Trends in Wildlife and Fish 
Population, Use, and Harvests 
Nongame Wildlife—Nongame 
wildlife is typically not hunted for 
sport, food, or profit, and comprises the 
majority of the 3,000 vertebrate 
wildlife and fish species around the 
country. Information on population 
levels of nongame fish and wildlife is 
limited. The most detailed surveys— 
for various bird species—indicate that 
species associated with wetland habitat 
are the most likely to decline in 
number. Increases in forest 
fragmentation will also contribute to 
declines in populations of some forest- 
dwelling birds. Other bird populations 
can be cited as increasing in number, 
however. 
Nonconsumptive Uses— 
Nonconsumptive uses of wildlife and 
fish are those that do not result in the 
death or attempted death of individual 
animals. Available information shows 
that this use of fish and wildlife has 
increased greatly over the past 2 
decades. For example, the percentage 
of people 16 years of age and older 
who participated in some form of 
nonconsumptive wildlife-related 
recreation increased from 55 percent in 
1980 to 74 percent in 1985. 
Migratory Game Birds—Migratory 
game birds include waterfowl—ducks, 
geese, and swans—and webless 
migratory species such as woodcock 
and mourning doves. In total, the 
country’s duck population declined 
from 44 million birds in the early 
1970’s to about 30 million birds in the 
mid-1980's. This decline is attributed 
to deterioration in the quantity and 
quality of wetland area. 
Although there are exceptions for 
individual species, goose populations 
have increased significantly over the 
past 20 years. Wintering populations of 
34 
geese have risen from 2.6 million in 
1966 to 5.6 million in 1985. Remote 
breeding areas free from disturbance, 
management of cropland as a food 
source, and introduction of geese into 
suitable nesting areas have all 
contributed to the population increase. 
Annual populations of swans have 
ranged between 72,000 and 148,000 
since the 1960°s. Woodcock breeding 
populations have been relatively stable 
throughout the range of the species in 
the last 20 years, although there is 
concern over recent declines in the 
eastern subpopulation. The population 
of breeding mourning doves has 
declined. 
Migratory Game-Bird Hunters and 
Harvests—The number of duck and 
goose hunters has declined steadily in 
all three of the Nation’s primary 
flyways (fig. 31). Although reasons for 
the decline are not known, lack of land 
accessibility and crowded hunting 
Figure 31—The number of duck and goose 
hunters has declined steadily in all three of the 
Nation’s primary flyways. 
conditions probably are contributing 
factors. Data are fragmentary on the 
number of hunters of woodcock and 
mourning doves, but the total number 
of hunters of these species has 
probably been declining. 
The harvest of ducks has shown a 
mixed trend over the past 20 years, 
reaching a peak of 16 million in 1971. 
The number of geese harvested has 
shown an increasing trend since 1965. 
It has been estimated that the harvest of 
woodcock and mourning doves has 
declined over time. 
Big Game—Big game includes large 
mammals and wild turkey. Most big- 
game populations are now more secure, 
more widely distributed, and more 
abundant than they were at the turn of 
the century (fig. 32). Over time, 
enactment of protective legislation and 
management and extensive State and 
Federal habitat restoration programs 
have contributed to the recovery of 
Figure 32—Most big-game populations are now 
more secure, more widely distributed, and more 
abundant than they were at the turn of the 
century. 
