Elite Hunter

A

Andrew Schaefer

Active member
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have arrived! I got a letter in the mail from USFWS asking me to partake in their annual wing survey (I guess that's what you call it), where they want you to send in a wing from every duck you bag. I would say they selected me because they know I'm an elite duck hunter ;) , but I'm guessing it has more to do with my willingness to respond to their surveys.

I had an inkling this would happen because I was selected for the duck harvest log survey last year and responded. I've also been selected for the snipe and rail harvest log surveys in the past ( I guess that's what happens when you say "yes" when they ask you if you hunted snipe on your HIP questionnaire).

Anybody else do this? Do they tend to keep asking you every year as long as you keep sending them wings? I'm a fisheries biologist by profession, so I'm happy to do it because I know how helpful that kind of data is.
 
I have never heard of this before and none of my family or freinds have either, I'm wondering if it's more of a regional thing meaning they only ask people in certian area's to do it.

What's with them wanting a wing from every duck you kill? Are they doing some kind of blood testing on it are something?

Any more details you can give on this?
 
Hello Andrew,
Here in Ontario Canada we have this wing study by the Canadian Wildlife Service, every year if you are willing to comply. We have had the study for a number of yrs. now. I no longer volunteer for the study for political reasons , (don't want to go further than that on the subject). Also usually when you you volunteer for the study they will be after you each year after but keep in mind when we buy a waterfowl license (duck stamp) for us older guys there is a yes or no if you want to participate in the study.Hope this helps .
John .U.
 
Andrew, I got a big envelope full of mailers from these guys about 10 years ago. I saved wings and sent them off as directed. Next year I got two envelopes, I did as instructed. This went on for about five years and then one year no more envelopes. I always enjoyed the letter of thanks each year, and a report of what I shot specifically, age, Identity and sex of the birds. If I remember right for geese they want a wing and tail feathers. Rich
 
Hello Andrew,
Here in Ontario Canada we have this wing study by the Canadian Wildlife Service, every year if you are willing to comply. We have had the study for a number of yrs. now. I no longer volunteer for the study for political reasons , (don't want to go further than that on the subject). Also usually when you you volunteer for the study they will be after you each year after but keep in mind when we buy a waterfowl license (duck stamp) for us older guys there is a yes or no if you want to participate in the study.Hope this helps .
John .U.
Click to expand...

John, I too participated for a number of years (in Ontario) and then stopped. Probably for the same reasons.
 
I remember doing wing surveys in the 80's here in NY, apparently it's an on and off thing with them, probably if they get grant money specifically for it.
Don't feel too good about yourself, they'll take anyone who agrees to do it. LOL
 
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I did it at least three years in a row, last year I got a letter thanking me for participating but they only would ask the same person to do it so many years in a row and I had fulfilled their request. Kind of odd as I was glad to do it. Sometime in May you get a letter with the breakdown of what you sent in the previous year.
 
My son got the same invite and is stoked to participate -- which made me proud. I also think that his participation will help him value the science and effort going on behind the scenes, in a matter of speaking.
 
There are two surveys that the US fish and Wildlife Service conducts to measure the size and species composition of the waterfowl harvest (the Canadian Wildlife Service does the same). One is the mail questionnaire survey and the other is the wing survey. The mail questionnaire is a simple form that asks you to record the number of birds you kill on every day that you hunt and the county where you hunted. The parts collection survey requests that you send one wing (or the tails feathers for geese) from each duck that you shoot. This survey also requests the location of where you hunted. Different groups of hunters participate in each survey. By combining the two surveys the biologists can estimate the total number of birds by species (and whether the birds were males or females and young of the year or older). This information lets them track the results of the hunting regulations. Many hunters mistaken believe that the harvest is estimated from the few questions that are asked when you buy your license. Those questions are the Harvest Information Program (HIP) sorting questions that help provide the sample frame for the Parts and Mail questionnaire Surveys.

Both of these surveys are vital for understanding the level of harvest and establishment of the hunting regulations. While it takes time to participate in either of the surveys, you are helping keeping the seasons going at appropriate levels. Thanks for participating.
 
Hi Andrew,

The wing thing has been going on for years. I too have been asked to participate this coming season. I hope to harvest something to send them. Receiving information on their findings will be interesting.
 
I participated for many seasons, for ducks & geese, for federal studies and Ruffed Grouse for the PA Game Commission.

Regarding the duck wings. Prepare and package them as advised, or you will make no friends at the Post Office. The folks their have good memories.

Good luck.
 
Same here.....in the 90's I did it for a few years. Kind of cool providing actual data vs. flyover guesstimates. One year...no more envelopes. My mail man loved me. I was younger then and didn't almost take the upmost care in not getting blood on the envelopes. Wings from ducks, tail feathers from geese. And I agree, getting the results was very cool.
 
I, too, did that for two or three years, in the '80's I think, but I don't recall getting any kind of summary back in the mail. I'm curious, though, what it is that you would find interesting about that summary. Have you shot ducks without knowing what kind they were? I guess it would be easy to misidentify the gender on a young bird, but beyond that, what kind of surprises have you experienced? Hybrids maybe? Just curious.
 
I have participated in this survey about three times over the past 10 years. It is fun and would like to do it again if given the chance.
 
Hey Andrew, I was lucky enough to be picked on two separate occasions for the wing survey. I loved it because each time was for 3 years. The time, date, and what was collected on each successful hunt, kept me busy. I found out how the post office wanted me to bring in the envelopes and they always made sure that I had their crates for it.
I had a close line in my shop where I hung all the wings to let them dry. That didn't take long at all.
Al
 
Hi,
I have done this for the past 3 seasons. I've sent the wing for every duck I shot and the tail feathers & wing tips from every goose I shot. A few months after the season ends, they sent a sheet with the species, age, & sex of the bird. I enjoyed it. But this year in the species sheet was a letter saying they no longer needed samples from me. But I still have envelopes, if anyone wants to participate.
 
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