| | Description: | A total of 2,896 potential Illinois waterfowl hunters returned questionnaires for the 2004-2005 Illinois Waterfowl Hunter Survey, for a 63% response rate. Of those, 2,419 reported they purchased a 2004-2005 Illinois Migratory Waterfowl Stamp, and 2,117 stamp purchasers (87.5%) actually hunted waterfowl. An estimated 54,803 Illinois waterfowl hunters spent 1,083,910 days afield during the 2004-2005 season, and harvested 494,775 waterfowl. September teal hunters (n = 8,097) spent 23,928 days afield and harvested 8,463 teal. Regular season duck and coot harvest, by species, was 207,982 mallards, 44,725 wood ducks, and 116,951 other ducks. Hunters harvested 13,587 Canada geese during the 2004 September season. During the regular goose season, 37,189 hunters spent 345,279 days afield and harvested 81,859 Canada geese and 8,231 other geese. We evaluated hunter behavior and attitudes related to waterfowl hunting, with a particular emphasis on duck season dates and duck hunting. | |
