Photo by Bruce Ingram

By J. Michael Kelly

Weather is routinely cited as a limiting factor in turkey reproduction, but rain and sunshine also play a critical role in turkey hunting. Think about it. A forecast of mild temperatures and blue skies urge a tired sportsman to get out of bed and into the woods before sunup, while an early-morning downpour would convince most of us to roll over and go back to sleep.

Last spring's weather undoubtedly caused many New York hunters to spend less time than usual with their backs against the trees.

Although the rain came down harder in some regions than others, drizzles and downpours gave most of the state a good soaking during the month of May. As a result, hunter effort was diminished, and the reported statewide kill of 7,117 turkeys, 5 percent fewer than the previous spring, might have given the wrong impression of how many birds were out there in the first place.

This year, hunting prospects are generally good, but opportunities may vary considerably from region to region along with the weather.

In the Syracuse area, for example, about two inches more rain than average fell last May. That meant nesting turkeys were probably harried constantly by foxes, skunks and other ground-bound predators. It's reasonable to assume that hens near the Salt City had an elevated rate of nesting failures and hatched fewer poults than usual.

But in some other areas of the state, such as the extreme southwest corner of the state and the Tug Hill Plateau east of Lake Ontario, precipitation in May '02 was moderate or light. In those locales, it's likely that a high percentage of eggs were hatched. The bottom line is more encouraging than discouraging for hunters.

Peering through a computer model that links reproductive trends to the volume of rainfall in May and June, the resident turkey expert at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry sees an upward trend in the statewide flock. Dr. William Porter estimated the state would harbor about 35 percent more birds in autumn 2003 than in the fall of 2002. Presumably, there should also be more jakes out and about this spring than last season.

It's worth noting that the model Porter uses has been 95 percent accurate in predicting up or down population trends since it was devised in the 1970s.

Hunters who struggled to kill a gobbler last spring can also find solace in a couple of long-term trends. In the more than three decades since New York's trap-and-transfer program kicked into high gear, turkeys have multiplied and proliferated in virtually every corner of the state, except for New York City and the high peaks region of the Adirondacks, although turkeys are seen in both places on occasion.

Empire State hunters killed a record 10,341 turkeys during the 1995 spring season, and in three of the seven seasons since then, they've topped the 9,000 mark. Wet springs and poor poult production resulted in disappointing hunting the last two years, but it would be no shock if the statewide take rises slightly this season.

Here is a look at six public lands where New York's turkey hunters can reasonably expect to collect their share of the harvest.

Outside of the Adirondacks, Allegany Park is the largest contiguous public hunting ground in the state. Most of its hills, gullies and woods are traversed by wild turkeys. It happens to include some of Cattaraugus County, which is one of New York's steadiest producers of wild Thanksgiving dinners. During the spring 2003 season, hunters bagged a reported total of 392 bearded birds in the county, second only to the 423 gobblers slain in neighboring Chautauqua County.

My first visit to the park, several seasons back, was a typical newcomer experience. I didn't score on a gobbler that weekday morning, but did convince several birds to talk back to me. I had more than a square mile of steep, hardwood-covered slopes all to myself. Amazingly, the birdy spot I selected after minimal scouting was no more than 300 yards uphill from the park stretch of Wolf Run Road.

The point is that while you could follow your compass to a backwoods corner of Allegany State Park, you don't have to. Much of the good hunting in the park is readily accessible even for relatively inexperienced woodsmen.

The lay of the land in the park varies from flat to almost straight up and down. Hillsides are covered with about a 60/40 mix of hardwoods and conifers, by my own unscientific estimate, and many of the hardwoods are acorn-laden red and white oaks.

Because the park abuts the Pennsylvania border and the Seneca Indian Nation reservation, visiting hunters would be wise to study a map before venturing into new territory. The ranger's office offers a suitable black-and-white handout hunters can get when they acquire the aforementioned permit.

To reach the park headquarters, take U.S. Route 86 (New York Route 17) to the Red House exit in Cattaraugus County south of Salamanca. The office is open 24 hours a day, so you can obtain the necessary papers on the morning of your hunt, if need be.

A limited number of park cabins and trailer sites are available for use during the May turkey season. To reserve a spot, call the park office at (716) 354-9121 at least a couple of weeks in advance of your trip.

For information on other accommodations near the park, call the Cattaraugus County Tourism folks at (716) 938-9111.

Rattlesnake Hill totals about 5,100 acres. As the name suggests, most of it is hilly, and the western half is remote. Its slopes are shaded by a rich variety of mast-producing trees including red and white oak, beech and cherry. It receives relatively light hunting pressure. A hunter who visits it in midweek is very apt to have several hundred acres all to himself, and even on weekends one should have little trouble finding some elbowroom.

To get to the WMA, take Route 436 west from Dansville in southeastern Livingston County for about six miles to Westview. About one mile beyond Westville, turn left onto Walsworth Road. It dead-ends on Ebert Road, which goes through the heart of the management area.

Rattlesnake Hill is at the north end of some of New York's best turkey habitat. Allegany County annually ranks in the top three counties for spring harvests. Last year, the May hunt in the county produced a total of 262 birds.

For information on lodging in the Dansville area, call the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce at (716) 413-4160 or the Allegany Tourism office at (716) 268-9229. The DEC Region 8 office in Avon at (585) 226-2466 offers a free brochure on Rattlesnake Hill.