Stimulating Snow Goose Hunting in Illinois: 2018 National Environment and Recreation Research Symposium

In response to snow goose overpopulation causing extensive habitat damage, a 1999 conservation order was established to reduce populations (Miller 2000). • Despite deregulation, spring snow goose hunting is an expensive, equipment - intensive endeavor that often requires access to private agricultural land. • Use of outfitter services among Illinois snow goose hunters increased from 2014 through 2017. • To investigate this increase, we hypothesized that hunters using outfitters and those who do not would significantly differ in: -individual total harvest -hunter satisfaction -self-reported overall skill -hunting constraints (19)