Duck production and harvest in St. Croix and Polk counties, Wisconsin

Source:

Evrard, James O.. Griffin, Martin P. A., Editor
Duck production and harvest in St. Croix and Polk counties, Wisconsin
(Technical bulletin. (Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources), No. 194)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2002
38 pgs.

A study, conducted during 1982-91 in northwest Wisconsin, evaluated management techniques designed to increase Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) production and determined the contribution of duck produciton to the local hunting harvest. The 415-mi2 (321,280 acre) study area in St. Croix and southern Polk counties contained around 7,000 acres (2.1%) of state and federal Waterfowl Production areas (WPAs). Each year duck breeding pairs and broods were censused by air and by ground and approximately 1,000 acres of upland nesting cover were searched for nests. I sampled nest predators and alternate prey populations annually and captured, marked, and released over 5,000 immature and adult waterfowl during 1982-90. I interviewed hunters in the field during the first 2 days of the hunting season to determine their success. The major objective of the study (to evaluate habitat management techniques to increase duck production in WPAs) was only partially met, primarily due to inadequate sample sizes. Wetland densities, duck occupancy, and breeding pair densities declined during the 1987-88 drought. Mean 1982-91 duck breeding pair densities for the study area were 7.0 pairs/mi² (1.6 Mallard, 2.6 Blue-winged Teal, 2.8 other species). Mean duck breeding pair densities on the WPAs er 68.4 pairs/mi² (17.9 Mallard, 29.0 Blue-winged Teal, 21.5 other). Mean 1982-90 nest success was 21.3% for 621 WPA duck nests of which 63% were Blue-winged Teal, 36% Mallard, and 1% other species. This rate exceeds the 20% nest success needed for a stable population under Wisconsin conditions. There was no difference betweeen mean Mallard and Blue-winged Teal nest success for the 9-year period (p=0.8). Mean duckling produciton was 3 ducklings/WPA wetland acre based upon mark/resight estimates. Thirteen percent of marked Mallards and 5% of marked Blue-winged Teal were shot within the study area. Mallards and Blue-winged Teal comprised 35% and 12% of the harvest respectively during the first two days of the season. Mean hunter success was 0.8 ducks/hunter trip, with 10 hours being needed to bag one duck during dry years.

URL to cite for this work: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/EcoNatRes.DNRBull194

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