Table 5. — Hunting pressure and duck bag at public shooting grounds and at 

 duck clubs (private and day shooting combined) In Illinois, 1942. 



It should be noted frcm data In tables 3, 4 and 5 that each year the highest public 

 shooting groimd bag per acre occurred on the open areas near Liverpool, followed by the state- 

 owned Sparland area, the Spring Lake and the state-owned Woodford County areas. Of especial 

 note Is the fact that the average dally bag was highest on the Sparland area, followed by the 

 averages on the Liverpool Areas, Spring Lake and the Woodford County grounds. This peculiar 

 situation Is explained later under the discussion of the Sparland Public Shooting Ground. 



Not only did public grounds average over six times as many hunter-days per acre as 

 did private grounds In the Illinois River valley from 1940 through 1942, but, as figs. 11, 12 

 and 13 show, most of the public hunting was concentrated Into a few days — week-ends, especi- 

 ally Sundays. In contrast to public duck hunting, the shooting at clubs was spread out much 

 more evenly through the week. Many clubs staggered the days when an Individual might shoot; 

 others had rest days, such as Sundays, when the shooting pressure In the vicinity was great. 



1940 



i 



16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 I 3 5 7 9 1 1 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 .1 



5 7 9 II 13 15 



OCTOBER 



N OVE M B E R 



DECEMBER 



FIG. 11. — Trend In number of hunters per day on public shooting grounds of 

 the Illinois River valley region, 1940. 



19 



