Spring 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 spring 2007 was 35,625 birds, close to the 10-year average (about 36,000 from 1997-2006). This is an increase of 28% from spring 2006, and is the highest harvest since spring 2003. The spring 2007 season is the second straight year we have seen an increase in the statewide harvest after four years of declines (2001-05).
Harvest was up from 2006 in most counties (see table below), with the greatest increases observed in DEC Regions 8 and 9 (western NY). The exceptions to this were moderate declines (5-16%) observed in Regions 5 and 6 (northern NY).
As anticipated based on excellent production during summer 2005, a relatively mild winter in 2005-06, followed by below-average production in summer 2006, a large proportion of birds taken during the spring 2007 season were adult gobblers (2+ years old). About 68% of the harvest was comprised of toms (vs. 32% jakes), which was the highest proportion of adult birds in the spring harvest since 2003.
Wild Turkey Youth Hunt 2007 - DEC established a youth hunt for turkeys in 2004. More than 5,000 junior hunters have taken to the woods each year with their adult companions to take advantage of this special season. In spring 2007, we observed in increase in both participation and harvest, with roughly 7,000 junior hunters harvesting about 1,500 birds. Unlike spring 2006, both days of the youth hunt had excellent weather this year likely contributing to the boost in both harvest and the number of young hunters taking advantage of this great opportunity.
Note: We are currently compiling the results of the spring 2008 turkey hunter survey. The estimated harvest from the spring 2008 season will be available later this summer.
| County | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 1181 | 634 | 732 | 678 | 513 | 372 | 453 | 416 | 571 | n/a |
| Allegany | 935 | 831 | 1297 | 1107 | 1313 | 623 | 630 | 762 | 1390 | n/a |
| Broome | 1018 | 666 | 768 | 828 | 830 | 629 | 685 | 542 | 766 | n/a |
| Cattaraugus | 1857 | 2230 | 2191 | 1918 | 1964 | 888 | 729 | 965 | 1764 | n/a |
| Cayuga | 482 | 503 | 657 | 650 | 707 | 550 | 526 | 631 | 796 | n/a |
| Chautauqua | 2068 | 1987 | 2127 | 1840 | 2115 | 1096 | 962 | 1143 | 1832 | n/a |
| Chemung | 455 | 292 | 511 | 461 | 479 | 318 | 232 | 251 | 411 | n/a |
| Chenango | 1318 | 943 | 1209 | 1190 | 983 | 736 | 876 | 902 | 1130 | n/a |
| Clinton | 262 | 260 | 348 | 318 | 195 | 258 | 133 | 235 | 262 | n/a |
| Columbia | 1166 | 783 | 691 | 884 | 724 | 505 | 565 | 580 | 610 | n/a |
| Cortland | 717 | 460 | 664 | 506 | 486 | 393 | 522 | 458 | 589 | n/a |
| Delaware | 1969 | 1433 | 1536 | 1435 | 1332 | 663 | 901 | 839 | 974 | n/a |
| Dutchess | 1444 | 1027 | 1245 | 1301 | 1205 | 954 | 927 | 797 | 1104 | n/a |
| Erie | 1374 | 1522 | 1528 | 1519 | 1669 | 921 | 791 | 1036 | 1020 | n/a |
| Essex | 177 | 130 | 333 | 227 | 252 | 158 | 183 | 204 | 247 | n/a |
| Franklin | 211 | 275 | 362 | 288 | 235 | 199 | 183 | 265 | 224 | n/a |
| Fulton | 128 | 245 | 338 | 233 | 168 | 254 | 170 | 183 | 224 | n/a |
| Genesee | 275 | 337 | 265 | 356 | 322 | 372 | 226 | 286 | 277 | n/a |
| Greene | 830 | 401 | 532 | 478 | 587 | 334 | 319 | 304 | 429 | n/a |
| Hamilton | 86 | 80 | 133 | 110 | 40 | 53 | 58 | 82 | 78 | n/a |
| Herkimer | 1351 | 774 | 1108 | 857 | 737 | 531 | 673 | 668 | 856 | n/a |
| Jefferson | 1281 | 1217 | 1805 | 1181 | 791 | 937 | 769 | 1036 | 934 | n/a |
| Lewis | 598 | 511 | 658 | 374 | 269 | 386 | 229 | 311 | 417 | n/a |
| Livingston | 451 | 371 | 295 | 482 | 389 | 250 | 270 | 344 | 520 | n/a |
| Madison | 1207 | 897 | 1116 | 1150 | 650 | 500 | 500 | 566 | 761 | n/a |
| Monroe | 506 | 364 | 333 | 399 | 346 | 408 | 295 | 326 | 463 | n/a |
| Montgomery | 772 | 426 | 445 | 417 | 338 | 261 | 263 | 283 | 316 | n/a |
| Niagara | 401 | 348 | 347 | 263 | 276 | 259 | 159 | 267 | 432 | n/a |
| Oneida | 1609 | 1141 | 1739 | 1146 | 804 | 654 | 701 | 787 | 1113 | n/a |
| Onondaga | 629 | 729 | 1121 | 1102 | 920 | 629 | 497 | 632 | 761 | n/a |
| Ontario | 615 | 443 | 668 | 535 | 639 | 516 | 277 | 486 | 761 | n/a |
| Orange | 840 | 710 | 759 | 962 | 967 | 731 | 694 | 709 | 744 | n/a |
| Orleans | 227 | 245 | 233 | 202 | 266 | 212 | 151 | 198 | 231 | n/a |
| Oswego | 926 | 1060 | 1087 | 913 | 842 | 740 | 569 | 734 | 746 | n/a |
| Otsego | 2200 | 1365 | 1609 | 1546 | 1015 | 787 | 871 | 839 | 1039 | n/a |
| Putnam | 326 | 181 | 154 | 172 | 254 | 231 | 237 | 154 | 203 | n/a |
| Rensselaer | 772 | 558 | 596 | 528 | 492 | 299 | 410 | 468 | 571 | n/a |
| Rockland | 63 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 21 | 13 | 14 | 4 | n/a |
| St.Lawrence | 1366 | 1472 | 2123 | 1390 | 865 | 785 | 718 | 801 | 673 | n/a |
| Saratoga | 599 | 398 | 621 | 476 | 447 | 392 | 406 | 423 | 499 | n/a |
| Schenectady | 278 | 201 | 241 | 289 | 132 | 90 | 73 | 122 | 169 | n/a |
| Schoharie | 1313 | 706 | 841 | 834 | 677 | 612 | 573 | 556 | 619 | n/a |
| Schuyler | 436 | 393 | 448 | 514 | 538 | 238 | 349 | 382 | 465 | n/a |
| Seneca | 382 | 304 | 360 | 291 | 380 | 300 | 221 | 350 | 398 | n/a |
| Steuben | 1399 | 1156 | 1390 | 1323 | 1343 | 786 | 729 | 912 | 1477 | n/a |
| Sullivan | 609 | 598 | 818 | 656 | 708 | 475 | 444 | 465 | 826 | n/a |
| Tioga | 935 | 650 | 900 | 667 | 856 | 513 | 654 | 548 | 632 | n/a |
| Tompkins | 703 | 461 | 682 | 698 | 620 | 556 | 503 | 648 | 679 | n/a |
| Ulster | 861 | 706 | 905 | 734 | 830 | 509 | 582 | 566 | 697 | n/a |
| Warren | 91 | 110 | 163 | 86 | 132 | 111 | 112 | 117 | 101 | n/a |
| Washington | 1087 | 843 | 1172 | 814 | 854 | 685 | 666 | 596 | 792 | n/a |
| Wayne | 721 | 622 | 653 | 634 | 677 | 749 | 502 | 620 | 760 | n/a |
| Westchester | 153 | 133 | 100 | 145 | 159 | 107 | 73 | 73 | 147 | n/a |
| Wyoming | 542 | 621 | 872 | 599 | 792 | 427 | 367 | 484 | 588 | n/a |
| Yates | 698 | 511 | 539 | 566 | 644 | 343 | 284 | 379 | 533 | n/a |
| Total | 44,900 | 36,300 | 44,400 | 39,300 | 36,800 | 26,300 | 24,910 | 27,745 | 35,625 | n/a |

