2015-2016 Illinois Waterfowl Hunter Report: Harvest, Youth Hunts, and Season Preferences

Brent D. Williams, Laura A. Schweizer, Linda K. Campbell, Craig A. Miller

Research output: Book/Report/Conference proceedingTechnical report

Abstract

A total of 2,012 (44%response rate) Illinois waterfowl hunters responded to the 2015-16Illinois Waterfowl Hunter Survey. An estimated 40,104 waterfowl hunters spent 795,289 days afield, a decrease of 19% from the 982,193 days devoted during the 2014-2015 license year. Waterfowl harvest decreased 11.4%, from 550,946 during 2014-15 to 488,321 during 2015-16. Duck harvest estimates for the regular duck season were as follows: 166,506 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), 43,655 wood ducks (Aix sponsa), and 119,619 other ducks. A total of 28,031 teal (Anas spp.) were harvested during the September teal season. Goose hunters harvested 75,198 Canada geese (Branta canadensis) during the regular Canada goose season, a 14.2% decreasefrom the 87,672Canadageese harvested during the 2014-15 regular goose season. Hunters harvested 15,693 Canada geese during the September Canada goose season, a 17.8% decrease from the previous year. During the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Season, 4,718 adults took 6,291 youths waterfowl hunting, a 26.3% decrease in adult participation and a 26.6% decrease in youth participation from the 2014-15 Youth Waterfowl Hunting Season. Duck hunter commitment to waterfowl hunting, preferences for season and zones, and satisfaction with the waterfowl seasons are also discussed.
Original languageEnglish (US)
PublisherIllinois Natural History Survey
StatePublished - Nov 17 2016

Publication series

NameINHS Technical Report 2016 (54)
No.54

Keywords

  • INHS

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '2015-2016 Illinois Waterfowl Hunter Report: Harvest, Youth Hunts, and Season Preferences'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this