvest should be similar to or slightly better than last year, with both young birds and adult birds available. The rest of the state may be similar to or slightly below last year's harvest.
The regular spring season opens on Tuesday, May 1 and continues through Thursday, May 31. Important details of the 2009 spring turkey hunting season include the following:
A decent late-season hatch in 2008 should provide hunters with good opportunities for two-year-old birds and jakes
• Hunting is permitted in most areas of the state, except for New York City and Long Island.
• Hunters must have turkey hunting permits in addition to their small game hunting or sportsman licenses.
• Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day.
• Hunters may take two bearded turkeys during the spring season, but only one bird per day.
• Hunters may not use rifles or handguns. Hunters may hunt only with a shotgun and with shot sizes no larger than #2 or smaller than #8 or with a bow and arrow.
• Successful hunters must fill out the tag which comes with their turkey permit and immediately attach it to any turkey harvested.
• Successful hunters must report their harvest within 48 hours of taking a bird. Call 1-866-426-3778 (1-866 GAMERPT), or report harvest online.
• Hunters who take a bird with a leg band, in addition to reporting their harvest via phone or Internet, are encouraged to call the "800" number listed on the band. This information will help DEC staff better manage wild turkeys.
Turkey Hunter Safety
New York State has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters, largely due to the annual efforts of more than 3,000 dedicated volunteer Sportsman Education instructors. With 27 hunting-related shooting incidents, 2008 was the safest year since such records have been maintained. Of this total, three were related to turkey hunting (all from the spring season). This is below the ten-year average for both spring turkey hunting (six incidents/year) and fall turkey hunting (two incidents/year). However, it is a reminder that even one incident is too many, so be sure to follow the cardinal rules of hunting safety: (1) assume every gun is loaded; (2) control the muzzle; (3) keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot; (4) be sure of your target and beyond, and (5) don't stalk! Set up with your back against a large tree, and call birds to you.
For more information about turkey hunting in New York, see the 2008-09 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, or visit the Turkey Hunting pages on DEC's website. To participate in our Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey or Winter Wild Turkey Flock Survey, visit the Citizen Science page on DEC's website.
