N.Y. (WETM) — If you’ve seen any wild turkeys during August this summer, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) would like you to report your sightings.

Every summer, the DEC conducts the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey to estimate the average number of poults (young turkeys) each turkey hen has across the state. The information obtained from this survey shows the DEC how much reproductive success wild turkeys have each year and allows the DEC to predict fall harvest potential for this popular game bird.

Anyone that has seen turkeys this past month can help the DEC by taking its survey. Survey participants don’t even have to snap a picture of the turkeys; they just need to count the turkeys. The survey asks how many different wild turkey flocks were observed, where the turkeys were seen, and how many turkeys were seen. The number of turkeys observed is broken into the categories of adult males, adult females, poults, and unknown age and sex. The DEC asks participants to try not to report the same flock more than once because this can skew the results.

Last year, the DEC received 2,268 turkey flock sighting reports in its annual survey, which is nearly twice the number of reports received in 2021. Recent survey results have shown that wild turkey reproductive success is significantly lower than it was in the early 2000s and when the survey began in 1996. If the 2023 survey shows similar results to the past few, hunters should scout for foraging areas before turkey hunting.

Results from the 2018 through 2022 Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Surveys can be found on this page of the DEC’s website. Those who would like to participate in the 2023 survey by reporting their turkey sightings can fill out this form.