As figs. 5 and 6 show, dally fee club shooters In the Illinois River valley In 1940 

 and 1941 were only slightly less successful than those at private clubs. 



A comparison of the species kill at private and day shooting clubs shows that, while 

 the kill per hunter was almost the same, dally fee hunters bagged more "small" ducks, table 2. 

 For Instance In 1940, day shooters, while bagging 0.83 less mallard per hunter-day, averaged 

 0.25 more lesser scaup per hunter-day than did private club shooters. In 1941, the margin was 

 wider; 1.27 fewer mallards but 1.40 more lesser scaups per hunter per day. 



Table 2. — Bag of waterfowl per hunter per day at private clubs, day shooting 

 clubs and public shooting grounds, 1940 and 1941, In the Illinois 

 River valley. 



In the years of this study, there were four principal free-lajice hunting areas in 

 the Illinois River valley. The Department of Conservation maintained two: one was, and Is, 

 located a short distance north of Sparland; the other on Goose Pond In the western part of 

 Woodford County, south of Chllllcothe. Spring Lake, south of Pekln In Tazewell County, was 

 open to public duck hunting. Part of Clear Lake above and across the Illinois River from 

 Liverpool was open to public hunters, as was part of Quiver Lake below there. Boat liveries 

 were located on or adjacent to these places, enabling public shooters to procure transporta- 

 tion to shooting sites. 



In addition, free-lance hunters were allowed to shoot at various places along the 

 channel of the Illinois River, where duck clubs had not been established. Since, In most 

 sections, duck clubs owned up to the river channel, only about 50 blinds used by public hunters 

 were scattered along the river from Beardstown to Hennepin. While most. If not all, of the 

 land In the Sangamon River swamplands from Chandlervllle to the mouth Is under private owner- 

 ship, free-lance waterfowlers have found In recent years a few tracts — 10 per cent or less 

 of the entire region — where the owners have not posted trespass signs. However, at any time 

 these areas might be closed to public hunters. 



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