Spring Turkey Take by County

As described in DEC's Wild Turkey Management Plan (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 DEC 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.

Annual Comparison

The estimated wild turkey harvest for spring 2021 was 16,892 birds. This is a 21% decrease from spring 2020 and is below the 10-year average spring take (about 19,600 birds). The decrease in harvest observed in spring 2021 is likely due to a decrease in hunting participation compared to 2020 and poor production during summer 2019.

Roughly 80,000 hunters went afield in spring 2021, compared to 94,000 the previous year and an average of 89,000 per year over the past 10 years. The relatively high participation rate and effort observed in spring 2020 was likely linked to an increase in hunters' free time due to the response to COVID-19. An increase in turkey hunting participation and effort in spring 2020 was observed in other states as well.

Some of the decrease in spring harvest from 2020 to 2021 can be attributed to a decline in turkey abundance compared to last year. There is a lag between turkey reproductive success and spring harvest two years later as hunters prefer to harvest toms (2+ year-old birds). With poor production observed in most regions of the state in summer 2019, we anticipated that the spring 2021 harvest would be below average, and this was the case.

The top five counties for estimated harvest were Steuben, Delaware, Chautauqua, St. Lawrence, and Oneida counties. The estimated spring turkey take decreased from 2020 to 2021 in 79% of counties, was similar between years in 14% of counties, and increased in 7% of counties open to spring turkey hunting.

There was one hunting-related shooting incident (HRSI) during the spring 2021 turkey season. This is the same as the previous year and slightly below the long-term annual average (2 HRSIs per spring turkey season). HRSIs are preventable if hunters follow the four rules of firearm safety: (1) treat every firearm as if it is loaded; (2) keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot; (3) always be aware of your muzzle and keep it pointed in a safe direction; and (4) be aware of your target and what is in front of and beyond it.