Division of Wildlife Resources Migratory Bird Section, Periodic Report No. 21Report issued on: May 25, 197

Anderson, William L.

Roetker, Fred

English

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  Previous issue date: 1978Division of Wildlife Resources Migratory Bird Section, Periodic Report No. 21Report issued on: May 25, 197

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I LLINOUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGNPRODUCTION NOTEUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign LibraryLarge-scale Digitization Project, 2007.SNVAT' ho-. 5 -,.Illinois Department of Conservation^ .f SpringfieldDivision of Wildlife Resources.1\'T MIGRATORY BIRD SECTIONSI PERIODIC REPORT NO. 21JUL2 8 1978 May 25, 1978LIBRARyBO]agl ^ OSE HARVEST AND HUNTER USE AT REND LAKE DURING THE 1977 SEASONJUL 24 1978 Fred Roetker, Staff Waterfowl AssistantNIVERSyO I William L. Anderson, Staff Waterfowl Biologist0NIVERSiTy OF ILLNOISAt URBNA-CHAMPAIMAbstract: An estimated 1,630 Canada geese were harvested at Rend Lake during the1977 waterfowl season. This estimate was based on a combination of bag checks/carcounts and windshield card/car counts. The in-season population peaked at 70,000geese on December 12, 1977. This represents a 67 percent increase over the peakpopulation during the 1976 season.INTRODUCTIONDuring the 1977 waterfowl season, a survey was conducted to determine theCanada goose harvest on the Rend Lake Wildlife Management Area. This survey wasinitiated in 1975. Harvest data provide a measuring device for assessing water-fowl populations, migrations, habitat conditions, and success of management programs.Hunter use information is valuable in determining patterns in hunting pressure,effects of regulations, and general acceptance of public waterfowl managementprograms. These parameters provide a foundation on which biologists, site managers,and administrators can base future planning and development decisions.The Rend Lake Wildlife Management Area is a cooperative project between theU.S. Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Conservation. It consistsof approximately 16,000 acres of land and water, and is located in Jefferson andFranklin counties.Appreciation is due to the following Illinois Department of Conservationpersonnel for their participation in data collection: Site Superintendent LarryLeitner, Refuge Manager Max Newton and his staff, and wildlife biologists Jack Golden,Bill Mestel, Paul Moore, and John Slachter. This project was partially financedunder the Pittman-Robertson Project W-43-R.METHODS AND MATERIALSMethods and techniques used for sampling the area were similar to those usedin 1975 and 1976 (Hamer and Arthur 1976, Roetker 1977). These included car countscombined with bag checks, and car counts combined with windshield cards. Data werecollected throughout the 70-day goose seasons in 1975 and 1976. However, in 1977data were collected through the end of the duck season only (November 5 to December 19)due to personnel restraints. Goose hunting at Rend Lake was limited to 56 days(November 5 to December 30) in 1977. Hunter activity and harvest were estimatedby extrapolation during the last 11 days of the season.-2-Population data were obtained by aerial inventories. These were conductedbi-weekly, weather permitting, by biologists with the Illinois Department ofConservation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONHunter UseThe results of the 1977 survey indicated there were 8,377 hunter-trips ofeffort expended hunting waterfowl at Rend Lake from November 5 through December 19(the duck season). The percentage of this effort that was devoted strictly tohunting Canada geese is unknown. However, many of the Canada geese bagged duringthis period were taken incidental to duck hunting activity.However, from December 20 through December 30, a total of 3,487 hunter-trips(average of 317 per day) of effort was expended hunting geese. This huntingactivity occurred primarily on the lake area, although some hunting was noted onprivate lands surrounding the lake. Hunter effort during a somewhat comparableperiod in 1976 (December 12-31) was 3,022 hunter-trips (151 per day).HarvestThe survey indicated that 1,630 Canada geese were harvested at Rend LaKe in1977. During the previous year, 1976, the harvest was estimated to be 2,017geese. A breakdown of the 1977 harvest suggests that 548 Canada geese were takenfrom November 5 to December 19. Between December 20 and December 30, a total of332 Canada geese was harvested on the lake area. Although no actual survey wasconducted on the farms surrounding the lake, it was estimated that approximately750 Canada geese were harvested on private lands (Bill Mestel, personal communication).Hunter SuccessBecause of a deficiency of data, hunter success was not calculated for RendLake during the 1977 goose season.Population StatusAerial censuses indicate that greater numbers of Canada geese were presentat Rend Lake during the 1977 hunting season (70,000) than during the 1976 season(42,000). The 100,000 geese counted on January 23 and again on January 30 representedthe peak in the population during the 1977-78 wintering period (Fig. 1). Forpurposes of comparison, the peak during the winter of 1976-77 occurred December 14when 42,000 Canada geese were tabulated.ConclusionsWith an estimated annual harvest of 1,500-2,000 Canada geese and a continuallybuilding winter population, one can readily recognize the need for continuing amonitoring system on this area. The failure to collect data from December 20to December 30 resulted in obvious shortcomings in the hunter activity and gooseharvest estimates calculated for the 1977 season. Steps will be taken to overcomethese shortcomings in the future. Rend Lake is a relatively new area that has greatpotential for hunting Canada geese. With this in mind it is conceivable that thisarea will assume greater importance in the harvest of Canada geese in southernIllinois.-3-LITERATURE CITEDHammer, V. H., and G. C. Arthur. 1976.Rend Lake during the 1975 season.Bird Sect., Periodic Rpt. No. 16.Roetker, F. H. 1977.the 1976 season.Periodic Rpt. No.Canada goose harvest and hunter use atIllinois Dept. Conservation, Migratory5pp.Canada goose harvest and hunter use at Rend Lake duringIllinois Dept. Conservation, Migratory Bird Sect.,18. 5pp.'-0)(spuusnoiq)-4-9f I f I I I I I I I I I I I I I I t I I-, ..4 O uT O- 0 00 c n t -iv-4-C400rr-4}i 00,Q).44)CUC:,40 "000O.**rlo'-4C)00C)-- 1O U (

Canada Goose Harvest and Hunter Use at Rend Lake during the 1977 Season

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