Photo by D. Toby Thompson.

Recent turkey population trends, relative hunting pressure, public access opportunities and other factors must be considered in ranking New York's best fall turkey-hunting destinations.

Taking all of this into account, no one will dispute that the following counties merit special attention from gobbler-getters this season:

CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
For the first four years of this century, autumn hunters bagged an average of 693 turkeys in Cattaraugus County, and a year before that in 1999, the county produced a state high of 1,537 fall-season birds.

But Cattaraugus County hunters have more than 100,000 acres of public hunting areas to spread out on, including the 65,000-acre Allegany State Park south of Salamanca.

The park offers a near-wilderness experience for hunters willing to hike half a mile or so from the park roads. The county also has one large wildlife management area in 4,571-acre Hanging Bog WMA off Route 305 in the town of Hudson, plus 33,000 acres of state forests, all of which offer turkey hunting ranging from fair to good.

Check out the two South Valley forests totaling more than 4,100 acres in the town of Randolph, immediately west of Allegany Reservoir. They feature the same sort of steep, heavily wooded hills -- some might say "mountains" -- that dominate the state park's landscape and offer similar numbers of turkeys.

If you prefer to hunt in the park, you must obtain a free hunting permit in addition to your state license before going afield. Permits are available by calling the park police office at (716) 354-2535.

The folks at Cattaraugus County Tourism, at (716) 938-9111, will suggest alternate accommodations in the area.

MADISON COUNTY
Blessed with a mix of forested hills and farmlands, perfect habitat for the Eastern wild turkey, Madison County typically produces 400 roasting birds each fall for its devoted hunters. In 2001, the autumn tally was the 10th-highest among the state's counties -- an impressive 778 birds.

They tend to run big, too, partly because they have no need to tighten their belts in the winter. Unlike turkeys residing in more densely forested counties, the flocks in Madison County often feast on the undigested grain and other tidbits served up by local manure spreaders.

Wes Stiles, a retired New York Department of Environmental Conservation biologist, referred to the spectacle of farm tractors delivering these snacks on the snow as "the American Dairy Association's free-lunch program."

Many local farmers grant permission to polite fall turkey hunters. But Madison County also has more than 28,000 acres of public hunting areas.

In fact, the National Wild Turkey Federation's state chapter thought so highly of the 3,605-acre Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area that it helped fund a DEC habitat-enhancement project on the premises, which lie east of New Woodstock off Damon Road.

Other good bets for turkey hunters in Madison County include the 3,430-acre Beaver Creek forest in the town of Brookfield off Beaver Creek Road and Fairground Road; and the 9,414-acre Charles Baker forest, also in the town of Brookfield east of Route 12 off Moscow and Quaker Hill roads.

For assistance in finding lodging in Madison County, contact the county tourism office at (315) 684-7320.

The 70,000 acres of public hunting grounds within its borders are a big reason why Chenango County's fall turkey harvest has been so rich lately. Calculated kills in recent years have ranged from a low of 341 turkeys in fall 2000 to a high of 939 a year later. (That one-year range -- owing to a bumper crop of poults in the spring, 2000, reproductive season, illustrates the ability of turkey populations to bounce back in a hurry.)

Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area is a 4,500-acre mix of rolling hills, timber and small clear-cuts off Route 23 between Sherburne and Norwich. It's probably the most heavily hunted of Chenango County's public parcels. But several other spots also merit attention from fall turkey hunters.

For example, check out the 3,254-acre Long Pond State Forest on either side of Route 41 in the town of Smithville; the 9,120-acre New Michigan State Forest off Center Road in Pharsalia; and the 3,469-acre Melondy Hill forest southwest of Bennettsville on Melondy Hill Road in the town of Afton.

Each of these is characterized by moderately steep, mostly wooded terrain and harbors better than average turkey populations.

Chenango County's Chamber of Commerce, at (607) 334-1400, is the place to inquire about accommodations for visiting hunters.