
Establishment of Zones and Sampling System 
Zones 
Every concentration area will have definite patterns of goose move- 
ment, hunter pressure, and harvest; and these will normally fall into defin- 
ite zones around the refuge. 
Hunters tend to concentrate along the refuge boundary, and much of the 
harvest will occur here on the perimeter of the refuge. This area of con- 
centrated kill would usually constitute zone 1 of the survey plan. Under 
conditions existing at Horicon, we found that a good workable size for this 
zone is approximately 1 mile in width. 
Zone 2 will vary, depending on local conditions, and can be best deter- 
mined on the ground for each individual refuge area. It will be subject to 
revision from year to year as more refined information permits a clearer cut 
delineation of the outer boundary. Our zone 2 at Horicon averages 2 to 3 
miles in width. 
The same holds true for zone 3 limits. However, to start with, it is 
recommended that zone 3 be confined to approximately 5 miles in width until 
additional information permits closer delineation. 
Zone 4: This zone may seldom, if ever, be needed. If activated, it is 
recommended that this zone be about 5 miles in width. 
Size of local goose populations, daily flight patterns, and size and 
areas of hunter concentration will dictate the intensity of survey. To set 
up an initial hunter survey, it is recommended that at least three zones be 
established, subject to refinement as conditions and experience dictate. 
Sectors 
The number of sectors required will depend upon the availability of 
manpower, the coverage required to obtain the necessary information, and the 
frequency of sampling needed. 
Each area will have to determine the size and number of sectors which 
are either needed or possible to man; and these requirements will have to be 
based on needs of the individual area. 
Frequency of Pick-ups and Sampling Intensity 
Both pick-ups and intensity of sampling will depend on the use to be 
made of kill data. When total season kill alone is the goal, perhaps a 
smaller sample of farms or landowners will furnish sufficient information. 
Possibly even in zone 1 a sample of every 5th or 10th farmer will permit 
gathering enough data, with correspondingly lighter sampling in zones 2 and 
3. Here, the management requirements will have to be one of the deciding 
factors, along with availability of manpower and the inherent variability of 
the data. 
The frequency of picking up reports from cooperating farmers will also 
vary according to the needs of the particular refuge. However, a minimm of 
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