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SPARLAND SPRING 



WOODFORD LAKE LIVERPOOL 



SPRING 

 WOODFORD LAKE 



FIG. 16. — Comparison of kill per hunter per day on four Illinois River 

 valley public shooting grounds, 1940, 1941 and 1942. 



the fact that over 60 per cent of the ducks shot at the Liverpool Areas were mallards and 

 pintails, which are among the wariest of ducks. Once shot at, they commence climbing; they 

 are not so apt to come within range of nearby hunters as are the lesser scaups, canvasbacks, 

 ruddy ducks, teals, baldpates and others which make up the bulk of the bag at the other places. ^ 

 Hunting Interference through shooting out of range Is of great Influence on areas predominated 

 by mallards and pintails. 



As the number of hunters passed beyond 45 per square mile per day on the Liverpool 

 Areas, the total dally kill dropped, but later rose again until a concentration of 80 hunters 

 per square mile was reached, fig. 14. When there were 95 hunters per square mile the total 

 dally kill again decreased sharply. The curve Indicates that about 50 hunters per square mile 

 on any one day was the peak load for this area. 



Sparland Public Shooting Ground 



Data In tables 3, 4 and 5 show that, based on ducks bagged per acre, the Sparland 

 Public Shooting Ground ranked second In 1940 and 1942 and third In 1941 among the public 

 shooting areas of the Illinois River valley. These tables and fig. 16 disclose that each year 

 from 1940 through 1942 the bag per hunter per day was higher at the Sparland ground than at 

 the Liverpool Areas or elsewhere. This situation resulted from the fact that there was a 

 greater concentration of hunters beyond the saturation point at the Liverpool Areas than at 

 Sparland. 



An unusual condition existed in 1941 and 1942 at the Sparland area In that 95 per 

 cent or more of the birds there were ruddy ducks, which are unlike any other species In 

 behavior. Censuses revealed that 1,000 were present on this and adjacent areas for a 4-week 

 period during the 1941 season. During the 1942 season about 2,500 ruddles were present on the 

 Sparland area and on adjacent Wise's Lake for a 5-week period. This greater number of ruddles 

 In 1942 largely accounts for the 82 per cent greater kill made that year on the Sparland area. 



24 



