Approaching from the Buffalo area, follow Interstate Route 90 west to the exit at Westfield. Follow state Route 394 east to Chautauqua, and then county Road 76 south to Panama. All five individual units are south of Panama.

For information about local services, contact the Chautauqua-Allegheny regional tourism office, Route 394, Main Gate Welcome Center, Chautauqua, NY 14722; or call (800) 242-4569.

ALLEGHENY STATE PARK
A turkey-farming program through the 1950s failed, but a trap-and-transfer program was successful in establishing our favorite game bird throughout the state. The first turkeys trapped and transferred were taken from Allegany State Park in 1959, so we will give this huge public hunting area the honor of our second suggestion.

Hunters will need a permit to hunt on Allegany State Park. Permits are available at park law enforcement offices. Sunday hunting is not allowed in the park; however, there are several other state lands in the vicinity where Sunday hunting is allowed. Try South Valley State Forest, which is across the Allegheny Reservoir from the park.

One of the best things about Allegany State Park is that it has 424 campsites and 375 cabin rentals, many more than any other New York state park, which is fitting for it being the state's largest such park. A group of friends can enjoy a reasonably inexpensive spring gobbler hunting vacation in a centralized hunting camp.

The park contains 65,000 acres and most of those acres are open to hunting. The terrain is steep hills, in fact, the highest land in western New York, though not nearly as high as the Catskills or Adirondacks. Most of it is covered with hardwood forest. There are several scattered open sections.

To get there from the Rochester area, take I-390 south to I-86, and then proceed east. There are exit signs directing visitors to the park.

Campsites may be reserved by phoning (800) 456-CAMP. Get more information about the park by contacting the Allegany State Park office, 2373 ASP, Route 1, Suite 3, Salamanca, NY 14779; or call (716) 354-9121.

Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County have the highest average spring gobbler harvests in the state, both around 1,000 birds per year, so a closer look at these neighboring counties is in order. (Average spring gobbler harvests are for the years 1999 through 2004.) Both counties contain ideal wild turkey habitat.

Also a good indicator, these two counties lead the state in fall turkey harvests by a margin of about 30 percent more than the third-best county and better than 2 1/2 times more than the average for all counties.

Just pick a tract of public land in the southeastern corner of New York and start scouting for turkeys. Chances are very good that you will find birds if you know what you are doing.

EAST OTTO STATE FOREST
East Otto State Forest contains 1,354 acres of state forestland in northern Cattaraugus County. Flat to gently rolling terrain is mostly forested, including many conifer plantations, but there are ample openings and wetlands as well as patchwork habitat in the surrounding area.

East Otto SF is southwest of Springville. Take U.S. Route 219 south and then turn west on county Road 12. The state forestland is between county Route 12 and county Road 11. Access is provided by Traffic Street and Kriedeman Forest Road.