Waterfowl Population Monitoring PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION BUREAU OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH DIVISION PROJECT ANNUAL JOB REPORT PROJECT CODE NO: 06510 TITLE: Waterfowl Research/Management JOB CODE NO.: 51004 TITLE: Waterfowl Population Monitoring PERIOD COVERED: July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000 COOPERATING AGENCIES: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Migratory Bird Management; Cooperating Atlantic Flyway States WORK LOCATION(S): Statewide PREPARED BY: Ian D. Gregg, John P. Dunn, and Kevin J. Jacobs DATE: August 25, 2000 Abstract: The objectives of this project are to monitor the status of breeding and wintering populations of waterfowl in Pennsylvania and the Atlantic Flyway (AF), and to assess the effects of harvest regulation changes on the waterfowl resource. As in 1998, 1999 duck hunting frameworks included a 60- day season; however, the daily bag limit increased from 5 to 6 birds. For the first time since 1994, a regular Canada goose season was held statewide, as population recovery of migrant Atlantic Population (AP) geese allowed for the reopening of a limited fall season in eastern Pennsylvania where potential exists for harvest of AP geese. The Southern James Bay Population (SJBP) harvest area was further defined to include just southwestern Crawford County and the late Canada goose season was expanded to include Erie, Mercer, Butler and portions of Crawford Counties. Total Pennsylvania goose harvest was 94,700 (USFWS estimate), 72% of which occurred during early and late seasons again held to target increasing resident flocks. This was a 4% increase over the 1998 harvest. Snow goose harvests declined substantially from 1998 in both Pennsylvania (13,600 to 2,900) and the AF (110,900 to 39,200). Pennsylvania’s total duck harvest increased 9% to 143,000, despite a 7% decrease (41,848 to 38,815) in the number of active adult waterfowl hunters in the state. A total of 53,206 waterfowl were observed in January during the Pennsylvania portion of the 2000 Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. Pennsylvania counts for Canada geese (29,388), snow geese (1,400), and tundra swans (1,106) were lower than the 10-year state average, but total AF counts for these species were above the 10-year average. Pennsylvania counts for mallards (7,184) and black ducks (3,878) were both above the 10-year state average, while at the AF file:///C|/Game/pgc/reports/wildlife_rep/99wmar/51004-99.htm (1 of 17) [10/29/2003 11:18:56 AM] Waterfowl Population Monitoring level mallards were below and black ducks above the 10-year average. In the Pennsylvania portion of the 2000 AF Breeding Waterfowl Survey, conducted in April and May, breeding pair estimates for mallards (88,443 pairs), wood ducks (43,296 pairs), black ducks (354 pairs), and Canada geese (85,379 pairs) all decreased from 1999, although all remained near or above 10-year averages. Wetland habitat conditions in early spring 2000 were below average across much of Pennsylvania and the northern AF region, but abundant rainfall in late spring and summer provided much improved brood habitat conditions, which should result in good waterfowl production for 2000. The spring population of migrant AP geese increased again, to 93,230, but poor production is expected across much of this population’s breeding habitat due to the effects of inclement weather on nesting conditions. In contrast, the spring population estimate for SJBP geese declined 35% to 89,000, but nesting conditions were better for this population and good production is expected in 2000. OBJECTIVE To determine the status of breeding and wintering waterfowl populations in Pennsylvania and assess the effects of hunting regulation changes on the waterfowl resource. PROCEDURES Hunter activity and waterfowl harvest were estimated from the USFWS Waterfowl Harvest Survey, the Harvest Information Program (HIP), and the PGC’s Game Take Survey. Age ratios of juveniles per adult in the fall harvest are obtained from the USFWS Parts Collection Survey. This survey samples a number of duck stamp buyers who send in wings of ducks and tails of geese from which species, sex, and age are determined. Age ratios are calculated for each species at the flyway and state level. Estimates of wintering numbers of waterfowl are obtained from the Midwinter Waterfowl Survey. All states in the Atlantic Flyway conduct this survey in early January. It is primarily an aerial count of waterfowl on their wintering grounds. Survey methods were similar to past years. Information on breeding population size of mallards, black ducks, wood ducks, and Canada geese was obtained from the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey. This survey has been conducted annually since 1989 in Pennsylvania and other Atlantic Flyway states from Virginia north. Identical 1- km2 plots are surveyed each year for ducks and geese from mid-April to early May. Breeding pair units are determined from the presence of pairs, lone drakes, and groups of drakes. Breeding pair estimates show large 95% confidence intervals on the state level; the survey is designed to yield <20% coefficient of variation on the mean over the entire Northeast United States region. Therefore, breeding pair trends over several years are more useful to follow than individual year estimates for Pennsylvania. FINDINGS file:///C|/Game/pgc/reports/wildlife_rep/99wmar/51004-99.htm (2 of 17) [10/29/2003 11:18:56 AM] Waterfowl Population Monitoring Hunter Activity and Harvest Waterfowl hunting regulations for the 1999-2000 season are presented in Appendix 1. Duck season length was 60 days, with outside framework dates of October 1 and January 20. The daily duck bag limit increased to 6 from 5 in 1998. Most species and sex specific regulations were the same as in 1998, but the daily limit on hen mallards was 2 birds (up from 1 in 1998), and the daily limit on scaup was 3 birds (down from 4 in 1998). The 13-day closed period on black ducks implemented in 1998 was again in place for the North, Northwest, and South duck zones to meet harvest reduction goals for this species. For the first time since 1994, all of Pennsylvania had a regular Canada goose season. Evidence of an ongoing population recovery of AP geese allowed for the re-opening of a limited (split 15-day, 1 bird bag limit) season in the eastern third of Pennsylvania where these birds could potentially be harvested. Based upon band recovery and neckband observation data the boundaries for the SJBP harvest zone were changed to include only the southwest portion of Crawford County. A 35-day 1-bird daily bag limit was maintained in the SJBP zone with season dates of November 15–December 24. A November 15- December 30 regular season with a daily bag limit of 2 birds was in place for the rest of the state excluding the AP area. In addition to the regular goose season, early and late seasons were again held to harvest increasing resident Canada geese. The early season (September 1-25) was held statewide (except for Pymatuning area), with a daily bag limit of 5 birds in southeastern Pennsylvania and 3 birds in the rest of the state. The late season (January 15-February 15), was expanded to include Erie, Mercer, Butler and portions of Crawford Counties. All of Pennsylvania except for the southeastern counties and SJBP area now enjoy a late Canada goose season with a daily bag limit of 5 birds. The number of active adult waterfowl hunters in Pennsylvania for the 1999 season (as determined from USFWS surveys) was estimated at 38,815, a 7% decrease from 1998. For the Atlantic Flyway, overall numbers of waterfowl hunters declined about 3% to 230,964. Waterfowl harvest estimates for Pennsylvania by USFWS and PGC are presented in Table 1. As in past years, PGC Game Take Survey estimates were higher than USFWS Harvest Survey estimates. Estimates of total duck harvest for the 1999-2000 season ranged from 143,000 (USFWS) to 169,896 (PGC). The 1999 duck harvest increased 9% over the 1998 harvest of 131,300, and was the highest since 1982. Daily duck bag per hunter increased 20% to 0.53, equaling 1995 as the highest success rate since 1967. Seasonal duck harvest per hunter jumped 30% to 4.53, easily the highest on record. Total Atlantic Flyway duck harvest was 1,972,900, a 1% increase over 1998 and the highest since 1976. The 4 most commonly harvested duck species in Pennsylvania were mallard (46% of the total harvest), wood duck (28%), green-winged teal (7%), and black duck (5%). Harvest estimates for the past 10 years for the major duck species in the Pennsylvania harvest (the above plus blue-winged teal and scaup) are presented in Table 2. Pennsylvania harvests increased for all 6 of these species in 1999. Wood duck harvest increased 1% from 1998, equaling the 1978 record of 39,500 birds. Black duck harvest (6,400 birds) increased 28% over 1998, but remained 42% below the 1977-81 base year period average, thus meeting the harvest reduction goal. Green-winged teal harvest increased 41% to 9,300 birds, the second file:///C|/Game/pgc/reports/wildlife_rep/99wmar/51004-99.htm (3 of 17) [10/29/2003 11:18:56 AM] Waterfowl Population Monitoring highest harvest on record for Pennsylvania. The top 10 counties in total duck harvest were Lancaster, Crawford, Mercer, Bucks, York, Bedford, Berks, Huntingdon, Westmoreland, and Venango. Total Canada goose harvest estimates for Pennsylvania (Table 1) ranged from 94,700 (USFWS) to 118,682 (PGC). This represented a 4% increase over 1998 and was the second highest recorded harvest in Pennsylvania. The largest proportion of the harvest (59,500 birds or 63%) again occurred in the September season, with the regular and late seasons contributing 28% and 9%, respectively, of the total harvest.
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