Duck Populations and Kill 



An Evaluation of Some 

 Waterfowl Regulations 

 in Illinois 



FRANK C. BELLROSE, Jr. 



ONLY after a wildlife regulation tinent's waterfowl population (Gabriel- 

 has been in force for a number of son & Lincoln 1941). Cottam (1935) and 

 years is it possible to evaluate its Pirnie (1935) have studied and dis- 

 total effect. To check depletion of the cussed the broad aspects of the influence 

 duck population of North America, of gunning practices and waterfowl 

 several new waterfowl hunting regu- regulations. But little has been done 

 lations and drastic modifications of ex- to evaluate each of the various regula- 

 isting regulations were inaugurated in tions employed to limit the waterfowl 

 the United States and Canada during kill. 



the 1930's. It is evident to all now that This paper was conceived and written 



the added restrictions, combined with in an attempt to evaluate the effect of 



increased waterfowl productivity re- various hunting regulations on the 



suiting largely from greater precipita- kill of ducks in Illinois, and to ascertain 



tion on the breeding grounds and a the optimum dates for Illinois hunting 



program of habitat restoration, swung seasons of various lengths, 

 the duck population pendulum upward. 



Populations have made a noticeable Acknowledgments 



comeback since the low ebb of 30,000,000 



ducks estimated for 1934, and, as duck The writer of this paper is indebted 



numbers have increased, some of the to Messrs. Homer Bradley and Milfred 



waterfowl regulations have been re- J. Smith of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife 



laxed. Service stationed at the Chautauqua 



Demands for abolishing certain regu- National Wildlife Refuge, Havana, Illi- 

 lations and relaxing others have in- nois, for their co-operation in making 

 creased in tempo with mounting water- censuses on that refuge. He appreciates 

 fowl numbers. Some sportsmen desire the constructive criticisms of the manu- 

 the return of decoys, others want to use script by Dr. Clarence Cottam and 

 bait and still others would like to see Messrs. Cecil Williams and Robert 

 larger bag limits and longer seasons. H. Smith of the U. S. Fish and Wild- 

 What effect might the relaxing of each life Service. Mr. Ferd Luthy of Peoria 

 or all of the existing regulations have not only provided helpful suggestions 

 on the duck kill? With an army of on the study but furnished kill records 

 almost 1,500,000 hunters pursuing wa- of the Duck Island Preserve dating 

 terfowl in the United States, an unwise back to 1885. Dr. Ralph E. Yeatter 

 loosening of restrictions might halt, if and Dr. David H. Thompson of the 

 not actually cause a decline in, water- Illinois Natural History Survey fur- 

 fowl on the comeback trail. nished unpublished data they com- 



The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service piled from the Duck Island Preserve 



through its flyway biologists, its co- kill records. Dr. Thompson also aided 



operative waterfowl observers, its refuge the writer in the statistical analyses of 



personnel and game agents, and its mid- duck population and kill data. Miss 



winter inventory of the population an- Eleanor G. Wolff, Assistant Technical 



nually ascertains the status of the con- Editor of the Survey, aided in compiling 



[327] 



