Raftovich, R.V., K.A. Wilkins, S.S Williams, H.L. Spriggs, and K.D. Richkus. 2011. Migratory bird
hunting activity and harvest during the 2009 and 2010 hunting seasons. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice, Laurel, Maryland, USA.
Abstract: National surveys of migratory bird hunters were conducted during the 2009 and 2010
hunting seasons. Hunters of the following types of migratory birds were surveyed: waterfowl
(family Anatidae), doves (mourning [Zenaida macroura] and white-winged [Z. asiatica]), band- tailed
pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago
delicata), American coot (Fulica americana), gallinules (Common moorhen [Gallinula chloropus] and
purple gallinule [Porzana carolina]), and rails (king rail [Rallus elegans], clapper rail [R.
longirostris], Virginia rail [R. limicola], and sora [Coturnicops noveboracensis]). About 1.1
million waterfowl hunters harvested 13,139,800 (±4%) ducks and
3,327,000 (±5%) geese in 2009, and about 1.1 million waterfowl hunters harvested 14,796,700 (±4%)
ducks and 3,169,900 (±5%) geese in 2010. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), green-winged teal (A.
crecca), gadwall (A. strepera), blue-winged/cinnamon teal (A. discors), and wood duck (Aix sponsa)
were the 5 most-harvested duck species in the U.S., and Canada goose (Branta canadensis) was the
predominant species in the goose harvest. About 974,400 dove hunters harvested 17,354,800 (±6%)
mourning doves in 2009 and 959,900 hunters harvested 17,230,400
± 5% in 2010. Woodcock hunters numbered about 109,000 in 2009 and 138,300 in 2010, and harvested
238,400 (±15%) birds in 2009 and 332,900 (±11%) in 2010. About 29,400 people hunted snipe in 2009
and 37,500 in 2010, and they harvested 83,500 (±45%) and 118,200 (±37%) snipe in 2009 and 2010,
respectively. Coot hunters (about 31,100 in 2009 and 50,500 in
2010) harvested 219,000 (±34%) coots in 2009 and 302,600 (±50%) in 2010. Gallinule hunters (about
2,300 in 2009 and 15,000 in 2010) harvested 7,400 (±66%) gallinules in 2009 and 13,700 (±87%) in
2010. About 7,800 rail hunters harvested 36,100 (±62%) rails in 2009 and 17,000 rail hunters
harvested 27,100 (±57%) rails in 2010.