Turkey Hunting Starts Saturday In WNY… With Changes

Opening day of the Fall Turkey Season is this Saturday in Western New York and there are some changes.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has implemented some changes to the season after studies have shown a decline in numbers.

I spend a good deal of time in the woods and talk to hunters all over the area. From what I have seen and heard, three has been a drop in the amount of flocks and numbers per flock of turkeys in New York.

Here are the changes

The new fall seasons are two weeks long with a statewide season bag limit of one bird of either sex. Season dates vary regionally with the season in the Northern Zone running October 1-14, the Southern Zone running October 17-30, and Suffolk County (Long Island) running November 21-December 4

Whether it's predators or weather causing the decline, or a combination of both, the DEC feels that the changes to the fall season will help bring the numbers back.