DEC seeks participants for 2021 summer wild turkey survey

ALBANY, N.Y. >> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos recently encouraged New Yorkers to take part in the State’s annual survey of wild turkeys.

“As New Yorkers continue to get outside this summer and reconnect with nature, we ask that they keep an eye out for the State’s most popular game bird, the wild turkey,” Seggos said.

“Reporting the turkeys you see this August helps DEC monitor the turkey population and contributes to our ongoing scientific efforts to survey this species,” Seggos added.

Since 1996, DEC has conducted the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey to track wild turkey populations and estimate the number of wild turkey poults (young of the year) per hen statewide. Weather, predation, and habitat conditions during breeding and brood-rearing seasons can significantly impact nest success, and hen and poult survival. This index allows DEC to gauge reproductive success and predict fall harvest potential.

During August, survey participants record the sex and age composition of all flocks of wild turkeys observed during normal travel. Those interested in participating can click the “Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Online report” on the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey webpage.

Additional information is available on the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey and Citizen Science Initiatives webpages.

To improve public safety and encourage visitors to State-owned lands to practice responsible recreation, this spring DEC launched the ‘Love Our New York Lands’ campaign. The campaign is responsive to the steady increase in the number of visitors to state lands, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the decade prior, as more and more New Yorkers and visitors from other states and countries discovered the natural beauty of New York State lands.