Waterfowl hunters in Nebraska and South Dakota currently have the option to hunt using the traditional 6-duck daily bag limit (Tier I) or a simplified set of regulations allowing for the harvest of 3 ducks per day (Tier II). Hunters who use Tier II have no sex or species restrictions when harvesting ducks, and the choice of regulatory tier remains with the hunter for the entirely of the hunting season.
Matt's portion of the project focuses on monitoring the satisfaction of Tier II duck hunters in both states and assessing their motivation for selecting Tier II as their regulation of choice. Results from this project inform agency managers about the people who prefer this type of hunting experience and will be used to assess the long-term feasibility of two-tiered hunting in Nebraska and South Dakota as well as potential for introduction in other U.S. states.
Maddy's portion of the project investigates the newly implemented two-tier duck hunting regulation in Nebraska and South Dakota. Her research focuses on understanding hunter motivations, satisfaction levels, and education regarding waterfowl identification, especially for participants in the tier two regulations, which offers a more restricted bag limit but no sex or species restrictions. Through surveys and interviews, Maddy aims to uncover what drives hunters to choose this tier, evaluate their satisfaction with the regulations, and explore their interest in learning more about duck species. Her work will provide insight into the regulation's effectiveness and help inform future regulatory and educational efforts in waterfowl management.
Ava's portion of the project is focused on modeling the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of waterfowl hunters in order to better understand how tiered hunting regulations may influence hunter demographics. She will be utilizing feder HIP numbers and parts collection data to further explore species-specific harvest among tier two hunters. Ava will also investigate the conservation impacts of tier two hunters, including their particpation in organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl.