Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest for the 2010 and 2011 Hunting Seasons- July 2012

National surveys of migratory bird hunters were conducted during the 2010 and 2011 hunting seasons. Hunters of the following types of migratory birds were surveyed: waterfowl (family Anatidae), doves (mourning [Zenaida macroura] and white-winged [Z. asiatica]), bandtailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago delicata), American coot (Fulica americana), gallinules (Common gallinule [Gallinula galeata] and purple gallinule [Pophyrio martinica]), and rails (king rail [Rallus elegans], clapper rail [R. longirostris], Virginia rail [R. limicola], and sora [Coturnicops noveboracensis]). About 1.1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 14,796,700 (±4%) ducks and 3,169,900 (±5%) geese in 2010, and almost 1.2 million waterfowl hunters harvested 15,880,900 (±6%) ducks and 2,868,500 (±5%) geese in 2011. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), green-winged teal (A. crecca), gadwall (A. strepera), wood duck (Aix sponsa), and blue-winged/cinnamon teal (Anas discors), were the 5 most-harvested duck species in the U.S., and Canada goose (Branta canadensis) was the predominant goose species in the goose harvest. About 959,900 dove hunters harvested 17,230,400 (±5%) mourning doves in 2010 and 955,700 hunters harvested 16,580,900 ± 5% in 2011. Woodcock hunters numbered about 138,300 in 2010 and 113,800 in 2011, and harvested 332,900 (±11%) birds in 2010 and 308,700 (±16%) birds in 2011. About 37,500 people hunted snipe in 2010 and 32,700 in 2011, and they harvested 118,200 (±37%) and 136,300 (±49%) snipe in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Coot hunters (about 50,500 in 2010 and 46,200 in 2011) harvested 302,600 (±50%) coots in 2010 and 416,600 (±36%) in 2011. Gallinule hunters (about 15,000 in 2010 and 2,200 in 2011) harvested13,700 (±87%) gallinules in 2010 and 7,600 (±100%) in 2011. About 17,000 rail hunters harvested 27,100 (±57%) rails in 2009 and 3,300 rail hunters harvested 14,300 (±50%) rails in 2011

Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest During the 2007 and 2008 Hunting Seasons

Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................1 Introduction ..................................................................1 Design and Methods.....................................................................2 Survey Results...............................................................................3 Acknowledgements .......................................................................5 References ......................................................................5 Waterfowl harvest estimates Species, state, flyway...................................7 Special seasons...............................................................................28 Canada harvest ...........................................................................................31 Long-term trend graphs................................................................................33 Waterfowl age and sex ratios ...................................................................35 Long-term trend graphs.............................................................................47 Dove and pigeon estimates...................................................................51 Woodcock estimates................................................................................53 Snipe, coot, gallinule, and rail estimates ....................................................54 Species-specific rail estimates.............................................................6

Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest During the 2008 and 2009 Hunting Seasons

National surveys of migratory bird hunters were conducted during the 2008 and 2009 hunting seasons. Hunters of the following types of migratory birds were surveyed: waterfowl (family Anatidae), doves (mourning [Zenaida macroura] and white-winged [Z. asiatica]), bandtailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago delicata), American coot (Fulica americana), gallinules (Common moorhen [Gallinula chloropus] and purple gallinule [Porzana carolina]), and rails (king rail [Rallus elegans], clapper rail [R. longirostris], Virginia rail [R. limicola], and sora [Coturnicops noveboracensis]). About 1.2 million waterfowl hunters harvested 13,635,700 (±4%) ducks and 3,792,600 (±5%) geese in 2008, and about 1.1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 13,139,800 (±4%) ducks and 3,327,000 (±5%) geese in 2009. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), green-winged teal (A. crecca), gadwall (A. strepera), blue-winged/cinnamon teal (A. discors), and wood duck (Aix sponsa) were the 5 most-harvested duck species in the U.S., and Canada goose (Branta canadensis) was the predominant goose species in the goose harvest. About 994,000 dove hunters harvested 17,400,000 (±5%) mourning doves in 2008 and 974,400 hunters harvested 17,400,000 (±6%) in 2009. Woodcock hunters numbered about 130,000 in 2008 and 109,000 in 2009, and harvested 279,000 (±15%) birds in 2008 and 238,400 (±15%) in 2009. About 27,400 people hunted snipe in 2008 and 29,400 in 2009, and they harvested 95,500 (±32%) and 83,500 (±45%) snipe in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Coot hunters (about 31,100 in 2008 and 2009) harvested 275,900 (±43%) coots in 2008 and 219,000 (+34%) in 2009. Gallinule hunters (about 3,700 in 2008 and 2,300 in 2009) harvested 13,200 (±98%) gallinules in 2008 and 7,400 (±66%) in 2009. About 11,200 rail hunters harvested 45,000 (±43%) rails in 2008 and 7,800 rail hunters harvested 36,000 (±62%) rails in 2009

Migratory bird hunting activity and harvest during the 2006 and 2007 hunting seasons: Preliminary Estimates

Table of Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................1 Introduction .......................................................................................1 Design and Methods.........................................................2 Survey Results......................................................................................3 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................5 References ..........................................................................6 Waterfowl harvest estimates Species, state, flyway ...............................8 Special seasons........................................................................29 Canada harvest .........................................................................33 Long-term trend graphs............................................35 Waterfowl age and sex ratios ...........................................................37 Long-term trend graphs....................................................................49 Dove and pigeon estimates..................................................................53 Woodcock estimates........................................................................55 Snipe, coot, gallinule, and rail estimates. .................................................56 Species-specific rail estimates....................................................................6

Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest During the 2009 and 2010 Hunting Seasons

National surveys of migratory bird hunters were conducted during the 2009 and 2010 hunting seasons. Hunters of the following types of migratory birds were surveyed: waterfowl (family Anatidae), doves (mourning [Zenaida macroura] and white-winged [Z. asiatica]), bandtailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago delicata), American coot (Fulica americana), gallinules (Common moorhen [Gallinula chloropus] and purple gallinule [Porzana carolina]), and rails (king rail [Rallus elegans], clapper rail [R. longirostris], Virginia rail [R. limicola], and sora [Coturnicops noveboracensis]). About 1.1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 13,139,800 (±4%) ducks and 3,327,000 (±5%) geese in 2009, and about 1.1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 14,796,700 (±4%) ducks and 3,169,900 (±5%) geese in 2010. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), green-winged teal (A. crecca), gadwall (A. strepera), blue-winged/cinnamon teal (A. discors), and wood duck (Aix sponsa) were the 5 most-harvested duck species in the U.S., and Canada goose (Branta canadensis) was the predominant species in the goose harvest. About 974,400 dove hunters harvested 17,354,800 (±6%) mourning doves in 2009 and 959,900 hunters harvested 17,230,400 ± 5% in 2010. Woodcock hunters numbered about 109,000 in 2009 and 138,300 in 2010, and harvested 238,400 (±15%) birds in 2009 and 332,900 (±11%) in 2010. About 29,400 people hunted snipe in 2009 and 37,500 in 2010, and they harvested 83,500 (±45%) and 118,200 (±37%) snipe in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Coot hunters (about 31,100 in 2009 and 50,500 in 2010) harvested 219,000 (±34%) coots in 2009 and 302,600 (±50%) in 2010. Gallinule hunters (about 2,300 in 2009 and 15,000 in 2010) harvested 7,400 (±66%) gallinules in 2009 and 13,700 (±87%) in 2010. About 7,800 rail hunters harvested 36,100 (±62%) rails in 2009 and 17,000 rail hunters harvested 27,100 (±57%) rails in 2010

Preliminary Estimates

The primary purpose of this report is to facilitate the prompt distribution of timely information. Results are preliminary and may change with the inclusion of additional data

Activity and Harvest

seasons. Cover photograph: Beauty of the hunt by Pat Hagan, Division of Public Affairs, USFWS. Suggested citation