How's your turkey season going so far? What I am hearing from a lot of hunters is that they are not seeing the amount of birds they usually do. Some have blamed winter, although it was not that bad this year. Some blame the early mating season, due in part because of the lack of winter. Some blame the wet and cold spring of 2011 for killing off the hatch. There is another potential problem in the mix, a new disease in wild turkeys. The DEC needs your help in identifying whether an emerging disease called Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus (LPDV) is present in New York State's wild turkeys. Skin lesions sometimes caused by LPDV resemble those caused by avian pox, another viral disease that has frequently been recorded in wild turkeys in New York. Because of the similarity in lesions, there are concerns that the presence of LPDV may be overlooked or dismissed as avian pox. The DEC's Wildlife Health Unit would like to obtain samples of birds you harvest or encounter with these lesions. For instructions on how to provide a sample, please contact your regional DEC office or e-mail us at fwwildlf@gw.dec.state.ny.us. TheDEC advises against eating any wild animals that appear sick. You can read more about LPDV in turkeys in the January issue of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Briefs (http://www.vet.uga.edu/scwds/briefs/January-2012-Briefs.pdf) and more about avian pox in the National Wild Turkey Federation article, Avian Pox: a Disease that Can Affect Any Bird (http://www.nwtf.org/conservation/bulletins/bulletin_24.pdf).

DEC Renews Partnership Agreement with National Wild Turkey Federation
Continuing more than two decades of a productive conservation alliance, DEC and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) recently renewed their partnership to conserve wild turkeys in New York State. To successfully meet conservation challenges, both DEC and NWTF agreed that working together in planning, developing, implementing and promoting efforts to improve the wild turkey resource will provide benefits exceeding those achieved through separate initiatives. You can check out whats going on with the NWTF in New York State by visiting their website at http://www.nwtf.org/new_york/

Harvest Report for 2012 Spring Youth Turkey Hunt
Reported harvest for the ninth annual Youth Turkey Hunt held April 21-22, 2012 was on par with last season but below the long-term average. Factors contributing to this included inclement weather in several areas across the state on Sunday and fewer birds due to poor production for the past few years and the severe winter of 2011. Despite the weekend's challenging weather, junior hunters (ages 12-15) in 53 of the 56 counties open to this special youth hunt harvested turkeys. You can view several photos of proud, successful youth hunters on DEC's Hunting and Trapping Photo Gallery webpage, http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/54149.html
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On the Anti-gun front, in Albany they are trying once again to pass a 5-year re-licensing bill for all pistol permit holders. The Big Apple has problems, but these constant illogical anti-firearm legislative bills won't solve them. They will indeed punish the rest of the state and any law abiding citizens. New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties already have five year renewal, and Westchester County has five year certification. Neither the current law, nor this proposal, provides any guidance on what would constitute license renewal nor establishes fees. So look at who's behind trying to force this issue on the rest of us here in Upstate NY. I'll leave it to you to decide if there is any trend here.

Assembly bill A380 -Sponsor - Vivian Cook - D,C - Queens. Co-Sponsors - Michelle Schimer - D – Nassau, Linda Rosenthal - D – Nassau, Ellen Jaffe - D - New York, Amy Paulin - D – Rockland, Brian Kavanagh - D - New York, Karim Camera - D – Kings, Thomas Abinati - D – Westchester, Charles Lavine - D - Nassau. Multi-Sponsors - William Boyland Jr. - D – Kings, James Brennan - D – Kings, Barbara Clark - D – Queens, Steven Cymbrowitz - D – Kings, Earlene Hooper - D,L – Nassau, N. Nick Perry - D – Kings, Helene Weinstein - D - Kings
Senate bill S725 - Sponsor - Jose Peralta - D,W - Queens. Co-Sponsor - Daniel Squadron - D - Kings, New York
In a message I received from Senator Seward's Chief of Staff, Duncan Davies, he told me that the bill will never get out of the Republican dominated senate. Thank goodness for that!
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Good news on the federal side of the anti-gun issue. Thanks to pro-gun voters in Indiana, Richard Mourdock has won the republican primary election for U.S. Senate in Indiana defeating 36-year incumbent, Sen. Richard Lugar. Since the 1990s, Sen. Lugar has become notorious for his zealous support of gun control schemes and his fervent anti-gun positions.
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Landowner Property Issues Workshops - Rural landowners are often faced with many questions about their properties. What are my rights and responsibilities if I own land? How do I deal with issues in owning land? How do I transfer the land to my heirs? How can I make some additional money from my land? CCE Chenango will answer these questions by offering two workshops for landowners in Broome, Chenango, and Otsego counties. Landowners from any county are welcome to attend.
The Landowner Property Legal Issues Workshop will cover legal issues and opportunities including leasing, liability, posting, and trespass. The leasing section will also review opportunities to make lasing profitable for farm and rural landowners.
The Estate Planning and Transitions for Farm and Rural Landowners Workshop will cover basic estate planning and transitions for farm and rural landowners. Options for transfer including tax implications, planning, easements and land trusts will be reviewed. This will provide landowners with tools and ideas on how to plan for the transfer of their properties, and in particular for those who wish to keep their land in their families. Registration Information is $10 per person, includes light refreshments and materials. Please register two days in advance.
Dates
• Landowner Property Legal Issues Workshop, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24. 607-772-8953, or clf62@cornell.edu, CCE Broome, at 840 Upper Front Street, Binghamton, NY. Thursday, June 7. 607-334-5841, ext. 11, or cag256@cornell.edu, CCE Chenango, 99 North Broad Street, Norwich NY. Thursday, June 28. 607-547-2536, ext. 226, or email ajc378@cornell.edu, CCE Otsego, 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown, N.Y.
• Estate Planning and Transitions for Farm and Rural Landowners Workshop, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22. 607-334-5841, ext. 11, or cag256@cornell.edu at CCE Chenango. Tuesday, June 5. 607-772-8953, or clf62@cornell.edu at CCE Broome. Tuesday, June 19. 607-547-2536, ext. 226, or ajc378@cornell.edu CCE Otsego
For more information, contact Rich Taber, Cornell Cooperative Extension Chenango County: 607-334-5841 ext. 21, or rbt44@cornell.edu.
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Canoe or kayak Beaver Creek
Experience the quiet of slow moving Beaver Creek, the emerging vegetation and a variety of wildlife with volunteer Adam Schoonmaker. Meet at Rogers Center parking lot to caravan to the site near Brookfield. Call to register. Cost: $15 per paddler, or $5 with your boat. Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 2721 State Highway 80, Sherburne, N.Y. 13460 or phone 607-674-4733.
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Tree ID for beginners
We are surrounded by dozens of native and ornamental trees; do you know how to tell one from another? This field class will go over the basics of tree identification and introduce you to some of our common woody plants. Each participant will receive a basic tree ID book Please meet at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office on Thursday, June 7 on 99 N. Broad Street in the Norwich at 6 p.m. for the two-hour program The cost is $10 per person, and includes a copy of “Know Your Trees.” Call 607-334-5841 for more information.

For comments or questions, contact Franke at george_franke@yahoo.com