Educate me on Rocky Pt and Otis

[LiDad]

I've been reading all I can on the DEC website about the locations at Rocky Point and Otis. And the process of reserving a spot. But I'm not clear on it.

Presuming archery deer or turkey, do I have to call in for a reservation or just show up early AM at the Ridge station?

For shotgun turkey do I need to call in or just show up?

(For shotgun deer I presume I have to call.)

The part about "new hunters" have to call and get a random assignment isn't clear to me either.

And what about off-season like now? If I want to explore inside some spots do I have to also go to Ridge now for a daily permit? Or is my DEC Annual permit good enough?

Thanks.

[M-14BULLETTS]

no shotgun for turkey or deer during regular season , shotgun in jan lottery hunt only . or small game only
you would go to ridge check station first , check in and get your spot . then hunt, and be back by sun down unless you call to let them know your late and why .
you can go now during the day and get a spot for walking or bike riding . cover yourself with perythim or deet as ticks are plentiful and hungry .
you must call for a sat or sun reservation the week before --- good luck i never got through ---even when i tried to go with my son as a junior hunter
ask more

[LiDad]

no shotgun for turkey or deer during regular season , shotgun in jan lottery hunt only . or small game only

I've seen videos of people hunting turkey on LI in spring and fall with SG that I presume were at Rocky or Otis (may not have been but from the look of the area compared to Google Earth I think it was).

you must call for a sat or sun reservation the week before --- good luck i never got through ---even when i tried to go with my son as a junior hunter
ask more

I was think of taking off a few days in the fall to try some spots.

[mossy930spx]

Shotgun season for turkey on LI used to be avail in the fall week of thanksgiving. I'm checking dec now and it seems LI took off shotgun for turkey?

when did that happen?

[LiDad]

Shotgun season for turkey on LI used to be avail in the fall week of thanksgiving. I'm checking dec now and it seems LI took off shotgun for turkey?

when did that happen?

Where are you looking?

The DEC page I'm look at (the one that lists all the DEC parks and has the PDF map downloads) show Turkey hunting ok in most places with only a few indicated as "archery only". Therefore I presume shotgun is ok for the others.

[mossy930spx]

Searching on my phone at 3am. Hard to tell

[M-14BULLETTS]

I've seen videos of people hunting turkey on LI in spring and fall with SG that I presume were at Rocky or Otis (may not have been but from the look of the area compared to Google Earth I think it was).




I was think of taking off a few days in the fall to try some spots.

things might have changed for Turkey, they are way to smart for me to get with the bow

[LiDad]

things might have changed for Turkey, they are way to smart for me to get with the bow

Did some more research.

I think the spring hunt videos were only for the Youth Hunt days. The "adult" hunt is only in the fall.

That might change though. I did find a couple of articles complaining about the growing population of turkey on LI, especially the South Fork and concerns it was pushing out local populations of indigenous species like pheasant and quail.

[LiDad]

Am I correct that some of the Otis spots do NOT require a reservation? (Not many but a few)