2018 Season Waterfowl Hunter Survey Summary Presented by Josh - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2018 Season Waterfowl Hunter Survey Summary Presented by Josh Richardson, Sr. Biologist Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Background  Waterfowl hunting season and limits are determined by both state and federal entities  Several biologically acceptable options  Hunter opinion can help determine the course of action to take

Waterfowl Hunter Survey  Opportunity to hear from hunters across OK & US  Internet survey  Census of HIP permit holders ~40,000  Senior licenses w/ email  Administered Oct/Nov 2018

Who responded  We had 8,627 responses  5,608 had hunted waterfowl in the last five years  State & Federal estimates range 10-15k hunters Which season(s) did you hunt ducks? 100% 84% 83% 79% 74% 70% 75% 50% 25% 0% 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018

Demographics of Survey Respondents  Geography  Even spread across state based on population  Age  Average = 44 years old  spread from 12 years - 84 years  Avidity  Average = 16.79 years hunting waterfowl  spread from 0 years-69 years  Gender  4,086 male (98%), 83 female (2%)

Reasons to hunt for waterfowl in OK Most important: Being outdoors/ in nature 1. Hunting with friends or family 2. Least important: Maximizing the number of 1. mallards shot in a season Harvesting their daily limit 2.

What zone do you hunt most often? 80% 76% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 24% 20% 10% 1% 0% Zone 1 Zone 2 Panhandle

Zone 1 Hunters • Averaged 12 days of 76% 80% 70% hunting 60% 50% 40% • Averaged 30 birds 30% 24% harvested 20% 10% 1% 0% Zone 1 Zone 2 Panhandle • Hunted waterfowl an average of 16.8 years

Zone 2 Hunters • Averaged 15.3 days 76% 80% 70% of hunting 60% 50% 40% • Averaged 39.3 birds 30% 24% harvested 20% 10% 1% 0% Zone 1 Zone 2 Panhandle • Hunted waterfowl an average of 16.9 years

Primary targeted waterfowl species 45% 41% 40% 36% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 13% 10% 7% 5% 2% 0% 0% 0% Any legal duck Dabbling ducks MallardsTeal and/or Wood ducks Diving ducks Canada geese Other geese

Waterfowl Hunting Land Use 70.0% 63.9% Zone 1 60.0% Zone 2 51.3% 50.0% 40.0% 35.6% 30.0% 20.2% 20.0% 15.9% 13.1% 10.0% 0.0% Free private Paid private Public

What days do you typically hunt waterfowl? Weekends are extremely important….. 100% 93% 90% 80% 80% 70% 60% 55% 50% 40% 28% 30% 26% 23% 23% 20% 10% 0% Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

What days/periods are very desirable for having an open waterfowl season? 45% 40% 38% 40% 35% 30% 30% 25% 20% 17% 17% 16% 15% 15% 10% 5% 0% Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Christmas Deer gun Deer gun Quail season Pheasant Day Weekend opening day season opening day season opening day

Zones in Oklahoma 2018 Season Dates Panhandle: Oct. 13- Jan. 9 Zone 1: Oct. 27-Nov. 25 & Dec. 8- Jan. 20 Zone 2: Nov. 3- Nov. 25 & Dec. 8- Jan. 27

How satisfied are you with the….  Number of duck hunting zones in Oklahoma 50% 43% 45% Zone 1 Zone 2 40% 40% 35% 31% 30% 27% 25% 20% 15% 13% 12% 9% 8% 10% 7% 5% 3% 5% 2% 0% Very Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied No opinion/ dissatisfied don't know

How satisfied are you with the….  The boundary between Zone 1 and Zone 2 50% 44% 45% 43% Zone 1 Zone 2 40% 35% 30% 24% 25% 19% 20% 16% 14% 15% 11% 10% 7% 7% 6% 6% 5% 2% 0% Very Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied No opinion/ dissatisfied don't know

What is your opinion on zones in Oklahoma? 45% Zone 1 Zone 2 40% 40% 34% 35% 33% 29% 30% 25% 22% 22% 20% 15% 10% 7% 5% 4% 5% 3% 0% Combine into a Keep 2 zones, Keep 2 zones, Increase to 3 Don't know/ no single zone leave boundaries but change zones opinion as-is boundaries

Split General opinion across all of Oklahoma

How satisfied are you with….  Having a split season 40% 36% Zone 1 Zone 2 35% 30% 30% 26% 25% 19% 20% 17% 16% 15% 12% 9% 9% 8% 8% 10% 8% 5% 0% Very Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied No opinion/ dissatisfied don't know

How satisfied are you with the….  Timing of the split 45% 40% 40% Zone 1 Zone 2 36% 35% 30% 25% 23% 20% 20% 18% 14% 15% 13% 9% 9% 10% 8% 6% 5% 5% 0% Very Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very satisfied No opinion/ dissatisfied don't know

Information by Zone

Zone 1 Hunters on Zone 1 Regulations Which of the following would you prefer for the split in Zone 1? 35% 30% 30% 26% 26% 25% 20% 15% 11% 10% 6% 5% 0% Keep the 12 day Reduce to a 5 day Remove the split Increase to a 19 Don't know/ no split split day split opinion

Zone 1 Hunters on Zone 1 Regulations Which of the following would you prefer for the split in Zone 1? 40% 30% 26% 26% 30% 20% 11% 6% 10% 0% 70% 63% 60% 50% 37% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Keep a split Remove split

In terms of those who use public or private land most often in Zone 1… 80% 71% 70% 62% 60% 50% 38% Public 40% Private 29% 30% 20% 10% 0% Keep Remove

 Of the Zone 1 hunters that want the split removed (n=239), the majority want the season to open later and end later. 60% 55% 50% 40% 30% 19% 20% 15% 8% 10% 3% 0% Open season Open season as- Open season Open season Don't know/ no later, end as-is is, end earlier later, end earlier later, end later opinion

Zone 2 Hunters on Zone 2 Regulations Which of the following would you prefer for the split in Zone 2? 35% 33% 30% 27% 25% 21% 20% 14% 15% 10% 6% 5% 0% Keep the 12 day Reduce to a 5 day Remove the split Increase to a 19 Don't know/ no split split day split opinion

Zone 2 Hunters on Zone 2 Regulations Which of the following would you prefer for the split in Zone 2? 33% 40% 27% 30% 21% 14% 20% 6% 10% 0% 66% 70% 60% 50% 40% 34% 30% 20% 10% 0% Keep a split Remove split

In terms of those who use public or private land most often in Zone 2… 80% 70% 70% 63% 60% 50% Public 40% 37% Private 30% 30% 20% 10% 0% Keep Remove

 Of the Zone 2 hunters that want the split removed (n=884), the majority want the season to open later and end as-is. 70% 65% 60% 50% 40% 30% 18% 20% 9% 9% 10% 0% Open season later, Open season as-is, Open season later, Don't know/ no end as-is end earlier end earlier opinion

In conclusion…  Reached 5,608 of our 10-15,000 waterfowl hunters, 1/3-1/2 of our waterfowl hunters responded  Average annual harvest of 30-40 birds, 12-15 days  Weekends and holidays important  Mostly satisfied with current zones, but opportunity for combining zones  Preference for keeping a split, but opportunity for adjusting split timing

Next Steps  Additional feedback coming via public comment  Report finalized and publicly distributed  States provide season date selections early May  Recent Service decision has extended final frameworks to Jan. 31 for 2019-20 season  Zones selected in 2020, realized in 2021