Addi t i onal Areas 



Unless the total number of duck hunters could be limited. It Is doubtful If the 

 creation of more public shooting grounds would alone materially raise the individual take per 

 hunt. In a state of over 7,000,000 people with over 300,000 hunters — the majority of whom 

 are within a few hours drive of most of the waterfowl grounds — the addition of new areas 

 would probably result In more non-hunters trying their hand at duck shooting. In more upland 

 shooters turning to waterfowl and In a large proportion of the present free-lance waterfowlers 

 hunting more frequently. 



Temporarily a new area might produce a satisfactory Individual kill per hunt. 

 However, because good news is passed around and because of the potential number of waterfowlers 

 that can be recruited from the upland hunter and non-hunter groups. It would not take very 

 long for additional areas, as well as the present ones, to have the same high shooting pressure 

 and low Individual kill as that observed In the years of this study. 



However, as funds become available, additional public shooting grounds should be 

 created to enable more people to enjoy the sport of wlldfowllng. If these areas were average 

 or better than average waterfowl shooting lands. It would be possible to furnish a satisfac- 

 tory hunt by limiting the number of shooters. Fifteen thousand acres of land equal In value 

 for hunting to the Liverpool Areas would annually provide 6,000 hunter-days of satisfactory 

 shooting. The public shooting grounds of Illinois carried more than that number of hunter- 

 days per year in both 1941 and 1942. 



SUMMARY 



1. In the years covered by this study, 1940 through 1942, about one out of every 

 four hunters In Illinois pursued the sport of waterfowllng. 



2. Drainage and leveeing have resulted In a great loss In waterfowl habitat in the 

 state. At the time this study was made, about 5,000,000 acres were In drainage enterprises, 

 leaving only approximately 250,000 acres of lakes, marshes and swamps In Illinois for water- 

 fowl grounds. 



3. Because two-thirds or more of the state's limited waterfowl habitat was under 

 private control, three out of five Illinois waterfowlers had difficulty In finding a hunting 

 place. 



4. The greater part of waterfowl hunting In the state occurred In 33 counties locat- 

 ed In the following four general regions: (1) the Chaln-C -Lakes region In the northeastern 

 corner; (2) the Horse Shoe Lake Area In Alexander County; (3) the Mississippi River valley 

 from East Dubuque to Alton; and (4) the Illinois River valley from Channahon to Grafton. 



5. Because most of the C ha ln-0' -Lakes waterfowl hunting ground was under public 

 control, this area was subject to very .heavy shooting pressure. At Grass Lake, on the opening 

 day of the 1942 hunting season, a calculated 1,920 hunters bagged approximately 23,800 coots 



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