Mid Winter Waterfowl Survey
Atlantic Flyway Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey. The survey, designed to track long-term trends of waterfowl species wintering along the Atlantic coast, has been conducted aerially each January since 1955.
"The information gathered during these annual surveys helps identify long-term trends and population numbers of waterfowl species that frequent the Atlantic coast," said division Director Bob McDowell. "New Jersey is pleased to contribute to this valuable national database."
This year, a total of 493,479 waterfowl of 26 different species were counted during New Jersey's portion of the survey, which generally comprises 15 percent of the entire waterfowl total for the Atlantic Flyway each year. The total represents a six percent increase over last year and remains consistent with New Jersey's 10-year average count of half a million waterfowl annually.
The survey covered important waterfowl wintering areas throughout the entire state. Division biologists, responsible for identifying and counting the waterfowl sighted, conducted a number of flights with the assistance of professional pilots. Information collected in the interstate survey allows division and USFWS biologists to better manage migratory waterfowl species along the Atlantic coast.
Important species where a significant proportion of the Atlantic Flyway total have been counted in New Jersey during the last 10 years include: Atlantic brant (70%), black ducks (35%), snow geese (30%), Canada geese (15%), mallards (17%), scaup (15%), bufflehead (25%) and mute swans (20%).
The 1997 New Jersey Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey totals for these major waterfowl species with comparisons to their 10-year average are as follows: Atlantic brant 87,240 (-9%), black ducks 77,678 (-4%), snow geese 23,925 (-63%), Canada geese 181,704 (+45%), mallards 30,296 (+2%), scaup 43,355 (-26%), bufflehead 18,670 (+42%) and mute swans 1,507 (+6%).
"It is important to note that winter temperatures, amount of rainfall and available habitat can play an important part in the distribution of different waterfowl species among states within a given year," said division Waterfowl Ecology and Management Project Leader Paul Castelli. "Abundant rainfall throughout the east in 1996 resulted in increased waterfowl habitat during the critical fall and winter months. Coupled with a relatively mild winter, starvation and exposure losses should be minimal for most species this winter."
Results of New Jersey's 1997 Special Winter Canada Goose Season
According to the New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, an estimated 5,211 Canada geese were harvested during the 1997 Special Winter Canada Goose Season, held January 15 to February 15. The season was conducted in two areas of the state, the northern and southeastern portions, in an effort to help curb expanding resident goose populations.
"Although resident Canada geese are a valuable wildlife resource, recent growth in their population has led to increased nuisance problems in many areas around the state," said division Director Bob McDowell. "This season helps provide relief to farmers and other landowners experiencing crop depredation and nuisance problems from resident geese. In addition, the special winter season provides recreational opportunities to goose hunters in lieu of the closed regular Canada goose hunting season."
New Jersey is home to two populations of Canada geese; resident birds that live here year-round and migrants that breed in subarctic regions of Canada during the summer and travel south to winter in mid-latitude areas, including New Jersey. While migrants have declined due to poor reproduction in the arctic and low survival rates, resident populations continue grow, along with goose-related property damage.
The special winter season is held in two areas of the state and at a time of year when it will not adversely impact populations of migrant Canada geese. In the designated winter season areas, biologists estimate that the vast proportion of the Canada geese present are residents and that harvests of migrants should be minimal. In some areas of the state, particularly central and southwestern New Jersey, significant numbers of migrant geese remain throughout the winter. As a result, these areas are not included in the winter season hunt areas.
According to Paul Castelli, division Waterfowl Ecology and Management Project Leader, biologists took body measurements of 412 geese harvested during the season to determine whether the birds were migrant or resident geese. The information gathered indicated that approximately 90 percent of the geese harvested in both the northern and southern hunt areas were residents.
With the exception of special seasons that target resident geese, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which is the agency with ultimate management authority for migratory gamebirds, suspended the traditional Canada goose season throughout the Atlantic Flyway in 1995 and 1996 in an effort to protect declining migrant goose populations. As a result, migrant populations have increased by 57 percent. However, despite these favorable results, the population still remains at critically low levels.
While migrant goose populations have declined, resident populations have increased dramatically from a statewide population of 50,000 geese in 1990 to about 80,000 in 1996. Thus, New Jersey's only alternative to manage expanding resident goose populations is through special seasons such as those held in September and January.
Of the 5,211 Canada geese that were harvested, 3,052 were taken from the northern hunt area and 2,159 were harvested in the southern hunt area. This information was gathered from two telephone surveys conducted on approximately 18 percent of the 2,106 winter goose season permit holders.
"Particularly mild winter weather in 1997, coupled with a lack of
snow cover, resulted in many more geese present in the northern hunt area
than what would be expected in an average winter. This resulted in a higher
than expected harvest in the northern hunt area. Last winter, when much
colder temperatures and snow cover prevailed, harvest in the southern hunt
area exceeded that in the north," Castelli said.
