NY Spring Turkey Harvest - HUGE 10 Year Decline!

[Cabin Fever]

In the latest issue of NY Outdoor News, it reports that in 2001, spring turkey harvest was at an all time high of 45,000 birds. In 2011, the spring turkey harvest was 18,738 birds!! Talk about a HUGE decline!! They are blaming wet springs for poor production/survival rates and predation for the decline.

10-12 years ago, turkeys were THICK in my area! I had never seen a place with more turkeys before! On an average day of bowhunting, I would see ~50 birds and hear multiple flocks calling to eachother. Every year since then, there would be less and less birds around. For the past 4-5 years, I seldom see any turkeys or any sign. I also keep 5 trailcams out year round, but seldom ever get any pics of turkeys. I've had years where I haven't seen any or gotten any pics of turkeys at all! My daughter is now 12 and is looking forward to turkey hunting this spring, but it's sad that I doubt we'll have any around this spring to hunt...

Makes me wonder where we'll be in another 10 years???

[sweet old bill]

same here in 4O area was a high and then the yote came and had dinner. I was able in the past years see several flocks of turkey on our pasture, they had about 50 birds or more each. Now if I see 10 birds It is a good day. Last sprink we found over 5 fawn bones in the pasture and also lots of turkey feathers from young birds...Maybe the DEC should have a allyear shootin sight limit on the yotes...

[Grouse]

I agree. Used to be lots of turkey on my land in 4P ten years back. I've seen the decline every year since, while at the same time seeing a rise in the coyote population.

It makes no sense to have a season on coyote. I believe they are the reason for the decline in deer and turkey populations in my area.

[Rev Ev]

I know my regular areas in Niagara county that I could go to and see turkeys now have none, since just last year. I have been scouting several farms that last year had birds, and now nothing.

The good news is, that according to NWTF in six years turkeys can completely saturate an area to the maximum number habitat can sustain. We just need some good springs.

[burmjohn]

This looks like a good spring to me... Plenty of food already out there.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Here's the link, for each county. Little scary with the weather conditions right now. Another bad spring for turkey?

spring turkey harvest 2011.htm

Edited April 24, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[G-Man]

Well when populations were high, all the guys(10) at camp turkey hunted, when they are low its down to me and my brother. lots of factors in harvest data..... not calculated if you buy a licence you must hunt right?? not so i have lots of friends who buy turkey tags incase they see one while bow hunting in the fall. Never hunt in spring. Though the low population is caused by bad hatch survival, the harvest numbers do not tell the whole story. I hope we get a dry warm may early june, get those poults to survive a bit better!!

[landtracdeerhunter]

I know the DEC. changed the way turkey population is recorded a few years ago. Instead of using actual harvest numbers, as in the past, they use an " estimated " total turkey harvest based on 12,000 turkey permit holders by mail at the close of the season. I have never received such a card, but my son receives one faithfully every year. I don't know if this system is any better than actual reported and calculation method. We're loosing habitat in this area, do to lose of fence rows and woods lots , making way for more corn production to feed the alcohol plant. Habitat will decide population of a species. Turkeys, no doubt, are suffering due to this. Their may be a bright spot however. More agriculture may mean more deer, and bigger ones too!

Edited April 24, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter

[RangerClay]

I'm a firm beliver in Mother Nature's check & balances. 20-25 years ago the turkey populations were growing exponentially but I rarely saw coyotes. Now I see coyotes everywhere and hear them howling at night where I never had before. Now all of the turkeys are gone. Last year we never heard a single bird gobble on opening day and just 10 years ago all four of us would bag a bird on opening day.

Another factor you need to concider is your raccoon & skunk populations. Hardly anyone is trapping anymore. These critters are robbing the nests blind!!!!

[landtracdeerhunter]

Totally agree.

[Grizz1219]

I think coyotes do a lot more damage than any F & W service gives them credit for...

[nyantler]

My theory is that as the population of turkeys began to peak... and the amount of available hens increased... toms became less receptive to calling... therefore making it harder to call a bird into range than it was 10 years ago... causing less birds to be killed. I still see thee same number of birds.. but tom's just don't respond the same to calling as they did years ago.. I use to have birds come running into a call.. now you're lucky if you can get one to even turn it's head and look at toward the call.. if you can't call them in .. you can't kill 'em. well.. unless you want to try and sneak up on one with that umbrella thing...lol

Edited April 24, 2012 by nyantler

[SplitG2]

it's more than yotes....fox, racoon and possum play a bigger toll than the yote. I believe the decline in trappers will have a bigger impact than anyone could imagine. thinking of taking the trapping class.

[NFA-ADK]

Trapping would make a dif in your area if you can get more people into it. I meet a trapper this year and I am taking the course, not to realy do a lot of trapping but just another reason to get into the woods... It is a dying breed, yet we need them to help with predation control. How many people do you know that go fox, coon, possum, yote, and or bobcat hunt? Plus they can take beaver... I was thanking the trapper multiple times for trapping beaver, otherwise I would have miles a year closed off to hunting due to beaver dams! Cull the predators and your turkey will return.

[First-light]

Th common house cat does huge amount of damage to small mammals. They kill 1 billion mammals each year, I'm sure polts are on the hit list.

[BigTomsCalls]

Th common house cat does huge amount of damage to small mammals. They kill 1 billion mammals each year, I'm sure polts are on the hit list.

I had one of my cats last spring try and catch a poult. Ol' momma hen beat the hell out of him all the way back to the house!!! Let me tell you that hen really put a hurting on him!! LOL

I wiil agree that the tom's don't seem to be as vocal as they used to be. Most only gobble on the roost and then shut up after pitching down. They can be called in though you just have to be super aware of whats going on because many come in silent. I called in a bird last spring that only made one cluck after fly down!! There is no doubt that coyotes are the problem because I've had my fair share of set up ruined be coyotes going to a gobbling bird or to my calling!!

[Dave]

I jumped a turkey on a nest with eggs almost two weeks ago. Wonder if the heavy rains will affect the eggs , hope they make it.

Dave

[t_barb]

The "good spring weather"/"bad spring weather" thing works itself out over time, so I don't think that is it. I think the predetors are the problem.

It often takes place before the eggs hatch.. I think the fox and coyotes eat the eggs every chance they get. Every time they find a nest it is 100% devestation... I have seen that on my property.

It doesn't seem that long ago that I would be up in my stand during bow season on a nice quite morning and would get all pissed off when 30 or 40 birds would come scratching thier way through the woods. You could hear them coming from a mile away. Boy would I love to hear that sound these days.

[nyantler]

a lower number of turkeys is not necessarily a bad thing

[SplitG2]

It's not necessary a good thing either.

[SplitG2]

It's not necessary a good thing either.

[SplitG2]

It's not necessary a good thing either.

[SplitG2]

Sorry multiple post. Using phone

[nyantler]

It's not necessary a good thing either.

Maybe from the perspective of a hunter.. but not necessarily mother nature. There has been such an upswing of turkey on our 1000 acre lease in the last 10 years... there needed to be a downswing to keep things in balance. Remember that the more animals competing for food the tougher it gets for all of them during tough winters... any decrease in the population of any animal probably is a product of mother nature keeping things balanced... unless we as hunters are messing it up she does a pretty good job of doing just that.