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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.

New York State Estimated Fall Turkey Harvest
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

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