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Fall Turkey Take by County

As described in DEC's Wild Turkey Management Plan (290 kb pdf), DEC has changed the way that seasonal turkey harvest is reported. In the past, DEC only summarized the number of birds actually reported by hunters. Now, the Department reports an estimated total turkey harvest based on surveys of approximately 12,000 turkey permit holders after the close of the hunting season. This results in a calculated harvest based on estimated reporting rates. This provides a more accurate harvest estimate and a more realistic assessment of the status of New York's wild turkey populations.

Estimated wild turkey harvest during fall 2008 was 11,614 birds. This represents a decrease of 8% from fall 2007, and is slightly below the 20-year average for fall harvests (about 13,000 from 1988-2007).

Harvest was down from fall 2007 in most counties (see table below), with the greatest decreases observed in DEC Regions 5 and 6 (northern NY), and portions of Region 3 (Ulster and Dutchess counties), Region 4 (Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany, and Rensselaer counties) and Region 8 (Genesee, Monroe, Wayne, and Seneca counties). The decrease in harvest is likely a result of both below-average production during spring 2008 and good mast production. In years where there is abundant hard and soft mast, turkeys do not have to roam as far to locate food, thus they are less vulnerable to harvest. Interestingly, some of the biggest increases in harvest from fall 2007 to fall 2008 were observed in Region 3 (Orange and Putnam counties), Region 4 (Delaware, Schoharie, Greene, and Columbia counties) and Region 8 (Livingston, Yates, Steuben, and Chemung counties) illustrating the large variation in harvest that can occur within regions due to spring/summer weather, brood habitat, and food availability.

The number of fall turkey hunters was up 15% from last year, but participation remains about 14% below the ten-year average. Despite this decline in participation in recent years, the hunter success rate has remained relatively stable at about 3 birds/100 days effort. Reasons for the decline in participation are uncertain, but may include changing demographics of New York's hunting population and the variety of other opportunities available to hunters in the fall.