ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A "citizen science" survey for wild turkeys is getting underway in New York state, and the Department of Environmental Conservation is asking residents to help out.

Participants report information about turkeys seen around their homes or while traveling around the state. The Department of Environmental Conservation says having up-to-date population data is necessary for making management decisions and understanding how populations fluctuate.

DEC has conducted the summer wild turkey sighting survey since 1996. During the month of August, participants record the sex and age composition of all flocks of wild turkeys they see.

Survey forms and instructions are available on the DEC website .

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