GOYABEAN
.950 JDJ
Hunting & Trapping Newsletter
Hunting & Trapping Newsletter
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 04/24/2019
Hunting and Trapping Newsletter
Spring Turkey Season Starts May 1
Spring turkey season opens May 1 in all of upstate New York north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary.
Poor reproductive success in summer 2017 may mean that hunters see fewer adult gobblers this spring compared to last year, but this may be offset by opportunities for jakes resulting from improved reproductive success in 2018 and good overwinter survival. The estimated turkey harvest for spring 2018 was about 19,000 birds.
When you head afield, be sure to follow the cardinal rules of hunting safety: assume every gun is loaded, control the muzzle, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot, be absolutely sure of your target and what may be beyond it, and don’t stalk. Set up with your back against a large tree and call birds to you.
DEC Seeks Turkey Hunters for Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey
Turkey hunters in pursuit of that wary gobbler in the spring are ideally suited for monitoring ruffed grouse during the breeding season. Turkey hunters can record the number of grouse they hear drumming while afield to help DEC track the distribution and abundance of this game bird. To get a survey form, visit the DEC website, e-mail wildlife@dec.ny.gov, or call (518) 402-8883.
New York Hunters Interested in More Crossbow Opportunities
Most survey respondents who don’t currently own a crossbow said that they would get one if crossbows could be used during the entire big game bow season. By a more than 3-to-1 margin, respondents are in favor of purchasing a bowhunting privilege rather than a muzzleloading privilege to hunt with a crossbow. Most respondents are also in favor of allowing 12 and 13-year-olds to hunt with crossbows and allowing crossbow use in archery-only WMUs. With respect to the latter question, respondents who hunt primarily in those WMUs support allowing crossbow use there by a 4-to-1 margin.
The full report on the survey results is available on the DEC website.