DEC seeking landowner assistance with turkey study

[Jennifer]

I know sometimes we complain about certain agencies not doing enough research into the game we love to hunt. Well, here's your chance to help out if you are a landowner in some parts of NY. Especially if you have turkey activity on your property!

 

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/94783.html

 

 

Beginning in January, DEC will embark on a statewide effort to capture wild turkey hens and fit them with leg bands to obtain accurate data on survival and harvest. A small number of these birds will also be tagged with satellite radio-transmitters. All of the work will be done by DEC personnel on both public and private lands from January through March. The research will be concentrated in DEC Regions 3 through 9 where turkey populations are largest.

[...]

DEC is looking for landowners in DEC Regions 3 through 9 interested in allowing birds to be trapped on their land, as well as alerting project coordinators when they see turkeys on their property on a regular basis. Once turkeys are trapped and banded, they will immediately be released at the same location. Not all locations are suitable for deploying capture equipment, so landowners should contact their regional project coordinator to discuss the suitability of their property. Observations of turkey flocks during January through March can be reported to the project coordinator for that region or can be reported using the Winter Wild Turkey Flock Survey form found on DEC's website.
For more information on this project, contact the regional project coordinator below or DEC by e-mail at [email protected]. "Turkey Study" should be listed as the subject line in any e-mails.

 

More info and regional contact information: http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/94783.html

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Have to tell ya. I have over 100 turkeys on our farm every day but i cant say i would let DEC around them. A few years back a buddy of mine let them do their so called trapping and tagging only to find out later that birds were trapped,tagged and then taken and released at other places in the state. Without his Ok or even telling him. He only found out by a friend's wife that worked in the DEC office.

 

Would be different if the truth was told about what they really had planned. If their plan was to relocate birds.

[G-Man]

Have to tell ya. I have over 100 turkeys on our farm every day but i cant say i would let DEC around them. A few years back a buddy of mine let them do their so called trapping and tagging only to find out later that birds were trapped,tagged and then taken and released at other places in the state. Without his Ok or even telling him. He only found out by a friend's wife that worked in the DEC office.

Would be different if the truth was told about what they really had planned. If their plan was to relocate birds.

I have done the tom study back in 07 and they didn't move birds, they haven't trapped and transfered birds since late 90's. They even let me help in tagging, and releasing as well as be part of the capture. They are currently in the 3rd year of a fisher study here using camera traps. I have a feeling they were pulling a joke on your friend.... I have never had an issue with them and like to see them on the property. I also have a us forest service plot on my property and their workers are again courteous and helpful.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

I have done the tom study back in 07 and they didn't move birds, they haven't trapped and transfered birds since late 90's. They even let me help in tagging, and releasing as well as be part of the capture. They are currently in the 3rd year of a fisher study here using camera traps. I have a feeling they were pulling a joke on your friend.... I have never had an issue with them and like to see them on the property. I also have a us forest service plot on my property and their workers are again courteous and helpful.

So i guess he was one of the unlucky in Jefferson County... Just an FYI...His birds from his farm released on a farm up in Watson in Lewis County.  Yes the joke was on him and the birds they relocated at his expense.  

 

On a good note though..with this winter like it has been and the 100 plus birds on the farm, it will be a great spring season again.

[stoneam2006]

Ik the dec traps and tags and relocates turkey every year right up road from me it's a thing all the elders go watch them do...wife's grandparents been watching it for 20 plus years....but always seems to be 50 plus birds in that specific field quite often...one of the only open ag fields around

[hunter49]

  I have 17 turks coming to the bird feeder every few days, (had 21 coming before season) And I didn't hunt them at all.  The flock has 3 toms with 6-8" beards (strutting 2 days ago), 3 bearded hens, 1 adult hen & the rest are hens.  But I 'm not telling anyone!(dec.) lol

[tater]

Turkeys flock up every winter on my property. The last two years I called the DEC to participate in this study. They never show up to do it though, so this year I'm not calling, I tried to help them out enough.

[Jennifer]

Not every property is suitable for the study, but thank you for trying, tater.