USFWS Wing survey?

Gene R.

Gene R.

Well-known member
For about the last 3yrs my son or I've received some sort of survey for detailed H.I.P. of waterfowl in the mail. This year I was asked to be part of submitting wings and tail feathers etc. First time for this and will gladly participate, but was wondering if anyone else here was asked? Also curious if they send any info back to surveyor.

Gene
 
Gene, This will be my 9th year sending in wings. I did it from 1984-1986, 1999-2001 and 2008-this season.
They want You to send for three seasons. It takes a lot of extra time but I find it worth the time. Yes they send you the info they collect. Mine from last year should be in the mail any day. Here is what they sent last year.

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Gene,
That is the same thing that happened to me. I participated in a paper trail type survey for three years and then last year became my first time for sending in duck wings. As Rob, mentioned, it is a task but since it is for a worthy cause, I don't mind doing it at all. Any time you can help in waterfowl research I think is a hunter's duty to do so. My 2 cents worth.
The people you work with out of Laurel, Maryland, were extremely helpful.
Al
 
Rob, Wow! that will be definitly be worth it. Very cool.
Ryan, if it's another year like last locally, the majority of info will help the Atlantic flyway. haha.
Thanks fellas, great info.

Gene R.
 
I can answer any questions you might have remaining. Let me just say that the wing information is important information that we use in assessing population status and ultimately in setting regulations. Your time investment is well worth it. Thanks for providing vital information.
 
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From 2006, 07 and 08 I sent in wings. I think back in the late 90s or 2000 I did also. Kind of neat to get the print out at the end and see all the other info gained from it. It's a little depressing in poor years getting your info back. :)

Tim
 
I wondering how to get out of it?hehehehe I got tagged back in 1999 for a snipe rail and woodcock bee and they've come back every year asking for me to do it one more. I'm sure I'm one of the few that actually shoots rail and snipe and are thrilled to have the data set. Just got my renewal letter in the mail last week.
 
Rob, That's an impressive list of birds killed. I'm glad to see that somebody out there knows how to pull the trigger. We participated last year in the wing thing after many years of being excluded. Years ago 35 at least I was asked to send in the wings and tail feathers. I had to keep requesting more envelopes. I eventually got a nasty letter telling me that it was impossible for me to be killing that many birds and they stopped sending me the envelopes. I haven't heard from them yet this year.
 
I wondering how to get out of it?hehehehe I got tagged back in 1999 for a snipe rail and woodcock bee and they've come back every year asking for me to do it one more. I'm sure I'm one of the few that actually shoots rail and snipe and are thrilled to have the data set. Just got my renewal letter in the mail last week.
Click to expand...

Mark, since you are the only snipe, rail and woodcock hunter in the US, we have to keep you in the survey. After all, we are trying to estimate what you harvest. So if we just count everything that you take its a complete count and no need to "estimate".
 
This will be my first year sending in wings. I did one year of the paper type survey, last year. I was also wondering if they want merganser wings. I usually shoot a few hoody every year. Luke
 
Gene, I did it for quite a few years as well. They ask for wings for the birds only you shoot. The report you get back is good information to review and look at migration patterns and dates. Yes ducks really do migrate through southern Michigan and northern Indiana. Have fun with it this season.

Rod
 
I'm in my second pass with he wing survey. I have always liked doing it, it kind of makes the season a little more interesting. Assuming they send them to me again this year, it will be my fifth season of collecting.
 
Mark, since you are the only snipe, rail and woodcock hunter in the US, we have to keep you in the survey. After all, we are trying to estimate what you harvest. So if we just count everything that you take its a complete count and no need to "estimate".
Click to expand...
Brad,
Well mostly accurate. There's Ira to include too so take my numbers and double them then your data set can be complete and you get to double the "N" number too, go crazy with the stats!hehehehe
 
I will be doing the waterfowl wing survey this year. It is the first year for waterfowl but I have sent in the wings from woodcock before.
 
Brad,
What does this statistic tell you about the birds that Rob shoots? "[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Adult Ducks 119-----72.1%" I know you must analyze where he lives and when the birds are shot. How difficult is it to age an early hatched juvenile greenhead that is shot in the last half of January? Is there a particular specie of duck that is more difficult to age than another? Last question---do you participate in the wing bee held in Hartford, Kansas?
Al
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As bad as it sounds I got tired of doing it. I didnt fill any out last year so we will see if they send them this year.
I would end up with feathers and wings sitting around drying and get behind in putting htem in the envelopes.
Trying to remember the details and catch up with the mailing was just aggravating after a while.
 
Al

The answers to most of your questions can be found at
http://www.flyways.us/surveys-and-monitoring/hunter-surveys/parts-collection-surveys and http://www.flyways.us/surveys-and-monitoring/hunter-surveys/harvest-diary-surveys.

The short answer is that the parts collection information is combined with the harvest diary information (the report other hunters get that asks how many birds did you shoot by day and county) to give an estimate of harvest of that species in that state.

I was joking about Mark being the only snipe, rail and woodcock hunter. There are very few hunters nationwide who pursue those species. The hardest part of determining the harvest estimates is finding the active hunters. That is the whole reason for the questions in the HIP registration. We have to sample a lot of hunters to find the ones that actually take those species.

I don't go to the Central Flyway wingbee (but you'll notice a picture from it on the parts collection web page I posted above. I don't go to any of the wingbees any more, they send me to meetings.
 
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