Duck identification and regulation preferences among waterfowl hunters: a pre-assessment of the Tier II bag limit

• Published in: Human dimensions of wildlife Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 259 - 268
• Main Authors: Gruntorad, Matthew P., Vrtiska, Mark P., Murano, Rocco J., Garrick, Matthew J., Chizinski, Christopher J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Routledge 03.05.2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Aquatic birds; duck hunting; Ducks; humans; Hunting; hunting constraints; Nebraska; Regulations; South Dakota; Waterfowl; Wildlife; South Dakota; Nebraska
• ISSN: 1087-1209; 1533-158X; 1533-158X
• DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2023.2233543

Tier II bag limit regulations were developed to lessen constraints to participation by new duck hunters. By opting for the three-duck bag limit, hunters would not be subject to the species and sex-specific regulations of the six-duck limit. We surveyed hunters in Nebraska and South Dakota to gain an understanding about how Tier II regulations would be received by the current waterfowl-hunting population. We found that less experienced hunters stated they had greater difficulty identifying ducks and were more likely to use Tier II than experienced hunters. A significant proportion of new waterfowl hunters may make use of Tier II, and these regulations may relieve hunting constraints in a meaningful way. Wildlife agencies may want to consider how hunters transition between bag-limit regulations from year-to-year and consider means to integrate Tier II into hunter R3 efforts.