WMA duck hunter survey reveals notable trends

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recently completed a survey about waterfowl hunter use of wildlife management areas, and the results are interesting.

Titled, “2017 Survey of Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Wildlife Management Area Duck Hunters,” the survey was conducted from Feb. 23–April 2 by the University of Arkansas Survey Research Center. The potential pool included 78,422 individuals ages 18 and older who bought resident waterfowl stamps between the 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 duck seasons, and 17,460 individuals that bought nonresident wildlife management area waterfowl permits during the same period.

The resident sample had 4,130 hunters, and the nonresident sample had 1,740 hunters. Interviews were completed with 476 residents and 505 nonresidents. The margin of error was 4.5 percent.

According to the survey, significantly fewer hunters hunted on a wildlife management area in 2016-2017 than in previous seasons. Twenty-three percent less residents hunted ducks on wildlife management areas, as did 26 percent less nonresidents.

Also, 77 percent of Arkansas resident hunters said they hunt on private land in a typical season, compared to 59 percent of nonresident hunters.

On average, Arkansas resident hunters killed an average of 30 ducks on wildlife management areas, while nonresidents killed an average of 17 ducks.

Also, 59 percent of resident hunters were satisfied with the number of ducks they saw on a wildlife management area, while 72 percent of nonresidents were satisfied.

Both groups said that “overcrowding” was the greatest source of disturbance to their hunting experiences. More than half — 54 percent — of residents cited overcrowding, compared to 41 percent of nonresidents.

Sixty-two percent of residents “strongly support” limiting the number of days that nonresidents may hunt on wildlife management areas, while 72 percent of nonresidents strongly oppose such a limitation.

On motor-related questions, 52 percent of Arkansas residents oppose banning surface-drive outboard motors, and 63 percent of nonresidents oppose the ban.

Furthermore, 53 percent of residents said they support a regulation establishing areas on WMAs where boat motors are not allowed, while 43 percent of residents said they oppose such a regulation. Similarly, 48 percent of nonresidents support such a regulation, and 46 percent of nonresidents oppose it.

Nearly 32 percent of residents and almost 30 percent of nonresidents said they hunted at Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area.

About 9 percent of residents and more than 31 percent of nonresidents said they hunt at Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area.

Nearly 5 percent of residents and 11 percent of nonresidents said they hunted at Big Lake Wildlife Management Area.

Usage for either group did not reach 5 percent at any other area.

Looking ahead, 30 percent of Arkansas residents said they plan to hunt more days for ducks on WMAs than in the past, while 13 percent they would hunt fewer days.

Only 8 percent of nonresidents said they would hunt fewer days for ducks on wildlife management areas.

Fifty-two percent of Arkansas residents said overcrowding is the primary reason they will hunt ducks fewer days than in the past. Only 23 percent of nonresidents said overcrowding will cause them to hunt fewer days than in the past.

Among resident respondents, the overwhelming majority live in central Arkansas, starting with Pulaski County (34.7 percent), Saline County (16 percent), Faulkner County (14.3 percent) and Lonoke County (7.9 percent).

Only 36 percent of Arkansas resident hunters said they hunted with nonresident hunters in the past three years, while 74 percent of nonresidents said they hunted with Arkansas residents during the same period. Two percent of nonresidents refused to answer or claimed not to know.

The nonresident answer to that question contains much between the lines.

CORRECTION

In Thursday’s column about a proposed fishing regulation regulating the use of wild-caught baitfish, we reversed the order of where wild-caught baitfish may be used in a water system.

Wild-caught baitfish may be used downstream of where they were caught, but not upstream. For example, you can use baitfish caught in Lake Ouachita at lakes Hamilton and Catherine, but you cannot use baitfish caught in Lake Catherine at Hamilton or Ouachita.