368 Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin Fol. 2j, Art. 2 



In Illinois, the improved survival rate during the baiting era. Natural food 

 has applied mainly to mallards and pin- resources in the Illinois River valley 

 tails; however, all species have ben- have increased in recent years, because 

 efited from the no-baiting, no-live-decoy navigation dams have been built on the 

 regulations, for all species — including river and because hunting clubs have 

 canvasbacks, scaups, redheads and ring- made greater attempts to control their 

 necks — were attracted by bait and live water levels. Uhler (1933) estimated 

 decoys. that mallards comprised 85 per cent of 

 Credit for the greater survival rate the waterfowl population of the valley at 

 cannot be given entirely to prohibition the time he made his report. Mallards 

 of baiting and live decoys, for other and black ducks, although increasing in 

 conservation measures were put in force numbers, formed a successively smaller 

 at about the same time. part of the total duck population be- 

 However, these prohibitions increased tween 1938 and 1942, dropping from 

 the rate of duck survival more than did 94.61 to 84.98 per cent, tables 3-7. 

 shortening the seasons, reducing bag Other species of ducks are forming a 

 limits or limiting the shooting hours, greater percentage of the waterfowl 

 Because the bans on bait and live de- population in the Illinois River valley, 

 coys were initiated at approximately Improved environmental conditions for 

 the same time it was not feasible to diving ducks are largely responsible for 

 evaluate the effectiveness of each of this trend, 

 these two separately. 



Despite the great reduction in kill Effect of Three-Shell Law 



following outlawing of the use of bait 



and live decoys, no catastrophe has Because of lack of specific data, it has 

 befallen either the waterfowl club or the been impossible to evaluate the three- 

 individual hunter. True, the disband- shell limit for shotguns. In the days 

 ing of all dry-land duck clubs has re- of live decoys and baiting, when pot- 

 suited, but these clubs contributed little shooting on massed ducks was common, 

 to the welfare of the birds. They were the limitation of three shells to a gun 

 parasitic. In some sections, notably would have been an important factor 

 near the mouth of the Sangamon River,, in reducing the carnage at baited pens, 

 bottomland waterfowl clubs have passed However, the three-shell law went into 

 out of existence, but in other sections effect in 1935 after live decoys had been 

 they have held their own or even in- banned and outright baiting prohibited, 

 creased in number. In 1941, there were Ferd Luthy and other veteran Illinois 

 792 registered waterfowl hunting clubs duck hunters are of the opinion that the 

 in Illinois, more than in the last years three-shell law lessens the chance of 

 of the baiting and live decoy era. crippling ducks by reducing the number 

 The free-lance hunter has materially of out-of-range shots. Since studies we 

 benefited from the discontinuance of conducted in 1938 and 1939 disclosed 

 baiting. Where formerly ducks were that about 3 ducks were crippled and 

 concentrated in a few private, heavily lost for every 10 bagged, it is evident 

 baited areas, today they are more that this loss is serious. If more shells 

 evenly distributed. Now public hunt- in the gun would result in greater crip- '■ 

 ers may find fair shooting not only on pling losses, it would appear advisable 

 several state-owned public shooting to retain the present three-shell limit, 

 grounds and other waters not under 

 private control, but in cornfields as well. Illinois Duck Harvest 



Ducks have not left the Illinois River 

 valley, as many hunters feared would What per cent of the duck populations 



happen without bait to hold them, passing through the Illinois River valley 



Mallards, pintails and black ducks have in 1938-1942 was harvested by hunters 



found a ready source of food in the in this state? An answer to this ques-l 



waste corn left in fields by the mechani- tion may be found by comparing the kill 



cal pickers, and they remain in the with the population, table 16. At 



valley in numbers comparable to those present we must base the population 



II 



