338 



Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 



Vol. 2j, Art. 2 



nois River valley results in a lower pro- 

 portional kill than if the population 

 were more evenly distributed over more 

 areas and in smaller flocks, as in the 

 case of the pintail. 



Widgeons and gadwalls were taken 

 in the years of this study more readily 

 than were pintails by Illinois hunters, 

 table 2. These "gray ducks" feed 

 principally on coontail [Ceratophyllum 

 demersum) in Illinois, and, in most in- 

 stances, this plant reaches peak develop- 

 ment in the ponds and potholes of river 

 bulrush {Scirpus fluviatilis) marshes. 

 Widgeons and gadwalls consequently 

 chance to come within range of hunters 

 frequently, and, while they may not 

 respond to calling and decoys as readily 

 as do mallards or pintails, the "gray 

 ducks," once they decide to decoy, ap- 

 proach with much less caution. 



Blue-winged and green-winged teals 



were killed in greater proportion to 

 numbers present than was either species 

 of "gray ducks," table 2. Teals, which 

 feed extensively on the seeds of smart- 

 weeds {Polygonum spp.), nutgrasses 

 {Cyperus spp.) and other small-seeded 

 plants, spend much time along the 

 edges of marshes and lakes. While 

 teals are fast and erratic flyers, and are 

 thereby responsible for more misses 

 than most of the other species, they are 

 very unwary. They decoy readily, often 

 with no more than a half circle to the 

 blocks, and frequently return after 

 being shot at. Kortright (1942) says 

 that their habit of flying in a dense, 

 closely bunched flock renders them very 

 vulnerable to the fire of the gunner, 

 and two or more birds will often fall 

 from a single shot. They are easily 

 killed when hit. 



Shovelers, or spoonbills, were found 



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— • TOTAL WATERFOWL 

 FLIGHT 



•— WATERFOWL FLIGHT 

 OTHER THAN MALLARD 



— '^ WATERFOWL KILL 

 PER HUNTER PER DAY 



TOTAL DUCK KILL 



942 



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Fig. 7. — Chronology of flight of all duck species and species other than mallard, bag 

 hunter per day and total daily kill (weekly averages expressed as per cent of yearly total) in 

 Illinois River valley, 1942. 



per, 

 th«] 



I 



