Track Turkeys This Summer

It's not quite Thanksgiving season yet, but we're talkin' turkey. This August, you can help the Department of Environmental Conservation track the New York turkey population.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos encouraged New Yorkers to participate in the 23rd Summer Wild Turkey Survey in last week's press release.

Citizen science efforts like the Summer Turkey Sighting Survey provide DEC's wildlife managers with invaluable data while giving New Yorkers the opportunity to partner with us and help monitor New York's wildlife resources. I encourage residents to take the time to record any observations of turkeys while exploring the forests and fields around their homes or driving through the state's beautiful landscapes this summer.

Participants will track the sex and age composition of the turkey flocks they see throughout their average activities in August. These observations will help the DEC determine how successful New York turkeys' mating has been and predict how that will affect flocks in the future, according to the press release.

Survey cards are available at local DEC offices, by phone at 518-402-8883 or by email at wildlife@dec.ny.gov by putting "Turkey Survey" in the subject line. You can also submit individual turkey observations on the DEC's website.