in Maine average near 18,000 annually. Another 2000 hunters under 16 years 

 old also hunt, which brings the total to approximately 20,000. About 83% of 

 these hunt ducks (17 / are stamp collectors, etc.) and hunt an average of 5.5 

 days per season, killing an average of 4.5 birds. The total waterfowl person- 

 days of hunting in Maine is about 100,000 annually. The average hunter kills 

 about one bird per day. 



From 1966 to 1975 more than 75% of the waterfowl harvest of Maine was in the 

 coastal counties. According to a 1972 to 1976 survey there were about 27,000 

 Statewide duck hunters. The average annual number of each species of duck 

 killed, and the totals for each county, are given in table 15-10. They 

 averaged about 8 ducks a season. The 8343 hunters of geese averaged 0.6 geese 

 per season. About 73% (19,667) of the duck hunters and 67% (5573) of the 

 goose hunters hunted in Wildlife Management Units 6, 7, and 8. 



Economic surveys of hunting and fishing show waterfowl hunters in Maine spend 

 an average of $83 per year on their sport (National Analysts 1978). If the 

 number of waterfowl hunters in coastal Maine approximates 34,000 (which is 

 higher than other estimates) as suggested by National Analysts (1978), the 

 sport generates about $2.75 million annually. 



Non- consumptiv e Use 



Non-consumptive waterfowl use in coastal Maine has not been determined, but 

 judging from the number of bird clubs and the interest in them, non- 

 consumptive use is a common practice. Both consumptive and non-consumptive 

 users contribute to the management and preservation of waterfowl by purchasing 

 hunting licenses and duck stamps, and supporting habitat acquisition and 

 protection. 



MANAGEMENT 



The term "management" in this section includes research or fact finding 

 programs needed to provide a sound basis for overall management. This 

 includes both population management through regulation, and habitat management 

 through protection, acquisition, and development. 



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Maine Department of Inland 

 Fisheries and Wildife have the responsibility for managing (including 

 regulation) waterfowl in Maine. Overall, hunting regulations of waterfowl are 

 a function of USFWS. Within its regulatory framework, hunting regulations 

 imposed by the MDIFW may be more restrictive but never less so. In addition 

 to providing enforcement personnel, both agencies carry out individual and 

 cooperative research and management programs. The Moosehorn, Petit Manan, and 

 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuges are managed by the USFWS. The Maine 

 Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Maine Field Station, Migratory Bird and 

 Habitat Research Laboratory, Biological Servies Program, and Wildlife 

 Services, are Fish and Wildlife Service supported activities. Within the 

 MDIFW, regional wildlife biologists are responsible for managing waterfowl 

 areas and carrying out survey and inventory tasks within their regions. The 

 migratory bird research leader (Orono, ME.) and assistants are responsible for 

 planning, designing, coordinating, and executing the overall MDIFW 

 scientific/technical migratory bird program. The latter is described in a 

 comprehensive long range "Wild Duck Management Plan" (Spencer 1975). This 



15-40 



