National Survey Reveals Duck Hunter Opinions

PIERRE, S.D. – Duck hunters love to hunt ducks. No surprise there, but some of the information gathered from a national survey of duck hunters has revealed some surprising insight into opinions of duck hunters in America.

“This survey is the first to ask a representative sample of duck hunters in every state their opinion on ducks, duck hunting and waterfowl management,” said Don Childress, National Flyway Council chair.

More than 10,000 duck hunters responded to the survey. Names were randomly drawn from the Harvest Information Program (HIP) database that each waterfowl hunter enters as part of the migratory bird certification process. Only resident duck hunters were surveyed for state-by-state results, and only hunters who reported having harvested at least one duck during the 2003-04 hunting season were included.

“This information is extremely valuable as we work at both a state and national level to manage waterfowl and preserve the heritage of waterfowl hunting in our country,” said George Vandel, assistant director for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Division of Wildlife. “It wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation of the many hunters who take part in the HIP survey process and voluntarily responded to this survey to make the results accurate and meaningful.”

Some of the national findings include:

· 72 percent of respondents said duck hunting was either their most important, or one of their most important recreational activities.

· 59 percent said that the length of the duck hunting season in their state was “about right.” About one-third of those surveyed felt the season was “too short” and another three percent felt it was “too long.”

· 72 percent said the total daily bag limit in their state was “about right,” while 13 percent said it was “too low” and eight percent “too high.”

· 65 percent said they spend over $250 each year on duck hunting, while 20 percent said they spend over $1,000 per year.

· 6 percent of the duck hunters age 45-64 indicated they began duck hunting in the relatively recent past (1997-2004).

· 20 percent said they “frequently” access the Internet for duck hunting information; 49 percent said “once in a while,” and 31 percent said “not at all.”

Survey results were reported in a way to allow comparisons among regions. For example 30 percent of duck hunters in the region including North and South Dakota, and eastern Montana, said that the overall quality of duck hunting had improved over the past five years, while 29 percent felt it had gotten worse. By contrast, hunters in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee had fewer say hunting had improved (five percent), and 82 percent say it had gotten worse.

South Dakota was among 15 states that chose to increase the number of hunters surveyed in their states to allow for statistically meaningful state-level results.

“Our state is committed to being proactive in our approach to waterfowl management, and this survey is a powerful tool in linking what our hunters are doing to how we plan future programs,” Vandel said. “We should have our South Dakota-specific results to share in late February.”

The national survey includes over 100 pages of responses to 32 questions from hunters in 49 states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, state agencies, conservation organizations and duck clubs will now review and discuss the meaning of these results and how the results might be used to inform future decisions regarding waterfowl hunting and management.

The National Duck Hunter Survey 2005 is one of several communication strategies being considered as part of an effort entitled, A Systematic and Sustained Conversation with Waterfowl Hunters.

State Waterfowl Biologist Spencer Vaa noted that in August 2005, South Dakota was the first state in the Central Flyway to host a waterfowl forum, which facilitated an open dialogue between hunters and state and federal waterfowl managers.

Additional information on the National Duck Hunter Survey 2005 is available at www.ducksurvey.com.

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