8942997 total results

Summary of investigations into crop damage caused by waterfowl due to overly wet fields.

A sample of people eligible to hunt waterfowl was contacted after the 2005 hunting seasons to estimate hunting activity and determine opinions and satisfaction with hunting regulations. In 2005, about 50,400 people hunted waterfowl. The number of people hunting ducks and geese declined 15% and 14%, respectively, between 2004 and 2005, although license sales declined by only 5%. Compared to 2004, an increased proportion of duck hunters in 2005 were satisfied with the number of ducks seen (38 versus 33% satisfied). Goose hunters reported increased satisfaction with the number of geese seen (54 versus 48% satisfied) and with their overall goose hunting experience (49 versus 43%). Most duck hunters that preferred to hunt in the North Zone (66%) favored a duck hunting season beginning in the latter half of September. Among hunters that preferred to hunt in the Middle Zone in 2005, 56% preferred a season beginning during late September or early October. For the duck hunters that preferred to hunt in the South Zone in 2005, the most frequently selected preferred start dates (56%) for the season were early to mid-October. The proportion of duck hunters that normally used spinning-wing decoys increased from 13 to 24% between 2001 and 2005. As these decoys have become more popular, the proportion of duck hunters disapproving of their use has declined. Goose hunters were asked their opinion on the use of various hunting practices which are currently illegal to help control goose numbers. Most goose hunters approved of hunting with unplugged guns, extending the hunting season to include late August, and hunting geese until 30 minutes after sunset. Goose hunters also were asked their opinion on the use of various techniques to control goose numbers in areas where human-goose conflict was a problem and hunting was not possible. In these situations, most goose hunters (>57%) have consistently supported killing adult geese and donating the meat to families in need. Most goose hunters (>64%) have consistently disapproved of controlling goose populations using dietary supplements that would reduce their reproduction.

Report of a survey of a sample of waterfowl hunters contacted after the 2009 hunting seasons to estimate hunting activity and determine opinions and satisfaction with hunting regulations.

Guide, in chart form, for plantings of aquatic species.

Report on the results, hunting and conditions of the 1969 waterfowl season at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, with comparative data from past years.

Report on the results, hunting and conditions of the 1965 waterfowl season at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.

Report describing the methods and results of artificial incubation and brooding of various game birds.

Summary of the results of the 1958 waterfowl breeding ground surveys.

Results of an examination of ducks collected from the Pine River in Midland and Gratiot counties in 1977 looking for detectable levels of the pollutant polybrominated biphenyl.

Summary of goose hunting at the Swan Creek Highbanks from 1945-1957, with future management plans.

This report covers the last year (1979) and also summarizes all of the data for the three-year (1977-79) zoned waterfowl hunting season experiment in Michigan. the objectives of the zoning experiment are twofold: (1)To obtain information about the role of zoning in waterfowl management; and (2) To provide more satisfactory waterfowl hunting opportunity without changing the size or species composition of statewide harvests or redistributing harvest among states. The results show that during the zoned hunting season experiment years, the average annual duck harvest fell between the 1961-1970 and 1966-85 averages, duck hunter numbers declined from previous years, total hunter trips also decreased, hunter success for Michigan was good, the percentage of hunters crossing zone boundaries went down in 1979 from the previous two years, and that there was no data to suggest that the Michigan duck harvest has had any substantial and/or adverse impacts on the resource itself. The report recommends that Michigan be permitted to continue the zoned hunting season experiment in 1980 with a few modifications to the zone locations and utilizing a split duck season formula, that USFWS permit the state to select an earlier opening date, and that monitoring and evaluation of zoned seasons be continued in future years.

Results of the 1955 waterfowl bag check survey, part of a nationwide survey.

Report documenting the seasonal distribution of birds at Rose Lake Wildlife Research Area.

Report compiling and summarizing information on lead poisoning taken from DNR Wildlife Pahtology Laboratory records.

Report on the plantings of wild rice in Michigan as waterfowl habitat improvement.

Report on the results, hunting, and conditions of the 1965 experimental season for blue-winged teal.

Report on the plantlife and wildlife within the Allegan Project Waterfowl Area.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1977 to expand goose-hunting opportunities in areas where significant conflicts existed between people and resident giant Canada geese. Initial steps to regulate local goose populations included more hunting days and an increased daily limit starting at the end of the regular goose season (1977-1981). However, a three-county area in Michigan's Saginaw Bay region (Figure 1) was closed to early goose hunting after 1987 due to the high proportion (60%) of interiors in the special season harvest; these three counties, containing the Saginaw County Goose Management Units (GMU) and the Tuscola-Huron GMU, traditionally managed to attract interior Canada geese. In February 2000 a proposal was submitted to the Mississippi Flyway Council Technical Section (MFCTS) to conduct an experimental 1-15 September early season in the Saginaw Bay area for the 2000-2002 seasons with a 5-bird daily limit. Based on mail surveys results, an estimated 5,529 (± 1,271: 95% confidence interval) Canada geese were harvested in 8,059 hunter-days (± 1,700) during the 2000 season; 5,931 (± 1,175) geese were harvested during 8,355 <± 1,239) hunter-days during the 2001 season, and 6,274 geese were harvested during 8,456 hunter-days during the 2002 season. Combining these data with estimates of proportional contribution of giants in the early season harvest, we estimate that a range of about 5,360 to 6,090 giant Canada geese per year and 165 to 190 interior Canada geese per year were harvested during the early season on the study area.

Creating wetlands for wildlife is a relatively new science, and wetlands constructed from design recommendations provided by consultants and resource management agencies have had limited wildlife-use evaluation. The purpose of this study was to monitor wildlife use and physical characteristics of semi-permanent wetlands constructed in 1992 and 1994. A total of 2,345 waterbird observations was recorded during 40 counts, which averaged 59 waterbirds/day on the 22-pond complex or 7 waterbirds/wetland ha/day. Waterfowl accounted for 83% of total waterbird use. Mallard, blue-winged teal, and gadwall ducks were the most commonly observed species, comprising 64% of the waterfowl use. Canada geese accounted for 11% of the waterfowl use. The most common diving ducks were bufflehead, common goldeneye, and hooded merganser, however, their combined use accounted for only 10% of the waterfowl activity recorded. The most common shorebirds were yellowlegs and killdeer, totaling 80% of the shorebird use. Sandhill cranes and American bitterns comprised 87% of the wading bird use. Three-year old wetlands accounted for 79% of the constructed aquatic zone available to waterbirds but 91% of the duck use. One-year old wetlands received comparatively high use by Canada geese and shorebirds (44% and 59% of total use for these groups, respectively). Use by wading birds was also relatively high on the 4 newest wetlands (45% of total wading bird group), however, sandhill cranes accounted for much of this use. When sandhill cranes were omitted from the wading bird data set, use of new wetlands fell to 2% for the group.

Summary of the results of the 1968 waterfowl breeding ground surveys.

Report discussing the regulations, hunting and results of a special late scaup (bluebill) only season held on a portion of the lower Detroit River and a portion of Lake Erie in November, 1968.