
DEC Asks Central New York’s Help With Wild Turkey Survey
The New York State DEC needs your help when it comes to turkey. This isn't for hunters only either.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking the public to watch wild turkeys and report any sightings they have in an online form. The Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey is a way for the DEC to track wild turkey population, reproduction, and habitat changes.
Here's the 4 things they are looking for on the survey:
1) Record sightings during the month of August
2) Submit a separate report for each flock of turkeys observed, including those without poults.
3) Record the sex for all adults present. Generally, but not always, adult birds will be the same sex in any given flock.
4) Make an attempt not to report the same flock multiple times. Numerous duplications will bias the results.
Why are they asking for help? Documenting wild turkey sightings in August allows the DEC to estimate the population’s productivity and compare the prior year’s statistics. New Yorkers can help by documenting the date, location, age, and sex of the turkeys through the online form HERE. The DEC will post a summary of the collected data on the Fall Harvest and Productivity Dashboard.
New York State residents have been a part of this annual survey since 1996. Overall, the state’s turkey population is lower compared to the early 2000s, DEC said.
But results of a five-year DEC study that concluded in 2021 suggests turkey populations may have stabilized in the south and central portions of the state, said Joshua Twining, a postdoctoral research scientist at Cornell University."
You can read more online here.
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