Fall Turkey Take by County
As described in DEC's Wild Turkey Management Plan (PDF), DEC estimates the 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.
Annual Comparison
The estimated harvest for fall 2021 was 1,552 birds. This is below fall 2020 (2,333 birds) and the five-year average fall harvest (1,949 birds). We observed a decrease in turkey harvest from 2020 to 2021 in 73% of the 56 counties open to fall turkey hunting. The decline in harvest is attributable to a few factors: (1) poor reproductive success in summer 2021, (2) abundant food sources restricting bird movements and reducing vulnerability to harvest; and (3) a decline in hunting participation compared to fall 2020. The decline in hunting participation between years was only about 6% so it is likely that poor reproductive success and food availability played a larger role in the lower harvest observed. The top counties for estimated harvest were Suffolk, Chautauqua, Delaware, Otsego, and Washington.
Fall take has been stable over the past five years, similar to spring harvest. This is partially a reflection of turkey numbers, but is also a function of the relative stability of fall turkey hunting participation over this period. Fall participation has been steadily declining over the past two decades, but this decline seems to be leveling off since around 2013. The fall season currently has between 35,000-40,000 hunters. The modification of the fall season structure beginning in 2015 to a statewide 2-week season with a 1 bird bag limit does not appear to have significantly impacted hunting participation.
County | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albany | 121 | 33 | 76 | 13 | 18 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 14 |
Allegany | 123 | 122 | 98 | 73 | 63 | 40 | 82 | 39 | 101 | 53 |
Broome | 194 | 81 | 113 | 48 | 37 | 9 | 33 | 14 | 33 | 35 |
Cattaraugus | 193 | 229 | 163 | 66 | 118 | 63 | 97 | 64 | 139 | 63 |
Cayuga | 135 | 67 | 79 | 26 | 24 | 7 | 20 | 26 | 14 | 4 |
Chautauqua | 279 | 236 | 196 | 105 | 116 | 58 | 136 | 59 | 140 | 83 |
Chemung | 41 | 52 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 52 | 8 |
Chenango | 309 | 79 | 172 | 51 | 62 | 20 | 36 | 46 | 40 | 42 |
Clinton | 12 | 15 | 22 | 7 | 30 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 8 |
Columbia | 145 | 62 | 100 | 53 | 43 | 8 | 43 | 24 | 38 | 42 |
Cortland | 108 | 37 | 76 | 29 | 30 | 7 | 23 | 34 | 19 | 21 |
Delaware | 394 | 131 | 440 | 133 | 109 | 29 | 153 | 86 | 133 | 71 |
Dutchess | 124 | 98 | 116 | 36 | 48 | 17 | 70 | 24 | 64 | 42 |
Erie | 122 | 19 | 74 | 69 | 59 | 74 | 63 | 27 | 51 | 29 |
Essex | 27 | 2 | 19 | 34 | 27 | 3 | 26 | 4 | 16 | 14 |
Franklin | 14 | 12 | 60 | 14 | 66 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 25 | 22 |
Fulton | 43 | 15 | 28 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 32 | 11 |
Genesee | 17 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
Greene | 161 | 67 | 137 | 26 | 48 | 6 | 36 | 21 | 24 | 24 |
Hamilton | 23 | 2 | 25 | 3 | 30 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 23 | 0 |
Herkimer | 123 | 39 | 203 | 43 | 69 | 58 | 45 | 33 | 60 | 22 |
Jefferson | 188 | 176 | 212 | 42 | 87 | 65 | 57 | 82 | 79 | 65 |
Lewis | 70 | 71 | 91 | 20 | 66 | 31 | 36 | 71 | 46 | 28 |
Livingston | 27 | 30 | 54 | 22 | 39 | 6 | 21 | 16 | 42 | 14 |
Madison | 174 | 52 | 94 | 21 | 26 | 17 | 43 | 34 | 31 | 28 |
Monroe | 51 | 8 | 47 | 17 | 29 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 14 |
Montgomery | 154 | 71 | 79 | 40 | 48 | 20 | 41 | 30 | 36 | 52 |
Niagara | 43 | 8 | 27 | 10 | 19 | 48 | 26 | 10 | 26 | 19 |
Oneida | 95 | 100 | 110 | 32 | 53 | 34 | 59 | 75 | 65 | 39 |
Onondaga | 167 | 69 | 143 | 29 | 22 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 26 | 21 |
Ontario | 61 | 74 | 44 | 37 | 37 | 22 | 48 | 29 | 42 | 25 |
Orange | 207 | 144 | 158 | 58 | 54 | 26 | 48 | 21 | 64 | 24 |
Orleans | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 10 |
Oswego | 65 | 14 | 58 | 24 | 41 | 30 | 26 | 16 | 54 | 29 |
Otsego | 315 | 119 | 297 | 92 | 58 | 30 | 80 | 46 | 76 | 67 |
Putnam | 27 | 29 | 6 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
Rensselaer | 121 | 40 | 97 | 26 | 36 | 18 | 28 | 24 | 33 | 21 |
Rockland | 13 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
St. Lawrence | 144 | 78 | 196 | 48 | 77 | 37 | 50 | 67 | 62 | 56 |
Saratoga | 83 | 37 | 81 | 30 | 43 | 18 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 19 |
Schenectady | 24 | 17 | 24 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
Schoharie | 247 | 75 | 236 | 58 | 50 | 33 | 46 | 38 | 24 | 35 |
Schuyler | 27 | 26 | 31 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 5 | 20 | 6 |
Seneca | 32 | 8 | 30 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 0 |
Steuben | 164 | 56 | 153 | 95 | 59 | 48 | 76 | 59 | 78 | 54 |
Suffolk | 110 | 30 | 36 | 87 | 81 | 124 | 120 | 102 | 68 | 84 |
Sullivan | 197 | 37 | 125 | 40 | 39 | 6 | 58 | 9 | 57 | 35 |
Tioga | 177 | 60 | 158 | 36 | 41 | 6 | 25 | 26 | 47 | 17 |
Tompkins | 142 | 40 | 85 | 31 | 28 | 12 | 36 | 17 | 12 | 14 |
Ulster | 132 | 104 | 103 | 43 | 30 | 23 | 36 | 17 | 45 | 28 |
Warren | 31 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 15 | 22 | 8 | 21 | 11 |
Washington | 234 | 42 | 152 | 71 | 41 | 11 | 85 | 17 | 55 | 67 |
Wayne | 40 | 11 | 37 | 19 | 19 | 34 | 26 | 13 | 21 | 2 |
Westchester | 33 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
Wyoming | 38 | 41 | 64 | 27 | 21 | 32 | 39 | 7 | 33 | 14 |
Yates | 70 | 70 | 78 | 29 | 30 | 12 | 33 | 20 | 33 | 14 |
Total | 6,422 | 3,256 | 5,373 | 2,045 | 2,316 | 1,278 | 2,270 | 1,549 | 2,333 | 1,552 |