Resources related to Human Disturbance

Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest 2007 -2008

Since the 1952-53 hunting season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has conducted a
survey of Federal Duck Stamp purchasers to estimate waterfowl hunter activity and harvest in
the United States. That survey was conducted annually through the 2001-02 hunting season,
after which it was replaced by a new migratory game bird harvest survey system. In 1992, the
FWS and State Fish and Wildlife Agencies (States) established the Migratory Bird Harvest
Information Program (HIP), which was fully operational nationwide by 1999 (Elden et al. 2002).

Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and Harvest 2008-2009

Since the 1952-53 hunting season, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has conducted a
survey of Federal Duck Stamp purchasers to estimate waterfowl hunter activity and harvest in
the United States. That survey was conducted annually through the 2001-02 hunting season,
after which it was replaced by a new migratory game bird harvest survey system. In 1992, the
FWS and State Fish and Wildlife Agencies (States) established the Migratory Bird Harvest
Information Program (HIP), which was fully operational nationwide by 1999 (Elden et al. 2002).

Subsistence Household Survey - Spring

A survey of the annual subsistence harvest has been conducted in Alaska since 1985. In general, the subsistence harvest in Alaska is around one percent of the overall waterfowl harvest in North America. The sample frame consists of 26,000 households in the parts of Alaska in which subsistence is legal. Subsistence harvesters record how many birds and eggs of each species they take.

Atlantic Flyway Sea Duck Survey

During the 1980's, restrictive harvest regulations linked to declines in mid-continent duck populations and restrictions on black duck harvest led to a shift in hunting pressure to lesser-utilized species, such as sea ducks. Concern among Atlantic coast waterfowl biologists about this increase in pressure on sea ducks led to a variety of surveys in different areas being conducted at different times, using a variety of techniques that were not compatible.

Survey of Wintering Sea Ducks and Waterbirds in Bristol Bay, Alaska

There is a dearth of information about bird use of certain areas of Bristol Bay during winter. This survey will fill in gaps of our knowledge and provide baseline winter abundance and distribution data for eastern Bristol Bay and the southern extent of sea ice, which varies annually. The area is subject to potential threats from offshore oil and gas development and from mining (i.e., Pebble mine). The aerial survey will be done using USFWS Kodiak fixed-wing aircraft and pilots and will test the proposed survey methodology..

Biological and Societal Dimensions of Lead Poisoning of Birds in the USA

ABSTRACT.—The ingestion of spent lead shot was known to cause mortality in wild waterfowl in the US a
century before the implementation of nontoxic shot regulations began in 1972. The biological foundation
for this transition was strongly supported by both field observations and structured scientific investigations.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, various societal factors forestalled the full transition to nontoxic shot
for waterfowl hunting until 1991. Now, nearly 20 years later, these same factors weigh heavily in current

Embedded Lead Shot and Infliction Rates in Common Eiders

Wildl. Biol. 12: 257-265.
“As the Eider is a bird very resistant to shot, often 2-3 birds are wounded for each that is shot dead…”
(Müller, South Greenland, 1906)
The large numbers of common eiders Somateria mollissima and king eiders S. spectabilis wintering
in southwest Greenland are subject to intensive hunting, and in addition to direct harvest an unknown
number of birds are wounded and become carriers of embedded lead shot. We conducted the first
assessment of the magnitude of this undesirable side effect of hunting in Greenland by X-raying 879

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